The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-04-08
The United States Supreme Court.


Talking of the Supreme Court is a re-
minder of the complaints that lawyers
make about the bad manners of the
bench. Arbitrary power, which its pos
SCISSOR expects to exercise during his life,
is not conductive to politeness, and no.
where is this better illustrated than on
the Supreme bench of the United States.
"What do you say, sir?" asked one of
the Justices the other day to a very
prominent lawyer from one of the great
cities of the great West, .9fatl
al say" answered the lawyer, and
then he repeated a legal proposition
which he had been making when he was
interrupted.
well, SIR" said the Justice, Z" if you
mean to state such proposition as a
proposition of law, it is the most aston
ishing thing ever heard Of 1t is worthy
of the bar of - naming the lawyers
city. g.
The lawyer grew angry, and defended
his local bar from the aspersion, but all
the comfort he received was growing
assurance that nothing personal had been
intended.
The incident is only a sample of what
is constantly going on in the courtroom.
The lawyers often have hard time in
their dealings with the court, and the
worst of il all is that the Justices have
the advantage popularity supposed to be
possessed by the preachers their hear
ers cannot answer back, at least, an
swering back might be detrimental to the
interests of their clients.
Sometimes the lawyers give the Judges
cause enough for an exhibition of bad
manners. One of the funniest scenes
that the courtroom ever saw was a dis
play of temper by the usually placid JUS
tice Bradley Ordinarily briefs are bound
in paper, and the Judge was in the habit
of folding up his copy with the papers
for convenience of carrying the bundle
Once magniloquent party from New
Orleans made his appearance in case
involving claim of his own He had
had his brief elegantly printed and bound
in stiff boards. When his time came to
speak he began reading: "When the
bonny blue flag went down before the
stars and stripes-'
There was a rustic of outraged dignity
among the silken gowns, and each Judge
picked up his briefs. Justice Bradley
looked at the stiff boards, and his dark
face grew darker with wrath. He made
Il great show in trying to fold up the
book, and then, with an explosive cpl
tibet, which the court heard but did not
heed, he ripped the book to pieces and
threw it under the table Perhaps it
may not be necessary to add that the
claima mt did not win his case
The bar here is looking for an outburst
from Justice Gray. His Massachusetts
reputation has come here before him.
His TRADES against trembling deputy
sheriffs and frightened witnesses have
been told about over and over again
Only two lawyers in Boston have been
able to turn the table on him. One was
Henry E. Payne and the other Sidney
Bartlett.
eff your honor please" said Payne
one day. beginning a motion.
''Sit down, sir; don't you see | am
talking with another Justicer' thun-
dered the then Chief-Justice
Mr.. Payne took his hat and walked
out of the courtroom. A half hour after
wards messenger reached his office
with a note saying that Judge Gray was
willing to hear him. Il am not willing
to be heard" answered the old lawyer,
''until Judge Gray apologies. And
apologize the Judge had to.
"Mr Bartlett said the Chief-Justice
one afternoon, throwing himself back in
his chair, ''that is not law and it never
was law" -.t-a ..'a
The veteran smiled, and looking over
the bench said: ''It was law, your honor,
until your honor just spoke. : WASH
mgton Cor. Philadelphia Press. ELI