Amaziah B. James
Encyclopedia
Amaziah Bailey James was an American lawyer and politician from New York
.
in 1814. At the age of fourteen, he was apprenticed to a printer Batavia, New York. He removed to Ogdensburg in 1831, and edited there the Northern Light, a weekly newspaper. He later became co-owner of the Times and Advertiser, the Whig
paper of St. Lawrence County.
He became a captain of the Ogdensburg Artillery in 1836, and was later promoted to major general
of the New York State Militia.
He studied law, was admitted to the bar
in 1838, and commenced practice in Ogdensburg.
He was a justice of the New York Supreme Court
(4th District) from 1854 to 1876, and was ex officio a judge of the New York Court of Appeals
in 1861 and 1869. He was a member of the peace convention of 1861 held in Washington, D.C.
, in an effort to devise means to prevent the impending war.
James was elected as a Republican
to the 45th
and 46th United States Congress
es, and served from March 4, 1877, to March 3, 1881. While serving his second term in Congress, he was stricken with "paralysis", from which he partially recovered.
He was buried at the City Cemetery in Ogdensburg.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Life
His family removed to Sweden, New YorkSweden, New York
Sweden is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The town is located on the west border of the county. The Erie Canal passes through the northern part of the town and Route 19 is a major north-south highway. The population was 14,175 at the 2010 census.- History :This town was part of...
in 1814. At the age of fourteen, he was apprenticed to a printer Batavia, New York. He removed to Ogdensburg in 1831, and edited there the Northern Light, a weekly newspaper. He later became co-owner of the Times and Advertiser, the Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
paper of St. Lawrence County.
He became a captain of the Ogdensburg Artillery in 1836, and was later promoted to major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
of the New York State Militia.
He studied law, was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1838, and commenced practice in Ogdensburg.
He was a justice of the New York Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
(4th District) from 1854 to 1876, and was ex officio a judge of the New York Court of Appeals
New York Court of Appeals
The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...
in 1861 and 1869. He was a member of the peace convention of 1861 held in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, in an effort to devise means to prevent the impending war.
James was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the 45th
45th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:-Senate:*President: William A. Wheeler *President pro tempore: Thomas W. Ferry -House of Representatives:*Speaker: Samuel J. Randall -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
and 46th United States Congress
46th United States Congress
The Forty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1879 to March 4, 1881, during the last two years of...
es, and served from March 4, 1877, to March 3, 1881. While serving his second term in Congress, he was stricken with "paralysis", from which he partially recovered.
He was buried at the City Cemetery in Ogdensburg.
Source
- The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (page 351; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
- http://www.courts.state.ny.us/history/elecbook/thereshallbe/pg92.htm Court of Appeals judges