is an oil-painting made in Spain at the time of his admission to the bar, and a copy of it is presented in this sketch. In 1854, Justice Campbell having re signed, Mr. Henry M. Spofford was elected in his place. In 1855, Justice Ogden having resigned, Mr. James N. Lea was elected to succeed him. In the same year, Chief-Jus tice Slidell having resigned, the vacancy was filled by the election of Mr. Edwin T. Merrick.
Chief-Justice Edwin T. Merrick was born in Massachusetts, and is about seventy-five years old. He was admitted to the Bar of Ohio in 1833, and removed to Louisiana in 1838. He engaged in practice at Clinton, East Feliciana Parish, and was appointed district judge. Upon the resignation of Chief Justice Slidell in 1855, Judge Merrick was elected to the office. On the Supreme Bench Judge Merrick proved a very industrious, able, and efficient judge. Though in politics an earnest Whig and Union man, Judge Merrick when the civil war began, embraced with great zeal the Southern cause, and upon New Orleans being occupied by Federal troops, he repaired to the Confederate State Government at Shreveport, where the Supreme Court met and discharged its duties. After the war he returned to the city to practise his profession, and is now an active, persevering, and laborious practitioner at the bar. Although nearing toward octogenarianism, he prosecutes his legal studies and labors with the vigor and pertinacity of a young lawyer.
JOHN T.
In 1857, the term of Mr. Justice Lea hav ing expired, Mr. J. L. Cole was elected in his place. In 1858, Mr. Justice Spofford having resigned, Mr. T. T. Land was elected to suc ceed him. In 1859, the term of Mr. Justice Cornelius Voorhies havingexpired, Mr. Albert Voorhies, his son, was elected to fill the va cancy. In 1860, Mr. Justice Cole having re signed, Albert Duffel was elected in his place. After the fall of the city in 1862, the Supreme Court held sessions in the coun try, not under Federal control, until a period not ascertained, and to which the books fur nish no clew. It is known that to fill vacancies occurring, Messrs. T. C. Man ning and P. E. Bonford were appointed by Governor Moore, and qualified as such. The court decided few cases, practically dy ing away in 1863. In 1864, during the occu pancy of the city of New Orleans and the surrounding territory by the army and navy LUDELING. of the United States, a Convention met which adopted a Constitution, under the provisions of which a Supreme Court was organized, composed of five members, who were Wil liam B. Hyman, Chief-Justice; Zenon Labauve, John H. Ilsley, R. K. Howell, and R. B. Jones, Associates. B. L. Lynch was the Attorney-General. Chief-Justice W. B. Hyman was born at Williamston, in Marion County, North Caro lina, in 1814. In later years he became a resident of Louisiana, and in 1840 was prac tising law in Alexandria. By a close atten tion to his practice and by his well known
