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 The Supreme Court of Wisconsin, sided over it until 1836, when it was abrogated by the creation of the Territory of Wisconsin.

Judge Doty, then twenty-four years of age, was one of the brilliant, able, forceful young men whom General Lewis Cass attached to himself in his early days of power in Michigan. Doty was born in Salem, Washington County, New York, November 5. 1799. Receiving

only a commonschool education, he studied law, came to Detroit in 1818, and soon became promi nent. He was of handsome face, com manding presence, and a suavity and courtliness of man ner that afterwards led people, even in Washington, to be lieve that he had dwelt at courts. He was soon made sec retary of the territo rial legislature, and THE FIRST JUDICIAL clerk of the supreme ORGANIZATION. court of the Territory of Michigan. In January, 1823, Congress provided When General Cass for the appointment JAMES Dmade, in 1820, his of an additional judge famous tour in a flo of the Territory of Michigan for the counties tilla of birch-bark canoes to search for the of Brown, Crawford and Michilimackinac. sources of the Mississippi, and explore This court had concurrent civil and criminal the northern region, its copper and other jurisdiction with the supreme court of the resources, accompanied by Henry Rowe Territory, subject to review of its decisions by Schoolcraft, the famous scholar, whose writ that tribunal, but was given no jurisdiction ings on the American Indian are now so in admiralty or maritime cases, nor in famous and familiar, Mr. Doty was secretary certain cases in which the United States of the expedition, and his report contains should be plaintiff. Thjs act provided for much information relating to the Indian one term of court each year in each of the tribes, the game and resources of the then unknown region. The three canoes, each counties named. The late Honorable JAMES DUANE DOTY thirty or more feet long, were propelled by was appointed judge of this court and pre- twenty-six men, ten of whom were Chip

bed, when about seventy years old. Some of the anecdotes of him represent him as having rather a low sense of justice; but all agree that he led a jolly, easy life, and that he was, despite his eccentricities, arbitrary decisions and facile conscience, warmly be loved by the settlers among whom he spent his life. Until 1823 all that part of the territory of Michigan now forming Wisconsin had no separate courts, except county courts of very limited civil and criminal jurisdiction, and just ices' courts. All im portant cases were tried by the supreme court at Detroit. Suitors and witnesses must travel in sailingvessels some hun dreds of miles to at tend court, and then only when navigation was open.