Chap. 7. 



POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. 



123 



JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 



PROBATE COURTS. 



JUDGES OF THE SUPREME COURT. 



be brought before such court, and appel- 

 late jurisdiction of all causes, civil and 

 criminal, appealable to such court, and 

 may render judgment thereon according 

 to law. They also have original jurisdic- 

 tion of all prosecutions for criminal offen- 

 ces, except such as are by law made cog- 

 nizable by a justice, and may award such 

 sentence as to law and justice appertains. 

 Justices of the peace within their re- 

 spective jurisdictions, have power to try 

 and determine all actions of a criminal 

 nature, which are punisl^able by fine not 

 exceeding ten dollars, and to commit to 

 prison, or to bind over for trial, all offend- 

 ers, whose crimes exceed their powers to 

 try. They have original and exclusive 

 jurisdiction in all civil causes, where the 

 matter in demand does not exceed jj^lOO, 

 except in actions for slanderous words, 

 false imprisonment, replevin above the 

 sum of $7, and where the title of land is 

 concerned. They also have jurisdiction 

 in actions of trespass on the freehold, 

 Vk'here the sum in demand does not ex- 

 ceed ^20. The matter in demand, in an 

 action on a note, shall be considered the 

 amount of the note, deducting the en- 

 dorsements, and, in actions on book ac- 

 count, the matter in demand shall be con- 

 sidered the debtor side of the plaintiff's 

 book. No judgment rendered by a jus- 

 tice of the peace can be reversed by a writ 

 of error, or certiorari, before the supreme 

 court, but appeals may be had from tlie 

 judgment of a justice to the county court 

 by either party, if claimed within two 

 hours after the rendition thereof, except- 

 ing where the judgment is rendered by 

 nonsuit or default, when tJie amount sta- 

 ted in the note or account does not exceed 

 !$20, and a few other cases provided for 

 in the statutes. 



For the due settlement of the estates of 

 deceased persons, the state is divided into 

 twenty probate districts, and a probate 

 court established in each." This court 

 consists of one judge, who is elected an- 

 nually by the legislature, and who is au- 

 thorized to appoint a register of said court, 

 whom he may remove at pleasure. Pro- 

 bate courts are required to be notified and 

 held in each district as often as once in 

 each month. All matters, originally with- 

 in the jurisdiction of the probate court, 

 may be carried to the county court by ap- 

 peal, ajid from that to the supreme court, 

 for the decision of questions of law. 



The judiciary powers of the state are at 

 present exercised by_/??'c supreme judges, 

 twenty-eight county judges, twenty judges 



of probate, and about three thousand jus- 

 tices of the peace, all of whom are ap- 

 pointed annually. 



From 1778 to 1786 inclusive, the su- 

 preme courtconsistedof five judges; from 

 1786 to 1825, it consisted of three judges; 

 in 1825, 1826 and 1827, of four judges ; 

 and since 1827, of five judges. The fol- 

 lowing is a list of the judges, who have 

 occupied the bench of the supreme court : 



* Each of the six southern courties in the state 

 is, at present, divided into two probate districts, and 

 eacli of the eight northern counties constitutes one 

 probate district. 



Elected Oct. 1778. 

 Moses Rohiiison, 

 John Shepardson, 

 John Fassett, jun. 

 Thomas Chandler, 

 John Throop. 



Oct. 1779. 

 Moses Robinson^ 

 John Sliepardson, 

 John Fassett, jun. 

 John Throop, 

 Paul Spooner. 



Oct. 1780. 

 Moses Robinson, 

 Paul Spooner, 

 John Fassett, jun. 

 Increase Mosely, ' 

 John Throop. 



Oct. 1781. 

 Elisha Payne, 

 Moses Robinson, 

 John Fassett, jun. 

 Bezaleel Woodward, 

 Joseph Caldwell. 



Oct. 1782. 

 Moses Robinson, 

 Paul Spooner, 

 Jonas Fay, 

 John Fassett, 

 Peter Olcutt. 



Oct. 1783. 

 Moses Robinson, 

 Paul Spooner, 

 John Fassett, 

 Peter Olcutt, 

 Thomas Porter. 



Oct. 1784. 

 Paul Spooner, 

 John Fassett, 

 Nathaniel Niles, 

 Thomas Porter, 

 Peter Olcutt. 



Oct. 1785. 

 Moses Robinson, 

 Paul Spooner, 

 Nathaniel Niles, 

 John Fassett, 

 Thomas Porter. 



Oct. 1786. 

 Moses Robinson, 

 Paul Spooner, 

 Nathaniel Niles, 

 Nathaniel Chipman, 

 Luke Knowlton. 



Oct. 1787. 

 Moses Robinson, 

 Nathaniel Niles, 

 Paul Spooner. 

 Oct. 1788. 

 Moses Robinson, 

 Paul Spooner, 

 j Stephen R. Bradley. 

 I Oct. 1789-90. 

 I Nathaniel Chipman, 

 I Noah Smith, 

 j Samuel Knight. 

 I Oct. 1791-92-93. 

 Samuel Knight, 

 Elijah Paine, 

 Isaac Tichenor. 

 Oct. 1794-95. 

 Isaac Tichenor, 

 Lott Hall, 

 Enoch Woodbridge. 



Oct. 1796. 

 Nathaniel Chipman, 

 Lott Hall, 

 Enoch Woodbridge. 



Oct. 1797. 

 Israel Smith, 

 Enoch Woodbridge, 

 Lott Hall. 

 Oct. 1798-99-1800. 

 Enoch Woodbridge, 

 Lott Hall, 

 Noah Smith. 



Oct. 1801-02. 

 Jonathan Robinson, 

 Royal Tyler, 

 Stephen Jacob. 



Oct. 1803-4-5-6. 

 Jonathan Robinson, 

 Royal Tyler, 

 Theop. Herrington, 



Oct. 1807-08. 

 Roy 1 1 Tyler, 

 Theop. Herrington, 

 Jonas Galusha. 

 OcM 809-1 0-11-12. 

 Royal Tyler, 

 Theop^ Herrington, 

 David Fay. 



Ocf. 1813-14. 

 Nathaniel Chipman, 

 Daniel Farrand, 

 Jona. H. Hubbard. 



Oct. 1815. 

 \Asa Jlldis, 



