Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-12-20

chief justice. Up to last winter the
number of justices was five, but the
growth of population, and consequent
increase in legal work had caused the
court to get behind, and the legislature
to remedy this, very wisely increased
the number of justices to seven. The
result has been eminently satisfactory
in every way, and the court now has
its work well in hand and the weari-
some delays that had steadily grown
longer, are thing Of the past, and
litigants can now get quick action on
all appealed cases, though the work of
the court is still growing rapidly.
In this connection a brief resume Of
the supreme court from its inception
may prove interesting. "The History
Of the Bench and Bar" published by
the Historical Publishing Company, of
/ Portland, gives the following brief but
thorough history Of the court.
The record shows that February IS,
1S41, J. L. Babcock was unanimously
chosen supreme judge Of Oregon with
probate powers, and was instructed to
act in accordance with the code and
laws of the state of New York until
code should be adopted in Oregon "
He was probably the first man to oc-
cupy the position.
At Champoeg, May 2, ls43, W, +,
Wilson was chosen supreme judge with
probate powers "for the purpose of
taking steps to organize civil com
munity and provide laws"
In the code and primary constitution
submitted to the legislature on July s,
1S43, it was provided that "the SUI
premo court should consist Of a su.
preme judge and two justices of the
peace, with appellate and original jur-
isdiction.
August 9, 1s45, Nathaniel Ford, of
Yamhill county was elected a supreme
Judge but declined to serve, and Hon.
p. II, Burnett was elected by the legis-
lature to serve four years
Hon, j. Quinn Thornton took office
February IL, lSl7 and November l3
the same year Columbus Lancaster
succeeded him. Hon, A. l.. Loveioy
was elected in February, lsi0, and the
records, incomplete, show W. p, By-
ant and Thomas Nelson, who had been
appointed supreme court judges, and
who reached Oregon in 1si0, were sue.
eessors to Judge Lovejoy.
The first chief justice of the terri.
tory Of Oregon was Judge William p.
Bryant, 1sl0.1s5O,
The second WAS Thomas Nelson, 1850.
1853 The third was George H. Will.
liams, ls53-lS59.
The first chief justice of the state
was Aaron Il, Wait, lS501S69, From
1869 to 1864 and again from 1868 to
1870 Reuben p, Boise was chief Justice
Judge Paige Prim was chief Justice for
three terms between 1850 and 1880
and Erasmus D. Shattuek was chief
justice from 1866 to 1868. Then came
W, W, Upton, b, 4, Bonham, James X,
Kelley with two years each in the posi-
ton, and they were followed by viii.
liam Paine Lord for three terms be.
tween 1850 and 1894,
John Breckenridge Waldo was the
sixteenth supreme Judge from 1854 to
1856, and William Wallace Thayer
from that date until 1890. Then came
Il, s. Straban for two wears and Rob
ert s, Bean for four Frank A. Moore
filled the place from 1896 TO 1909 and
again from zoos until 1911, He was
succeeded by the present incumbent
Chief Justice Mcbride,
During the long formative stage of
the state as il emerged from the shad,
ows under which the first primitive
government was born, the supreme
court had much arduous work, and
many difficulties aud unique problems
to solve More perhaps than ever fell
to the lot Of any court, Tor the strange
conditions which surrounded tho young
commonwealth were different from
those any other Of the states faced,
and there were problems peculiar to
these conditions. Tho old donation
land laws, and individual ownership Of
claims by husband and wife caused
many odd questions to bob up, The
sometimes double and always doubtful
governments, left tho residents uucor.
tain whether they were subjects of the
British government or citizens Of the
American republic, made many tangles
in titles that the supreme court had to
straighien out, and with these were
other tangles incident to the first, and
these ercn had both ends of the
thread in the middle and the middle
lost.
with infinite patience and prcscr,
venncc one lot Of Justices after an
oihOr has slowly digostcd aud Cotton
rid Of most Of these much worrying
questions, and the work Of the supreme
court In recent years has been along
these lines more In keeping with the