Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-05
1890
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD.


Celebration OF the Centennial of the United
States Supreme Court-Llterary Exsr-
cises Presided Over BY Ex-PresldeuT
Cleveland-A Banquet In the Evening
Winds Up the Days Exercises.
NEW YORK, February 4-rhe dinner in cele-
bration Of the Supreme Court Centennial was
held tonight at the Lenox Lyceum. The ban
| quet hall was a mass of flowers and vines and
presented beautiful picture. A dozen large
tables were arranged in various positions about
| the hall, and each was decorated with hand
some Japanese vases, filled with fragrant
| flowers. Covers were laid for 800 guests, and
| nearly every seat was occupied. A Japanese
village scene, painted on canvas was on the
stage at the end of the hail. and was curtained,
at each side with smilax. On one of the boxes
| over the Madison avenue entrance was perched
a large eagle. which held in its beak hand
some silk flag the folds of which were draped
| about the boxes. Some Of the flowers fruits
| and ice pieces on the table were most unique
The form of Justice" was of course promi-
nent, and beside this subject appeared minia-
ture Washingtons, Franklins, Lincolns, and
| other distinguished Americans.
| The platform table was set for 26 persons. 1t
was presided over by James c. Carter, Chair
man of the Entertainment Committee and
among the guests were Chief Justice Melville
W. Fuller, ex-President Cleveland, Matthew
Hale, of Albany, President Of the New York
State Bar Association; Associate Justice Samuel
F. Miller, of the Supreme Court; ex-Judge
| William II. Arnoux, of New York, Chairman
of the General Judiciary Centennial Committee
| of 100; Associate Justice Joseph Bradley, of the
| United States Court; Associate Justice John
M. Harlan, Of the Supreme Court; Associate
Justice Samuel Blatchford, of the Supreme
| Court; Chauncey NJ. Depew. Rev. William r.
| Huntington, William Allen Butler, Associate
| Justice Stephen ]. Field, of the Supreme Court;
| Er6daFip r 0f ha har 0f
| the city Of New York; Henry Hitchcock, of
Missouri; Associate Justice Gray, Associate
| Justice L. @. q. Lamar, United States Senator
| William NJ. Evarts, Associate Justice David L.
| Brewer, Chief Justice Paxson, of Pennsylvania;
Mayor Grant and President Low, Of Columbia
College.
The celebration, which opened this morning.
was marred by the sad events Of the past few
days. The weather seemed designed to cast a
| further gloom upon the affair." for disagreea-
BILE rain set in shortly after 9 o'clock, which
| grew heavier as the hour for the exercises ap-
| preached. All preparations had been perfected
Tor the occasion, and neither the absence of
| the President and his Cabinet nor the atmos-
pheric influences were permitted to interfere
with the celebration. At all the principal ho-
| tells early calls were made upon the distin-
| guIshed guests from all over the Union, and
| every attention was shown them by the COM
mittee In charge. Carriages rolled up to the
| doors and the guests were escorted to the Met
ropolitan Opera House, where they gathered in
| the waiting rooms and lobbies awaiting the
formation OF the procession,
At 1870 the procession, headed by the Judges
of the Supreme Court of the United States in
their official robes. followed by the various
| Judges of the Federal District Courts, the
| New York State Court of Appeals the Su-
| preme, Superior, Common Pleas and other
Courts marched down the various aiSles of the
| Metropolitan Opera House and assumed the
various seats and boxes ALLOTTED them. The
members of the Supreme Court of the United
| States occupied seats on the stage along with
eX-President Grover Cleveland and many other
| legal dignitaries The immense auditorium
was crowded with National and State law
| makers lawyers citizens and representatives
of the various professions, and the bright
dresses and faces of ladies were seen on all
sides.
The commemorative exercises opened with
| music, after which the Chairman, ex-President
Cleveland, delivered the introductory address.
Among other things, the ex-President said
To-day we have assembled to commemorate
an event connected with our beginning as a
people, which more than any other gave safety
and the promise OF perpetuity to the American
plan Of government and which more than any
other happily illustrated the wisdom and en-
| lightened foresight of those who designed our
national structure. In the work of creating
our nation the elements of a free government
were supplied by concessions of sovereign
by the inspiration of pure and d1sinterested
patriotism. If from these elements
| there had not been evolved that
feature in our Federal system which is
our theme to-day the structure might
have been fair to look upon and might have
presented a semblance of solidty and strength:
but it would have been only a semblance; and
the completed edifce would have had within
its foundations the infirmity of decay and ruin.
1t must be admitted that it is hardly within the
power OF human language so to compass di-
verse interests and claims within the lines of
written Constitution, as to free it entirely from
disputes of construction; and certainly diverse
constructions were apt TO lurk in the diction of
a Constitution declared by the President of the
convention which formulated it. to be the re-
suit of spirit of amity and of that mutual
Difference and concession which the pecularity
of our political situation render indispensa-
ble.'"
Mr.. Cleveland was followed by prayer by
Rev. Morgan Dix. and then the address of
welcome was made by Hon. William H.
Arnoux. The next speaker was William Allen
Butler, LII. D., of New York. His topic was
THE Origin of the Supreme Court of the
United States and Its Place in the Constitu-
tion." Hon. Edward ]. Phelps, Of Vermont,
spoke on ''The Supreme Court and the SOver-
eighty of the People," to which Justice Field
responded for the court The Hon. Henry
Hitchcock then spoke on the powers of the
Supreme Court and those of the Constitution.
Thomas j. Semmes, of Louisiana, who spoke
on the Personal Characters of the Chief JUS
tices."
The Rev. Chalmers pronounced the benedic-
tion, and ended the literary exercises.