The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-11-18
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT.
PERSONNEL OF THE JUSTICES.

recent visitor to the United States Su-
preme Court Room, in the Capitol at Wash
ington, formerly the Senate Chamber, gives
the following description of the personnel Of
the Justices and the method Of work pursued
by that august body:
The Supreme Court, after the summer va
cation, is already in full working session again,
and the venerable Judges march every day at
noon, full robed, in the court room, and con-
tinue the work of finally settling htlgated
questions
Somewhat foreign, at first blush, to our
Government seems such an institution as the
Supreme Court-its members not liable to re-
moval, nor its decisions to reversal, or even
review by any human authority; it is, per-
haps, no wonder that Jefferson, the lifelong
advocate Of Republican simplicity in govern
ment, feared that such an absolute power as
that vested by the Const tuition in the Su-
preme Court might some day prove the bane
OF the Constitution itself. Greatly interested
in tribunal SO potent and august, l spent
some hours to-day listening to the argument
before it, and contemplating the surroundings
and the judges.
Chief Justice Waite is the youngest man on
the bench, and looks still younger than he is.
With a solid and erect form and bearing,
black hair, which years are nothing into gray;
strong and expressive face, genial but decided
manner on the bench, he looks the Chief
Justice of the present, being clearly distinct
from the ideal judge of the past, when white
and scanty locks, bald and glistening dome
of thought, great age, and somewhat Of cold
ness and reserve marked the typical jurist.
Seated on the right of the Chief Justice are
judges Clifford, Miller, Field and Bradley, in
their order, and on his Left judges Swayne.
Davis, Strong and Hunt, the various positions
being determined by seniority Of appointment,
beginning with Judge Clifford on the right,
and continuing with Judge Swayne on the
left, Miller on the right Davis on the left, and
Justices there are three distinct types of men.
Swayne, Davis and Miller are the large
and weighty men, who impress you. with
gigantic ability to digest either an abundant
dinner or an abstruse legal question.
Clifford and Bradley, though no pigmies in
stature, seem rather the sages of the bench,
who, with voices somewhat broken by age,
ply the avocate with questions that show there
is no lack OF mental vigor. Field, Strong and
Hunt, ON the other hand, are the clear. cut,
cold and college-bred men who seem to fur
nish to the bench the culture end polish of
the East, as Swavne, Miller and Davis do the
the native vigor Of the West.
Before these hard working men a docket
of more than 500 C .ses looms at the beginning
of the present term. From II to o'clock
each day they listen to arguments of counsel
who, before this court, have learned to con-
dense their speeches to the last degree. At the
judges retire to their consultation room, when
the Chief Justice takes up the cases heard
during the day in their order, and beginning
with the junior Judge in years of service,
asks the opinion of each; upon which, if
there appears to be substantial unanimity.
he assigns to one and another the duty OF
writing the opinion Of the court, in cases
where written opinion is required by the ma
ture Of the decision. These opinions, except
in cases Of unusual importance, are not re-
quired to be submitted to the full bench on
the following morning for approval or amend
ment. 1t is only by such system and prompt
ness that these honorable justices aret able to
keep at all abreast Of the increasing litigation
of the time.