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The Supreme Court of New Jersey.

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parent hopelessness of success on the part Terms were held regularly for about a year; of the colonists; the other, the influence of grand juries were summoned and sworn, his wife, an English lady, over his actions, and criminal business transacted. The which, it was then believed, led him to prove Courts of Oyer and Terminer were held recreant to his prior actions and promises. by one or more justices of the Supreme Neither excuse, however, was sufficient in Court, assisted by county judges who were the eye of his contemporaries, as he ever not lawyers. Venires for grand and petit after lived a dishonored man. jurors were issued to the sheriffs of the

There is no report of any of his de- several counties. Under the colonial gov cisions, and no esti ernment commissions mate can be formed for holding the Oyer of his ability as a and Terminer were judge; his career in sent by the Governor that position was too and his Council to the short to enable him justices as exigencies to demonstrate his required. In the Con capabilities. He was, stitution of 1776 no however, a man of express authority was decided intellect, and given to any one to is in less stormy times sue these commissions; might have left an but an act of the Legis enviable memory as lature was passed very a member of the high soon after, which gave est tribunal of his full power to the Gov State. ernor and Council to convene the court; and No record of any res ignation by John Deat last, after some per I lart, as Chief-Justice, sistence, despite the can now be found; but grave doubts of many he never served, and excellent lawyers, the it became necessary to practice was fully rec fill the vacancy which ognized and never af had already existed too ter questioned. Very JAMES KINSKY long. In February, soon, too, the word "Colony" was dropped 1777, Robert Morris was elected, and he immediately assumed from all commissions and laws, and the the discharge of the duties of the position. word " State " substituted. The commis He was a member of a family distinguished in sions for holding courts of Oyer and Ter miner were invariably issued until 1794, when colonial'history for a century in many direc tions, not only in New Jersey, but elsewhere. they were abolished and those courts were His father was Robert Hunter Morris, who regularly convened in the several counties. Chief*Justice Morris was very busy in had been Chief-Justice for twenty-six years, performing the duties of his office. There from 1738 to 1764, and had died while hold were no public conveyances then, and he ing that office. Robert Morris was ap pointed at the darkest hour of the Revolu was obliged to use his own horse and car tion. Little civil business was done by the riage in passing from county to county. A courts, but a very large volume of criminal letter written by him to Governor Living cases engaged the attention of the judges. ston, and dated June 14, 1777, is particularly