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 The Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia.

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then Lieutenant and acting Governor of was a great relief to the owners of " tax Virginia, in place of Gov. Littleton Wal titles." In 1834 he was the Common ler Tazewell, who had resigned in April, wealth's Attorney of Harrison, Lewis, and 1836. The reputation of Allen as a Preston counties, when he was elected to lawyer was comparatively limited, and he Congress. He was not a speaking member was not well known outside of the counties of the House, but took an active part in the where he practised, and hardly at all in the national legislation of that period. He was circuit for which he was appointed judge. a candidate, for re-election, but was defeated There was no little dissatisfaction at his by Joseph Johnson, one of the most popular selection.

He held men in Western Vir his first court in Boteginia, who was after tourt County, Sept. 1, wards made Governor 1836. The grace and of the State. After his ease with which he appointment as judge presided made friends of the Seventeenth of every one from that Judicial Circuit, he time forward, and it removed to Botetourt, was said that he wore and resided there un his judicial robes with til his death in 1871. as much ease and For the first vacancy dignity as if he had on the bench of the been born a judge. Court of Appeals after Naturally sedate and his appointment as reserved in his man circuit judge, he was ner, and ordinarily a candidate, and was silent when in general defeated by Robert company, he some Stanard by a vote of times madethe impres eighty to seventy-six. sion that he was cold The two members and distant. But in from his own county the familiarity of pri voted against his pro vate life he was emi motion, for the reason nently kind, gentle, that they did not wish WILLIAM UROCKENBROUGH and communicative. him to leave the cir He was born in Wood cuit where he was so stock, Shenandoah County, on the 25th of useful, and they did not wish to lose Mr. September, 1797, and was educated at Stanard because of his acknowledged fitness Washington College, Va., and Dickinson Col for the position. The year following, — that lege, Penn. He read law with his father, and is, in January, 1840,— he was again brought after obtaining his license, settled at Camp prominently into public view by being nom bell Court House, Va., where he remained inated for the United States Senate. In the but a short time, removing in 1819 to General Assembly of 1839-40 the state of Clarksburg. He married in 1824, and in political parties was somewhat peculiar. On 1827 was elected to the State Senate, where joint ballot the Whigs and Conservaiivcs (the he introduced a bill of great importance to latter being known as the special followers what was then known as Trans-Alleghany of William C. Rives, who had abandoned the Virginia, looking to the settlement of land- Jackson party after "the removal of the titles. The bill finally became a law, and deposits" in 1833) had a small majority, —