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 The Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia. some time manifested to the proposition; but the Association has now appointed a committee to draft such changes in the Statutes of Virginia as will effect that end. Judge Robertson has been twice married, — first to Hannah G., the daughter of Gen. Vm. F. Gordon of Albemarle, and second to Mrs. Alice Watts Morris, the famous

Virginia belle. He still lives at Charlottesville in the full practice of his profession, but confin ing it to appellate and consulting practice. George H. Lee was a native of Winches ter, Va., and was elected by the people under the reformed Constitution of 1851. At the time he was living in what is now West Virginia. He never sat after 1861, because his home was in that part of the State in the Union lines, and he could not readily get to Richmond. He prac tised his profession after the war very WILLIAM J. successfully. He is now dead. Lucas P. Thompson was elected a judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals, but died before he took his seat. Alexander Rives was made a judge of the Supreme Court in the year 1866. William T. Joynes died in Petersburg on March 14, 1874. He was born in Accomac County, Nov. 8, 1817. He was the son of Thomas Joynes, a lawyer of ability, who is mentioned by Henry A. Wise in his "Seven Decades of the Union." Settling in Petersburg in the year 1839, he married a daughter of Judge John F. May, and by his 47

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studious habits and talents soon gained for himself an enviable reputation as a lawyer. He was appointed United States District Attorney, and discharged the duties of that office with marked ability. In the summer of 1863 he was elected judge of the First (Confederate States) Judicial Circuit, which position he held until the disastrous termi nation of the war. In the fall of 1865 he was elected to the Leg islature of Virginia. During the following session he was elected to the Supreme Bench, wherehedistinguished himself by the erudi tion and practical good sense of his opinions. With a brief interval he remained upon the bench until March 12, 1873, when ill health caused him to resign. Upon his tendering his resignation, the whole court addressed him a letter of regret, which showed that he occupied the highest sort of position in the judgment of his asso ciates on the bench. He never regained his ROBERTSON. health. Judge Joynes has left a name unsul lied by the reproach of a single questionable act. On the 17th of March, 1874, a memorial meeting of the bench and bar of Petersburg, on his death, was held in that city; and eulo gistic addresses were delivered by Major Charles S. Stringfellow and Captain (now Judge) Drury A. Hinton. Judge Joynes's style of composition was elegant, and his manner of expressing himself very forcible. An excellent instance of this may be seen in his lucid opinion in De Voss et als. v. City of Richmond, 18 Gratt. 338. The case, on the question of a municipal corporation