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JONAS PLATT,

SON OF ZΕΡΗΑΝΙΛΗ PLATT,

Was born at Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, New York, on the 30th of June, 1769.

He studied law with Colonel Richard Varick, and was admitted to the bar in 1790.

In the commencement of 1791, he removed to Whitesboro', in the then county of Herkimer (which at that period included all western New York), and on the seventeenth of February in that year, was appointed Clerk of the county.

In 1796, he was a member of the Assembly (19th session, beginning January 6th, and ending April 11th) from the counties of Herkimer and Onondaga, which latter had been erected from Herkimer on the 5th of March, 1794.

On the 19th of March, 1798, he was appointed Clerk of Oneida county, which, four days before, viz., on the fifteenth, had been erected also from Herkimer county; and from 1799 to 1801, he was a representative in the sixth Congress from the ninth district of the State.

From 1810 to 1813, he was a member of the New York Senate (33d, 34th, 35th and 36th sessions) from the western district.

At the April election of 1810, Mr. Platt was a candidate for the Governorship of the State of New York, against Daniel D. Tompkins, but was defeated.

In 1813, on the 12th of January, he was chosen to the Council of Appointment from the western district, and on the twentyfifth February of the next year, was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State.

In 1821, he was a member (from Oneida and a part of Oswego counties) of the Convention that formed the second State Constitution.

On the 31st day of December, 1822, his commission as Justice expired, by reason of the Constitution of 1821 taking effect from that day, but in accordance with the provision in article ninth of that Constitution, Mr. Platt continued to hold over until the 29th of January, 1823, when his successor (Hon. Jacob Sutherland) was appointed.

On his retirement from the bench, he resided at Utica, New York, and then in the city of New York, at which places he engaged in the practice of his profession.

He died at Peru, Clinton county, New York, on the 22d of February, 1834, in the sixty-fifth year of his age.

In 1790, he was married to Helen, youngest daughter of Henry Livingston, of Poughkeepsie, New York, and had eight children, two sons and six daughters.

Mr. Platt was tall and slender in person, of fine presence; quiet and thoughtful in demeanor, with dark eyes and complexion. He was dignified, although somewhat reserved in manner and speech.

JOHN WOODWORTH,

SON OF ROBERT WOODWORTHи,

Was born on the 12th day of November, 1768, at Schodack, Rensselaer county, New York.

In September, 1784, he entered Yale College, graduated in September, 1788, and in that year commenced the study of law, at the city of Albany, with John Lansing, Jr., subsequently Chief Justice and Chancellor of the State.

In July, 1791, Mr. Woodworth was admitted to the bar; removed to Troy, New York, and commenced there the practice of his profession.

In 1792, he was appointed by the judges and supervisors of Rensselaer county, one of the New Loan Commissioners (in pursuance of an act of the Legislature, passed the 14th of March, 1792)1 for loaning the said county's share ($30,000) of the State Loan, to the several counties.

1 Laws of New York (Greenleaf's ed.), vol. 2, p. 400

On the 7th of June, 1793, he was appointed Surrogate of Rensselaer county, by the Council of Appointment, and so continued till his appointment as Attorney-General.

On the 6th of November, 1800, he was chosen, by the Senate and Assembly of New York, one of the twelve Electors for President (Jefferson) from the county of Rensselaer; in 1803, he was a member of Assembly (26th session) from the same county; and from 1804 to 1807 was elected to the Senate of the State, from the eastern district.

On the 3d of February, 1804, he was appointed AttorneyGeneral of the State, and in 1806 removed to Albany. He continued to hold the office of Attorney-General until the last of March, 1808. In 1811 (by an act passed April 4th) he was appointed, in conjunction with William P. Van Ness, reviser of the laws of the State; on the ninth of November in the next year he was chosen by the Senate and Assembly, one of the Electors for President (Madison), and in 1813 (March 3d) was made a Regent of the University. In that year the revision of the laws of the State, known as the Revised Laws of 1813 (according to the said act of 1811, and another passed April 12th, 1813), was published in two volumes.

On the 27th of March, 1819, he was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, in place of Ambrose Spencer, made Chief Justice.

On the 31st day of December, 1822, his commission as justice expired in consequence of the Constitution of 1821 taking effect from that day, but according to article nine of that Constitutution, Mr. Woodworth continued to hold over; on the 7th of February, 1823, he was again appointed, and continued in the office until November, 1828, when he resigned under the Constitutional limit (retained from the Constitution of 1777), having arrived at the age of sixty.

Judge Woodworth died at Albany, on the 1st of June, 1858, in the ninetieth year of his age; in the enjoyment, to the last, of his faculties, both physical and mental.

He was of large and portly presence, with light eyes and complexion, and a countenance expressive of cheerfulness and benignity. He was very easy of approach, his manner affable, and conversation agreeable and fluent. His fellow-townsmen had been so long accustomed to his erect form, and quick active step among them, added to his urbanity of speech and manner, that at his death an important feature of Albany life seemed removed.

Illustrating the retention of his mental faculties, the following are mentioned:

In May, 1856, he delivered a clear and cogent argument before the Judges of the Supreme Court of the third Judicial District, in a case of ejectment, brought by the heirs of French against Lent, to recover lands illegally confiscated by the State, contrary to the Treaty of Peace of 1783; in which case the decision of the court was in favor of Judge Woodworth.

In September, 1857, he delivered another argument on a mandamus against the Comptroller of the State, to recover an alleged arrear of salary due him as Judge of the Supreme Court, under the Constitution of 1777. The argument was before the special term of the court, and was succeeded by another, upon the same subject, at the general term in December.

In these arguments (which were printed in pamphlet form) Judge Woodworth introduced biographical sketches as well as historical and personal reminiscences, interesting not only from their intrinsic worth, but from the choice and apt language in which they were clothed.

When it is considered that these arguments were prepared by a gentleman in his eighty-ninth year, who was Attorney-General of the State before the birth of the judges to whom they were submitted, they must be regarded as worthy of record.

Judge Woodworth was also the author of a little work, both pleasing and valuable, entitled "Reminiscences of Troy, from its Settlement in 1790 to 1807," full of historical sketches of the place, and biographical notices of many of its oldest inhabitants. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

THE VETOES OF THE COUNCIL OF REVISION OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, are here, for the first time, collected in a printed shape.

This Council existed from 1777 to 1821; a period of forty-four years, extending through the two wars of our nation with Great Britain. An independent branch of the legislative power, its vetoes illustrate the legal and constitutional history of our State jurisprudence. They embrace a great variety of questions in constitutional law and public policy, and possess general and permanent interest.

The distinguished men that composed the Council, anxious not only to vindicate these vetoes to the public, but knowing they would encounter the objections and arguments of the Legislature, framed them with great care, and they consequently will be found marked by vigor, clearness and logical precision, both in thought and expression.

The Editor has placed in a body those vetoes that received the sanction of the Council, separating in an appendix those objections which, although presented to it by those having in charge the bills upon which they were founded, did not receive the above sanction.

The Vetoes were compiled by the Editor from five manuscript folio volumes in the office of the Secretary of State at Albany.

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