Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1868-11-24

those most honored and trusted in her his
tory; one who, as just and upright judge,
,adorned for twenty-five years the Supreme
Bench of the State, and who was one off
its most respected Governors.
Stephen Royce, the twcnty-frst Cover
nor of Vermont, was the oldest son of Ste
phen Royce and was born at Tinmouth, in
the county Of Rutland, on the 18th day Of
August, 1877. His father was the son of
Maj. Stephen Royce, ofTinmouth, who was
one of the delegates to the Convention that
met in Dorset July, 1774, to declare YER
mont free and Independent State. Ste
phen Royce, the second above named,
moved fIom Tinmouth to Berkshire, in the
county of Frank in, and for many years
represented that town in the General As
scmbly of Vermont. He married daugh-
ter of Hon. Ebenezer Marvin, who was a
member Of the first Council of Ccnsors, and
Chief Judge of the County Courts for the
counties of Rutland, Chittcnden and Frank
lin respectively.
Judgs2oyce was thus of honored ances-
try on both sides. lie fitted for College
at the Addison County Grammer School,
graduated at Middlebury College in 1907,
in the same class with Gov Slade stud
led law with his maternal uncle, Ebenezcr
Marvin, Jr., ESQ, at Sheldon; was adj
mitted to the bar in Franklin county and
commenced the practice of his profession
at East Berkshire. After remaining there
short time, he removed, to Sheldon, in
the same county, where he continued in
practice about six years. After this he
removed to st. Adams, and continued in
active practice till 1929, except during the
years 1896 and 1927, when he,was one
of the Judges of the Supreme Court. In
1929 he again removed to East Berkshire.
He represented the town Of Sheldon in the
Legislature Of Vermont, in 1915 and 1876.
He was also Representative from ct. Al
bans in 1922, 1928, and 1924, and was
the delegate from that town to the Consti-
tutional Convention of 1922. During the
years 1876 and 1917, while residing at
Sheldon, he was States Attorney for tfO
county Of Franklin.
La 1926 he was elected one of the As
sociato Judges of the Supreme Court of
Vermont, and was reelected in S26. The
next year he declined a reelection, and
resumed practice. In 1929 he was again
elected one Of the Judges Of the Supreme
Court, and was continued on the bench till
1852, receiving twenty-threc successive
annual elections, and serving in all twenty
five years as Judge of the Supreme Court
of Nermont---longer than any other per-
On the retirement of fudge Williams, IN
1916, he was unanimously elected Chief
Justice, and was reelected in 1S47, '4S.
40, 80, and 81 In 1852 he declined
reelection, and retired to his farm in East
Berkshire.
Daring the same year 1852 he was an,
pointed by Governor Fairbanks Chairman
of a Board of Commissioners, authorized
by resolution of the Legislature, to re-
port such provisions and amendments in
regard opleading and practice in our courts
as in their judgments would be beneficial
m 1854, and during the excitement
which followed the passage of the Kansas
Nebraska Bill, Judge Royce was nomina-
ted for Governor, at the time of the organ
ization Of the Republican party in this
State. The Convention which nominated
him was called as Wing Convention but
it by formal resolution invited the co.one-
ration of all who believed it to be the duty
of Congress to Congress to prohibit the ex-
tension of slavery into the Territories Of
the United States, and it placed on the
ticket with him man of the "Free Soiln
or Liberty party, as Lieut. Gov. viz 4:
Oscar Il. Shatter, who subsequently de-
clmed the nomination, and Ryland Fletcher
was placed on the ticket in his stead. The
next year the State Committee appointed
by that Convention called a Republican
Convention, and nominated the same
candidates. Judge Royce was cleo.
ted Governor BY some IL 900 majority,
and was re-eleetcd in 1855 by an equally
decisive majority.
The University of Vermont, in 1897
conferred on him the honorary degree Of
Dr.. Of Lars.
The time when Gov. Royce was called
to the Executive Chair of the State, was
one of great public excitement from the
condition Of affairs west of the Mississinn;
to which we have alluded, and the action
Of the United States government in relation
IL.
thereto. What was to be the end, and by
what means the end would be reached
caused great solicitude in the minds IF al