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THE COURT OF APPEALS OF KENTUCKY. II. BY JOHN C. DOOLAN OF THE LOUISVILLE, KY. BAR. WHEN the Senate failed to confirm cases and wrote many opinions that would the re-appointment of Judges Owsley reflect credit on the bench of any state. and Mills in December, 1828, Governor The work of the court for that year is to be Metcalfe appointed two men in their stead found in Volumes i, 2 and 3 of J. J. Marsh who had been staunch advocates of the all's Reports.

"Old Court," in the controversy then No higher tribute could be paid to the recently closed. judicial system of They were George Kentucky, as it ex Robertson and isted prior to 1850, Joseph R. Under than to point to the wood. The Chief record of the Court of Appeals for Justice of the court was the George M. twenty years before Bibb who had been Judge Robertson an ardent " New came to the bench Court " man and the and show how the glories of that period appointee of a " New Court" governor. were repeated throughout the As soon as Judges Robertson and Untwenty years after denvood were aphis appointment. pointed, Chief George Robertson Justice Bibb re was the first Chief signed to go to the Justice of Kentucky United States Sen who was a native of ate and thus almost the state. He was born of Irish ances in one day a com tors, in Mercer plete change was County, on Novem made in the per GEORGE ROBERTSON sonnel of the court. ber 18, 1790. In Justice The office remained of Chief vacant from December 16, pupil of Joshua Fry who his conducted youth he was a finea 1828 to December 9, 1829, when Judge Robertson was promoted to that position and Richard A. Buckner was added to the Court as Associate Justice on December 2 1, 1829. During the year 1829, Judges Robertson and Underwood, while yet unused to judi cial labors, decided an immense number of

school near Danville, Ky., in the early part of the nineteenth century. When an old man he delighted to relate how as a boy he went to Mr. Fry and telling him of his poverty agreed some day to pay him for his tuition and board if he would admit him to his school. Mr. Fry was a man of fine education and