The Supreme Court of Rhode Island.
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Associated with Judge Eddy on the bench, were Charles Brayton and Samuel Randall. Judge Brayton was a representative of the old order of judges. A blacksmith by trade, his education was limited and largely acquired by private study. He was a diligent student of public affairs, and ambitiously marked out for himself a public career. From 1814 to 1818, and again from 1827 until his death in 1834, he was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. It is said of him that " such confidence was reposed in his knowledge and sense of equity that a multitude of cases were privately submitted to him, and his advice was accepted as a finality in the matters in controversy."
Samuel Randall was a graduate of Brown University in the class of 1804. He studied law one year with Judge Howell, and then for several years devoted himself to teaching and editing a country newspaper. From 1822 to 1832 he was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Two years after retiring from the bench he was admitted to the bar.
Durfee was born at Tiverton in 1790. He was the son of Thomas Durfee, a lawyer who for some years was Chief-Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for Newport County. Graduating at Brown University in 181 3, he studied law with his father, was admitted to the bar in 181 7, and began practice in con nection with his father at Tiverton. Not finding his time fully occupied with profes sional labors, he de voted his leisure to lit erature and politics. From 1816 to 1821 he was a Representative in the General Assembly.
In 1820, and again in 1822, he was elected a representa tive in Congress. He disliked speaking for display, and infre quently took part in the debates. Modest and moderate, neither a ready nor an elo quent debater, he was nevertheless clear, forcible, and convinc ing in argument. After retiring from Congress he served three years as Representative in the General Assembly,
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GEORGE M. CARPENTER.
during two of which he was Speaker. Early in life he had cultivated the poetic art, and now in the maturity of his intellectual powers he wrote poetry in the intervals of his more serious labors. In 1832 he published a poem Job Durfee. entitled " What Cheer; or Roger Williams in In 1835 Job Durfee, then an Associate Banishment." This was published in Eng Justice, was elected to succeed Judge Eddy land, and received flattering notice from as Chief-Justice. He held the office until English critics. Judge Durfee was a zealous his death in 1848. The period during which student of aboriginal and colonial history, he was Chief-Justice was a time of turbu and from these sources he drew themes for lence and political disorder in the State, out popular addresses, which he delivered in of which grew grave constitutional ques Providence and Boston. His most preten tions, requiring judicial solution. Judge tious literary effort was entitled " Panidea, or 70
