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 The Supreme Court of Wisconsin.

THE SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN.

BY EDWIN E. BRYANT. II. THE FIRST SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE. THE constitution adopted in 1847 for They met as a supreme court and held statehood provided for a judicial sys their first term in January, 1849. Alex tem of five circuits, one circuit judge for ander W. Stow was chosen chief justice each, who were to sit in banc once a year by the ballot of the judges; and this court,

as a supreme court. thus constituted of After five years, the the circuit judges, legislature might, if continued for five years. Of these sev deemed necessary eral gentlemen short and expedient, estab biographical sketches lish a separate su will here be given. A preme court consist ing of a chief justice desire to relieve the and two associate jus dullness of the annals tices. The judges of men whose lives were paid a yearly are not eventful in the more active sense salary of fifteen hun dred dollars, for fru must be the apology gality is declared in for an occasional anecdote or incident, the state constitution to be one of the vir which gives glimpses tues on the " adher of life in a new State ence to which the in a remarkable blessings of good period of our national government depend," development. and the compensation was fixed by the con EDWARD VERNON stitution, so that the WHITON was born EDWARD V. WHITON. judges might be as June 2, 1805, at South independent as poor. Lee, Berkshire CounOut of this meagre salary they must pay their ty, Massachusetts. He descended from traveling and other expenses while riding the James Whiton, who came from Hingcircuit and holding court in the various ham, England, in 1640, and settled at Hingham, Massachusetts, and whose second son, counties. The constitutional virtue of fru gality was enforced upon them, as all must Joseph, removed to Ashford, Connecticut, in 1730. Edward was the son of Joseph admit. The judicial election in 1848 brought to Whiton, who descended from this line, and the benches of the circuits the following was born at Middleton. Entering the army named judges : First circuit, Edward V. in the Revolutionary War he served under Whiton; second, Lcvi Hubbell; third, Gates in the campaign that ended by the Charles H. Larrabee; fourth, Alexander surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga. He W. Stow; fifth, Mortimer M. Jackson. came to South Lee soon after the close of