SC1896_FF1_131

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between them.
The Circuit Court of Tennessee, sit three times
a year. At that time (1829&30) the Circuit Court
of T. Cty. sat in the month of March, July
& Nov., but the Judge of the new Circuit
was not elected in time to hold the March
term, nor did Campbell or Turney send to any
of the officers of the Court to my knowledge
any information on the subject. At any
rate, there was no court. Their plans were
not all ripe - They had a Judge of their
own making - but they also wanted a Sheriff
of their own - Thomas L. Gray, the Sheriff
as stated before, was inefficient - but he was
honest, & in summoning Jurors, would have
done his duty. He was elected in 1826_& in 1828
at both of which elections a base & corrupt
scoundrel, named Thomas Finch, was a Candidate.
The election of Sheriff was at that
time under the old Constitution of Tennessee
in the hands of the Justices of the Peace of
the County, who also composed the County Court
At the session of Legislature in 1829
there were 16 vacancies, each Captain's Company
being entitled to two. The Justices of the
peace were appointed by the Legislature,
the Members of which, would generally, if
honest, consult the wishes of the people of
the neighborhoods. Turney in filling the
vacancies (for I have good reason to believe he
controlled Campbell in that) acted with an
eye single to the election of his man Finch.
Gray's term expired in May 1830, & at the
election in that month, the whole 16 new
Justices, Turney's appointees voted for Finch.