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 The Supreme Court of Tennessee.

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great prosperity in the State. Its population It was also the office of these three judges doubled in two decades, and its wealth in to lay down the rules governing torts, out of creased rapidly. The economic conditions which was to be developed the law that brought about large dealings between its should determine the rights and liabilities people and the merchants and commission- of parties under the new conditions which men of distant cities. Numerous suits grew have come about since they left the bench. out of controversies arising in the course of Slavery likewise furnished many questions business, and a very considerable part of the to be answered by that court and its succes time of the Supreme Court was devoted to sors before the Civil War. But such suits the consideration of

were not commensuquestions of commer-, rate with the extent of cial law. All the the interests of the State in slave property. mooted questions that Large holdings of have divided and slaves were rare. In vexed the courts of the various States in Tennessee slavery was largely a household in this branch of the law stitution. The ser were before the court. vants were considered The positions then more as villeins at taken have generally tached to the land, and been steadily held ever to be transmitted with since. The disposi it from one generation tion of the court was to another. They were pronounced to follow infrequently the sub the lead of the highest ject of sale, and so the courts of the State of opportunity for con New York on such troversy was limited. questions, though it is But to consider the the expressed policy of members of the court the present judges to in detail. align themselves with Nathan Green was the Supreme Court of born in Amelia Coun the United States on WILLIAM B. TURLEY. ty, Va., in 1792. He all new questions of was of respectable fam commercial law. ily, though he was not of that class known The policy of State aid to internal im provements, then being actively carried out, as the " first families." His education was caused a great deal of litigation. Many such as could be obtained in the primitive turnpike companies were chartered, and the schools of his county, and was but little State gave aid to the building of a complete more than meagre. He enlisted as a soldier system of roads, until it was apparent that in the War of 1812, and served gallantly the railway was destined to supersede the in Virginia throughout the war. On one turnpike, when the State aid was diverted to occasion while on sentinel duty he halted the building ot railways. Many banking and General Taylor, the general commanding, manufacturing corporations were chartered, who was unable to give the countersign, and and their charters came before the court in made him mark time at the end of his bayo various ways, so that corporation law even at net until the arrival of the officer of the guard, who recognized and rescued his luck that early day was much considered.