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 The Supreme Court of Indiana. 215

capital cases, and cases in chancery, where the president of the circuit might be interested or prejudiced.

The judges of the Supreme Court held their offices for seven years, if they should "so long behave well," and were be be made conservators of the peace throughout the State. They were to be appointed by the Governor, " by and with the advice and

sent of the Senate The court appoint^ its own clerk. The legislating met at Corydon a£ Mon. day, Nov. 4#l8l6>_ more than* month before the/ gtate wag admitted.W m On ^. Decemr 23 »as enacted a

originated, or where one of the parties re sided. All appealed cases were retained. When Indiana became a State she had less than seventeen counties; but during the first session of the legislature enough were created to make that number. The first judicial circuit was composed of the counties of Knox, Gibson, Warrick, Pose}', Perry, Pike, and Daviess; the second, of Harrison, Clarke, Washington, Jackson, and Orange; and the third, of Wayne, Franklin, Dearborn, Switzerland, and Jef ferson. Travel was almost impossible, and rivers and creeks were often unfordable. The which took steamboat had not yet the first day appeared on the West following Febern rivers, and in fact for the organwas yet an experiment. n of the Supreme The raft, the dugout, t, providing for and the pirogue were two terms a year, — the only means of commencing on navigation. first Monday in Settlements were •Jay. and the other on far apart. The Indians Te corresponding day still lived within the December. The borders of the State ourt was authorized in goodly number. to sit in the county The population was S. E. PEKKINS. courthouse of Cory only 63,897. In De don. Each term was cember, 181 5, Wayne thirty days, if the business before the court County had only 6,407 souls; Franklin, 7,370; required a term of that length of time; but Dearborn, 4,424; Jefferson, 4,270; Washing the court was given the power to extend it ton, 7,317; Harrison, 6,975; Gibson, 5,330; Knox, 8,068; Switzerland, 1,832; Clarke, indefinitely. The business then pending in the General 7,150; Posey, 1,619; Perry, 1,720; and Court of Indiana Territory was transferred Warrick, 1,415. Brookville had been laid to the Supreme Court; excepting such cases out only five years, and had only eighty as were originally brought and then pending houses, " exclusive of shops, stables, and out in the court at Vincennes and Brookville, houses." Salisbury was then the countywhich were sent to the Circuit Courts sit seat of Wayne County, and had " about ting at those two places. Any case brought thirty-four houses, two stores, and two in the court at Corydon could be sent, by taverns;" and already Centreville — after order of the court, to the county where it wards the county-seat — was menacing it.