NEW HAMPSHIRE DAY BY DAY

George Franklin Morris of Lancaster, the new judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire, is seventh in the line of that honorable and distinguished succession, the office having but four occupants between 1804 and 1921. The first judge, appointed by President Washington September 26, 1789, was General John Sullivan of Durham, hero of the Revolution and one of the most interesting figures in the early history of New Hampshire. He was a brilliant lawyer, as well as a gallant soldier and courtly gentleman, and was attorney general of the state before accepting the place on the bench which he filled until his death, January 23, 1795.

His successor was John Pickering of Portsmouth, whose life story is one of the tragic pages in the history of the New Hampshire bench and bar. Native of Newington, Harvard graduate, eminent lawyer, useful patriot, one of the framers of the state constitution, chief justice of the supreme court, attorney general, he was in failing health when he received his appointment to the federal court and a few years later became insane. His removal from office, effected by the harsh expedient of his impeachment for "high crimes and misdemeanors," became not only a celebrated case, but a national political issue.

In his place was appointed John Samuel Sherburne of Portsmouth, who had been the first United States district attorney for this district. He was a preacher turned lawyer, Revolutionary soldier, legislative leader and congressman, and served as

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judge until 1830. After him came Matthew Harvey, the only man who ever resigned the office of governor of New Hampshire; which he did to accept the appointment to the federal bench. Born in Sutton, educated at Dartmouth, he was a lawyer in Hopkinton until his removal to Concord in 1850, where he died in 1866, having held office, state or federal, continuously for 52 years. His name appears in the list of our executive councilors, speakers of the House, presidents of the Senate and United States Senators, as well as in those of governors and judges.

Daniel Clark of Manchester, the next district judge, also resigned what some might consider a more important office to go upon the bench; for he was United States Senator when he accepted the judicial appointment and qualified July 27, 1866. This action, however, was not unique, like that of Governor Harvey, for in the early days of the Republic Samuel Livermore, James Sheafe and Nahum Parker resigned the office of United States Senator from New Hampshire, as did, somewhat later, those more famous sons of the state, Levi Woodbury and Franklin Pierce.

Judge Clark was a native of Stratham, a graduate of Dartmouth and for two years during his service in the Senate president of that body. Upon his death in 1891 the choice for his successor fell upon Edgar Aldrich of Littleton, native of Pittsburg, graduate of the University of Michigan, speaker of the New Hampshire House, whose distinguished career as lawyer and jur

ist and eminent public services are still fresh in the public mind. It was his lamented death on Sept. 15, 1921, which caused the vacancy now so well filled by the appointment of Judge Morris.

George F. Morris was born in Vershire, Vt., April 13, 1866, the son of Josiah S. and Lucina C. (Merrill) Morris, and attended the schools of Corinth and Randolph, Vt. For some years he was a successful school teacher, at the same time reading law, and was admitted

resentatives of 1905, when the important standing committee on ways and means was first appointed, he was made its chairman, although a new member, and in that capacity rendered valuable service. Both

at Lisbon and Lancaster he served on the school board. He has been a member of the state board of bar examiners since 1914 and in 1917 was president of the state bar association. Despite his devotion to his profession he has many outside interests, including an extensive

to the bar in 1891.

FEDERAL BUILDING, CONCORD, N. H. He practised at Lisbon until 1906, when he removed to Lancaster and became a member of the firm of Drew, Jordan Shurtleff & Morris, headed by U. S. Senator Irving W. Drew and the late Governor Chester B. Jordan, the most important law partnership in Northern New Hampshire.

In

this connection he has had a very wide and successful professional experience. While at Lisbon he represented the town in the legislature and constitutional convention and was for four years solicitor of Grafton county. In the House of Rep

farm. and has been president of the Coos County Farm Bureau. He is an authority on the early history of Northern New England as well as upon its flora, of which he has a large collection. Judge Morris married May 16, 1894, Lula J. daughter of Charles and Persis (Hall) Aldrich, of Lisbon, widely known as a clubwoman and as past grand matron of the Eastern Star. They have one son, Robert Hall Morris.

Judge Morris counts himself fortunate in having the experienced and expert assistance in his new