Evening star., 1896-01-18

secretary, who must be an expert stenog-
rapher and who attends him at his house.
For couple of hours or so in the morning
the work Of examining citations proceeds,
the details varying with the nature of the
case. By noon Mr.. Justice Blank is at the
Capitol and ready to take up the routine in
the court room. The court sits from IL un-
til O'Clock. from the second Monday in Oc-
tober until the middle or latter part of May,
five days in the week.
Work In the Evening.
After adjournment Mr.. Justice Blank will
more than likely walk home, given a pleas
ant day, for he feels the need Of stretch
irg his limbs after sitting four hours on
the bench, or rather in a leather chair.
In the evening he puts in his best work
on the case in hand, and if it is an inter-
esting one will probably keep at it until a
late hour. Perhaps he has his secretary
read him the cited passages or the pro-
lower court upon which the case was ar
gued, while he ponders the matter from an
easy chair and behind cloud Of cigar
smoke. This is continued until Mr.. Justice
Blank has absorbed clear ideas of his own
of what ought to be the decision in the
case
Every Saturday the members of the court
meet at the Capitol for consultation. They
assemble in a little room on the basement
floor, used for that purpose alone. Up to
this point the public has kept tolerably
well posted on the movements in the ease,
but here the court parts company with the
public and the rest can only be surnised.
The consultation chamber Is the holy of
holies where profane foot dare not tread.
curious eye may not rest, and, more than
all. where no fnquisitive ear can listen.
What goes on within these walls is a
secret locked in the breasts of the members
themselves and they never tell. 1t s. sur
missed. however, that in this room and at
this time the members Of the court express
q iyfE nir1inY tho
issue. and reach a conclusion on 1t. The
ciief justice thereupon designates one of
his associates to prepare the opinion of
the court to be delivered at some future
day.
Mr.. Justice Blank, having now received
authorization to present the opinion of the
court upon the case, proceeds to draw it
up, and this is a matter requiring care and
deliberation, with rare choice of phrase in
laying down the law. He knows that this
opinion will be read by every lawyer in the
country; will be criticised and scrutinized
with keen eye and discriminating mind and
he must make it proof against assault for
his own pride's sake. Moreover. this Is to
be the law of the land hepceforth upon this
particular subject, aud he would like to
have it stand as a monument to his ability
so that in the next century the decision Of
Mr.. Justice Blark in the year 1896 will be
cited in all similar cases.
Time and Labor.
Some of the opinions delivered by men,
hers Of the court are at great length going
exhaustively into the subject and intrench-
ing the court in a citadel of precedents and
references. OF course it requires labor 20
do this. 1t takes delving and study, with
reasoning and logic. 1t must be remem-
bered also that just as soon as this case
Is disposed of there is another one pressing
hot upon its heels, and so on, day after day
and week after week, until the adjourn
ment of the court in the summer.
This does not end the labors of Mr.. JUS
tice Blank, however, but only closes one
branch of them. He must now go on his
circuit and continue his judicial duties. The
states of the Union are grouped into nine
judicial circuits, each one constituting a
United States circuit court of appeals and
presided over by a justice Of the United
States Supreme Court. The circuit courts
of appeals are often in session simulta-
neously with the United States Supreme
Court. but there may be certain cases re-
served for hearing before the Supreme
Court justice. If ths parties at issue are
not satisfied withSthe judgment Of that one
member of the Supreme Court the case
may be appealed to the full Supreme Court
and heard later. Members Of the Supreme
Court frequently spend the vacation
months on efrcuit. and get back to Wash
ington only in tine to take up their larger
duties here.