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Show HISTORY MEXICAN NEW OF FACTS LEADING 972 aie _— lek BE pe aa eee the people of the territory to elect delegates to a convention to be held at Santa Fé on the 15th day of May following.**® Colonel Munroe issued the proclamation and the convention assembled at Santa Fé on the 15th day of May, 1850, James H. Quinn being elected president, and after sessions lasting ten days framed a constitution for the state of New Mexico, the work of Joab Houghton 197 and Murray F. Tuley. 196 Sen. Ex. Doc. 60, 31st cong., Ist sess. 197 Joab Houghton was chief justice of the superior court by appointment of General Kearny; his associates were Carlos Beaubien and Antonio José Otero. York, where he He was a civil He was born in the year 1811, in the state of New received a common-school as well as a collegiate education. JURAWENTO When thirty-three years of age he came to New engineer by profession. Mexico and in the year 1845 was appointed United States consul at Santa About the same time he engaged in merchandising with Eugene LeitensFé. dorfer, and, from 1846 to 1848, theirs was one of the leading GOBIERNO DE LOS # . be scene 3 re : : z 1846, and continued to hold te x gs he dos agua ba: Rtg citizens. In the as such and year 1865, him various drew when several Judge officiating of congress as judge of March 3d, had before 1863, authorizing the suits brought confiscation in certain quarters against under fox Rota Gate Js & peetomlals © ghey 3555: wh sntaride Ean mises Se FES fissne EFI soae $3308 Pigaehs sessed goveesinte was PRISE : PIERS. TOS WELW RSE Pe Ae eon S the act of property ™ oe A “a ty ; Hiefy tr 4a i else tae LE the judge, - United States attorney, and the marshal, that on December 5, 1865, they wer? It is impossible now . denounced to their faces as unmitigated scoundrels. realize how overwhelming was the excitement and prejudice of those days: The exercise of calm judgment seems to have been almost an impossibility: , his two official terms he appears to have filed but one written opinion ; oF was in the case of Archibeque vs. Miera, in 1869, in which year he was su ceeded by Judge Bergen, appointed by President Grant. After his retirement from the bench Judge Houghton de indictments Houghton certain cases. By his rulings in these cases he laid himself open to the severest criticism, much of which was brought about through his lack . legal knowledge. The New Mexican of December 15, 1865, says: ‘Th 1 a clear that Judge Houghton is wanting in all the essentials necessary to ® speedy and satisfactory administration of justice, and his appointment to the bench is but another evidence that those not bred in the law should not His court was called a ‘‘prize court; be entrusted with its administration.’’ and so great was the indignation on centre fe pes FF again appointed to the bench, he was assigned to the 3d judicial district and while # amg Ro ses : Skieariometie Heke alsntateereie & : : Tootilind & bee gibeaeie: regular method of entering orders, judgments, and decrees, that his experience in dispensing justice in those turbulent and troublous times was anything but satisfactory either to himself or to litigants. During the Civil War he was a stanch Union man, asserting his sentiments when it required nerve to maintain his patriotism. In 1862 Judge Houghton prominent UNIDOS : Resitechs Beene ~dadane de ie gisinos sae woke sada oie waa Rees records of his court, from 1846 to 1850, fairly demonstrate, from the erude manner in which the entries are made and from the decidedly peculiar and 1 against ESTADOS x ps pee is — SHORE GOR Hee court regularly at the appointed terms up to his retirement from the bench 1n 1852. Judge Houghton presided at Taos in the trials of the men accused. of the murder of Governor Bent. He was not educated to the bar and the was an acting U. 8. district attorney LEALTAD mercantile The firm had its store on the corner of houses west of the Missouri river. what was known as the Galisteo road and San Francisco street in Santa Fé. After his appointment by General Kearny, Judge Houghton held his first term of court for Santa Fé county in December, DE BR practised law ap d Slmile ; ‘ oak of of Oath of Allegiance Administered to Captain: Solomon Splegelberg by Chief Justice Kirby during the Civil War Benedict |