St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-01-04
SENATOR MORRILL'S LAST
SPEECH.
A Plea for a Supreme Court Building.

address on some topic OF i've Interest W
the senate, and this has been listened to
with attention by his colleagues, who
have regarded the speeches as remarka-
BILE in view of the age of their author.
The last address was delivered a week
or more before the Christmas holidays,
the subject being the need OF building
for the use of the U. S. supreme court
and other courts.
Its delverance showed few signs OF
lessened vitality and at its conclusion the
honor was done the senator OF unanl-
nous passage of the resolutions on
which he spoke.
Following is the lull text of the Sena-
tors last public address:
Mr. PRESIDENT The recent gas ex-
plosion and fire in that portion OF the
Capitol occupied by the supreme court
and the law library sternly indicates the
propriety of promptly providing else
where a more appropriate home and ac-
commodations for the supreme court.
that rather neglected coordinate branch
of the United States Government. Con-
gress, having some years ago enlarged
and improved the building for its own
use and occupation, can well afford to
give some attention to the comfort and
dignity of our judicial tribunal, whose
character and special learning may fairly
be claimed to stand among similar tribu-
nails unrivaled in the history OF the
world. In the early part of the career OF
the American republic the supreme court
doubtless contributed to its success by
its aid in the solution of some perplexing
constitutional problems. not only by it's
firm and patriotic craftsmanship, but by
its thorough and ample judicial knowl-
edge.
This bill introduced by me has twice
passed the Senate unanimously, the first
time on June g. 1888, and again April
%, 1890, as | hope it will pass today.
Since then it has had the approval OF
the committee on public buildings and
grounds of every Congress, but it has
been thought well not to urge its pas
sage until the completion OF the Library
and city post office. Happily no other
government buildings are now in the
way. The bill has received thorough
and careful revision and will protect the
interests of the United States, as well as
the rights of the land owners.
The bill covers like amount of ground
on the east front of the Senate CORE
spending to that occupied by the Library
on the east front Of the House of Repre-
sentatives. The large avenue and street
running through the squares to be taken,
of course, will cost nothing.
Nearly all of the present owners of the
land described in this bill have with
much earnestness petitioned Congress to
put the question of its purchase at rest
by final decision in favor or against
taking the land for public use, which
now appears, like Mahomet's coffin, to
hang suspended between heaven and
earth, and. as the owners say, can
neither be sold nor rented.
Formerly the land here under consider
alton was apprised at little more than
that taken for the library, or between
five and six hundred thousand dollars.
The ground is so obviously indispensable
to complete the symmetry of the grounds
on the east front of the Capitol that no
Stnator would deny that its ultimate
acquisition is. as have once before said,
as fixed as Millions fate, freewill. and
absolute" How fortu.
nate are we that the grounds will also
be so appropriate and altogether admir-
able as the site of our Temple of Justice
This bill is only for the requirement Of
ground actually essential to the beauty
and equal proportions of the grounds
on the east front of the Capitol, upon
which, however, it is also proposed that
a proper building shall hereafter be
placed for the Supreme Court, not one
OF great extravaganza, yet necessarily
large, convenient and elegant structure,
as the United States can hardly afford to
build any other, certainly not for the
supreme court.
1t is probab BILE that Congress will decide
to have the United States court of claims
and the District court of appeals suita-
bly, provided for in the same building.
Among other neediul rooms will be
room Tor the attorney-general, robing
room, the rooms of the clerk, the mar
shall, the reporter. and the solicitor
general, and room for the general use
OF attorneys.
The law library should also be con-
siderably larger than the present one, as
the supreme court reports, with the &C
cretions from the circuit and district
courts and the additions from state
courts, as we'll as what may be received
from judicial tribunals abroad, will bring
together ere many years great law
library Of rare value.
A fine hall should also find a place in
this building for the use OF international
commissions, for which we have much
and frequent use.
The room now in use by the supreme
court is hardly large enough; for in
stance, whenever an important case is
on trial, where eminent attorneys are
expected to appear it frequently happens
that several members OF the House of
representatives, and of the Senate,
desire to be present, but they find they
should have gone earlier, as all the seats
are in the possession of other spectators.
In 1889 the supreme court was organ
lied, with chief justice and five associ.
ate justices, any tour of whom were to
be quorum. In 1907 sixth associate
was authorized. In 1887 the associate
justices were increased to eight, and in
1868 to nine, but in 1866 the number
was reduced to six.
In 1869 the court was made to consist
of the chief justice and eight associate
justices, any six of whom were to con-
stitute quorum. This statute is still in
force.
As the years 60 by there is a general
concurrence on the part Of the American
people that the present site OF the capital
OF the republic, chosen by our forelathers