Parsons, Theophilus

(1750-1813), was graduated at Harvard, and rose to the leading position among the lawyers of Ma achusetts. He was a member of the famous E ex Junto. He was foremost among the Federalists in the Ratifying Convention of 1788. Aside from service in the State Legislature he held no further political office. He was Chief Justice of the Ma achusetts Suprenre Court from 1806 until his death. Parsons’ Case, a celebrate:| law case won by Patrick Henry in November se ion of the Court of Hanover County, Va., in 1763. This case involved the constitutionelity of the “ option law” or ‘‘ two penny act,"’ pa ed by the Virginia Legislature in 1755. The operation of this act affected each parish minister, compelling him to receive the value of the 16,000 pounds of tobacco, due for his year’s services, in paper money of the colony, amounting to £133 instead of £400 sterling, the selling value of the tobacco. The clergy appealed to the crown. The crown disallowed (vetoed) the law. Under this disallowance the Rev. James Maury having sued for damages, the court squarely ‘‘ adjudged the act to be no law,’’ and decided for the plaintiff. A new trial was allowed on a demurrer, and Henry was retained as counsel for the defendant. His eloquence induced the jury, a picked jury, to return one penny damages for the plaintiff. Succe in this famous case made Henry’s reputation at once. 69