Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-03
Housed in Poorly Lighted
and Contracted Quarters.
VALUABLE COLLECTION
ROOM FORMERLY USED BY THE
SUPREME COURT.
The First Official Telegram Transmit
ted From There by Prof. Morse
Necessity for New Building.

in a poorly lighted and ventilated part of
the Capitol building. in that section midway
of the Senate and the House wings, Is q
room containing one Of the most valuable
and complete law libraries in existence.
This library Is that OF the Supreme Court
q the United States, more commonly re-
ferred to as the law library Of Congress.
The room now occupied a library,
while small, poorly ventilated and lighted.
has much of interest and Of history con-
nected with II. 1t Is situated in the center
Of the building. near that part known as the
crypt, and in the room formerly occupied
by the Supreme Court OF the United States.
The room is circular in form, and the
height from floor to ceiling permits of the
distribution Of the many books In narrow
tiers OF shelves: otherwise the space would
not be sufficient for one-half the number:
and as it is. the room is wholly unfit and in
adequate for the purpose required.
Birth of the Telegraph.
From this room Prof. Morse. the inventor
OF the telegraph, transmitted the first Off
cial telegram. A wire had been laid from
Washington to Baltimore. and the young
inventor. surrounded by a group of prom
tnent men, manipulated the instrument
which conveyed the news to Baltimore of
the election of President Polk in 1874. A
nephew OF the famous inventor Mr.. W. H
Morse, is one OF the assistant librarians
today.
Description Of the Collection.
The Supreme Court library today con-
tains about 10000 volumes. Its value. as
set by conservative judges, is not far from
100000. The library contains two sets Of
all state reports. two sets Of English re-
ports. and high as five and six dupli-
cate United States reports. There are also
many valuable text books and treatises
upon the different subjects of the law not
now obtainable, and OF almost priceless
value
Besides the general collection in this
room, however. there are three special ones
the conference room library (about II. 900
volumes). located in the conference room
Of the Supreme Court and for the use of
the justices exclusively: the collection.
Judges SETS (about 4, 800 volumes), at the
residences Of the several justices for their
individual use; and the law section Of the
Toner collection Q,2s3 volumes), kept at
the main library.
Under the copyright law two copies of
each edition Of every American copy
righted law book have been received and
duplicate sets of reports. a matter of
utility, have been maintained, while OF the
United States Supreme Court reports there
are six sets.
The library contains nearly all American
text books in their several editions, the
English reports complete. together with the
new annotated reprint, as far as 1t has ap-
peared; the Canadian reports, including
those Of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick.
Prince Edwards Island and Manitoba: the
Australian reports and Indian appeals re-
ports. the United States Supreme Court re-
ports, all the United States circuit and dis
trict court reports. federal cases, the Fed
eral Reporter, American Decisions and
complete sets of reports of supreme and
appellate courts of the various states and
~, ri, Ar,y,, f0
of Newgate, Hargrave's collection How
ellis, Craik. Townsend, Phillips, Wharton,
and nearly 5000 individual trials; digests
of all the reports mentioned above, and
standard encyclopedias and dictionaries
Of ancient and modern languages.
International law is fairly represented by
American and English treatises. by such
standard continental works as Rfvier, CAL
vo, Heffter and Padier- Fodere, together
with the Revue de droit international ct de
legislation comparee.
There are many collections of laws of
foreign countries in ancient and modern
treatises, especially in French, Spain.
Switzerland, Germany. Holland and Russia
are also represented by broken and incom-
plete sets Of laws.
The library contains much of interest in
the line of manuscripts. From the collec-
ton purchased from the jefferson estate
twenty-eight bundles of manuscript con-
corning Virginia history were secured
Among these were the records and papers
of the London Company of Virginia, 1G19-2i
In two volumes: eight volumes or bundles
of papers containing minutes of the assem-
bly, or other colonial records. 16O6-11C0. In
addition this purchase included three vol
umes of Jefferson's law notes. three vol
umes of commentaries upon a universal
history and several treatises upon religious
or philosophical subjects. The papers of
Dolly Madison. purchased by Congress in
1S4S, although dealing In the main with
family matters. throw much light upon the
political and social life of the city of Wash
ington during the first half OF the nine
teenth century -..,.
History Of the Library.
The law library was formerly a part OF
the Congressional Library and occupied that
part of the Capitol building known as the
old library. In the Thirteenth Congress-
October q. 1914. a resolution was offered
in Congress to purchase the law library Of
the late President Jefferson. By special act
January 80 1915. Congress voted for the
purchase of the Jefferson library at the fg-
ure set by the administrators. $3.50, Ito
be paid In treasury notes Of the issue or
dered by the law Of March 4, 1S14'
In the Twenty-second Congress. July Ii,
1882 an act was passed for the purpose OF
increasing and improving the law library
at large and near the Supreme Court but
STIMULATING that 1t should continue part
of the Congressional Library, subject to the
same regulations and rules An appropria-