Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-04
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
The Dignified Supreme Court and Some
Of Its Memories.

mon in the Supreme Court of the United States
yet onsthe very first day of its meeting tn
point OF no quorum was raised-this hundres
years ago-and that is why the centennial i
celebrated today instead of ON the LIST Of Feb
ruary.
Nobody knows just in what building tn,
supreme Court held its fryt meeting in New
York, but paper Of that time speaks Of thei
meeting in "the exchange" building. They me
on the LIST day Of February, 1870, but had n,
quorum. The court record for that day reads
| "Atthe Supreme Judicial Court Of the United
States, begun and held at New York Cbeing the
seat OF the national government, on the first
Monday OF February, and on the first day OF
said month, ammo Domini 1890.
| Present:
The Honorable John Jay, esq. chief justice.
The Honorables William Cushing and James
wilson. esqs, associate justices.
This being the day assigned by law for COM
mencing the first sessions Of the Supreme Court
OF the United States, and sufficient number of
the justices not being convened, the court ia ad-
]ourned by the justices now present until to-
morrow at one of the clock in the afternoon"
The next day they got a quorum and
organized, Justice Blair being present. The
court followed the government in its wander
lngs In search OF permanent place Of abode,
going to Philadelphia about a year after its
organization, and coming from there to WASH
lngton when the government came here to
settle down and quit moving. In Philadelphia
the court met in the city hall, and at Washing
ton 1t has always met at the Capitol, except
on one occasion in 1902, when the dignified
court found itself again in the condition the
Rouse Is sometimes in-minus q quorum.
Then, as the quorum could not come to the
court the court went after the quorum. Two
OF the Justices were too i'll to attend the sitting
OF the court and they convened
ArA TAVERN IN GEORGETOWN,
where the two ill justices lived At the first
meeting of the court hundred years ago they
had very little to occupy their attention. In
deed, for a number q years they were far from
overworked. A number Of lawyers were ad-
United to practice before the court during the
first year, but they do not seem to have had
much practice before it, for the first case was
placed on the docket during the February
term OF 1791-a year after the court was organ
lied. This case was entered as follows:
February Term, 1871.
Nicholas Vanstaphorst and
Jacob Vanstaphorst
VS..
The State of MARYLAND.
Ordered, that Rutger Jan acknowledgements,
Peter Stadinski Hendrick Vollenhoyen. Chris
tian Van Eighen, Nicholas Bonds, P. C. Ma
hugs and William Willinck be appointed COM
mlssioners to take dispositions in this case"
record of cases from 1891 to 1905
The records of the court for the first fifty
years of its life do not take up many volumes.
The present over-worked court, looking back
at these, must breathe sigh OF envy for the old
Justices had much honor and little toll As
late as 1855 the court could dispose of all its
work by sitting but three months a year. At
present about 500 cases put on the docket
each year. and a case dockcted today has no
chance of being reached in less than four wears
unless for some special reason it is advanced.
CLOTHED WITH ROBES AND DIGNITY.
The Supreme Court is the great preserver OF
antiquity in this country. The old dignified
formalities, the old style of flowing gowns, even
the old furniture that was in the court almost
at its birth, are preserved with religious care.
The new appolntee to this court is clothed with
the dignity, the antiquity and power which rs
handed down from one generation of justices
to another, and when the robe of Office falls on
his shoulders he is raised out of the world of
ordinary men, with their common prejudices
and passions.
de becomes part of a permanent and in
falllble branch of the government, fl ON whose
DEGREES there is no appeal. The Justices of
the Supreme Court are the simplest of citizens
In their everyday life and the most inexorable
OF judges III their robes.
chief justices since the organization of the
court, as John Rutledge was not confirmed and
VIM cushing resigned before he had ever pre-
sided over the court. The seven are: John Jaw
New York. 1859 to 1885; Oliver Ellsworth, Con,
necticut, 1886 to $500; John Marshall, Virginia,
1901 to 1885; Roger Brooke fancy, MARYLAND,
1886 to 1864: Salmon Portland Chase Ohio,
1854 to 1873; Morrison Remich Waite, Ohio,
1874 to 1888; Melville Weston Fuller illinois,
1888