The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-27

taken with a Justice Of the Supreme
Court while ON the beach. II was done
by Henry Clay. and he escaped with his
life In those days Justices took nuf
on the bench. and Justice B,lshroi Wash
ington one day held his snud box open
with his hand extended I'm the arm uf
his chair. Henry Clay was a-guin n case,
and in the mids, OF sigh; pa'is" h.
leaned forward and Deliberately took a
pinch Of snuf from Mr. J,s5tic-. Washing
toms snuf box. Before the Justice
could recover from he shock Of this awful
transgression Mr.. clay procceCs.d 10 lay
the whole court out stone cold by saying
blandly:
i perceive your Honor still sticks to
the SCOTCH
The Constitution OF tn. United State,
had provided no adequate pun ishmcnt
for this terrible offence. and the Itn-tice'
were forced to condone IL but rs Justice
Washington afterkard solemnly said:
Il believe Henry Clay to he the only
man in the United States who would have
dared To take such u liberty
QUESTIONS CT PRECEDENCE
Tha; VAS seventy five years ago. No
Court since. but a catastrophe happened
at the White House during the Roosevelt
admin list raii ION. and shortly after the
Minste Of ten great nat ions were raised
to Ambassadors Now an Ambassador j.
a bird of a very different plumage from a
Minister. and the Ambassadors con-
ceived that they could take the pas Of tn.
Supreme Court At the White House,
1t was the custom until President Taft
entered the White House To give Il special
reception IN honor OF the supreme Court
during the official season. This had been
preceded by reception to the dplo-
matte corps IN which III. Ambassadors.
being tho guests Of honor. had precedence
II was noticed that therr was n Sparse.
sprinkling OF the Justices on the occasion.
TN the evening of the reception IN honor
Of the Supreme Court the Justices assem-
bled. ready. ~ the guests Of honor. 10 bc
received by the President and Mrs. Roose
welt To their horror. however. along
came string OF Ambassadors who coolly
walked in and were presented in advance.
Of the Supreme Court.
But that was not III. worst OF il. All
diplomats are fierce sticklers for prece-
dencs and IA the tail Of the last Am
bassador's coat passed into the Blue Room
the Minister next in rank was tr~ading on
the Ambassadors heels II became i'm
possible To check the line OF diplomats
who followed each other rapidly. while
the min. Justices Of the Supreme Court.
in whose honor the reception was sup
posed To- b. given. were cooling their heels
ON th., other sidx of the door. To say
that the air was sUlphruou- and sorne of
the most pious members Of the court wer.
boiling mad IL putting it mildly. II was
nearly 10 o'clock before nine wrathful
gentlemen following the Minister from
Hayti were ushcrad into President Roose-
velt's presence.
The Chief Justice made a cutting
apology for the delay. and every Justice
a. he shook hands with the President
did the same. The next day Chief Jus
t;cc Fuller and Justice Harlan. the senior
Justice on the bench. vent 10 tho white
Houss and had an interview with Presi-
dent Roosevelt. They did not do n thing
to him. President Roosevelt expiaSled
that IL was an accident but the Chief
Justice and Justice Harlan in their turn
carefully explained that IL was an acct
dent that must not happen twice. Presi-
and Justice Harlan that the catastrophe
should not happen again. Since then no
further catastrophes have occurred.
The exact status Of the Just ices, and
especially the Chief Just ice. and the Am
bass1dors has not been fixed President
Taft gets around the matter by not hav-
in any special receptions for the Supreme
Court or the Ambassadors or anybody
else during the season. The Supreme
Court and Diplomatic CoSps are invited
10 ali four Of these RECEIPT ions. and those
who arrive first whet her il w. he JUS ices
or the Ambassadors. are greeted first
The Jus' ices and especially the Chief
Just ice. are at a disadvantage in this
case The Ambassadors ar" guests Of
the country and consequently entitled
TO ext ra courr esy Moreover. they would
not hesitate 70 leave any reception or
dinner or other eni err anmpnr where
their rank was not recognized so that
the Just ices have not stood strictly on
their rights.
At III. New Years Day receptions M
The White House an arran cement il made
which puts the Supreme Court after the
Ambassadors hut the NiC"-Presiden'
and the Cabinet hav" precedence over
the A,nhnsHadorss and diplomatic Corps
ao that the Ambassadors do not have IL
all their own way A. ii O'Clock the
Vice President, the tabine, and rh.
Diplomatic Corps follow each other in
order AT twenty mInutr rs past II ,he
Supreme Court followed by Rll the
Judges 81 the inferior courts. aro re-
cei we'd followed by former mem bers
OF th. Cabinet and American Ambas>l-
doris who happen TO be in Washing on
Thus the tntus il established that
foreign Ambassadors have precedence
merely as a courtesy TO guests Of the
country and the Supreme Court has pre-
cecienc. over American Ambassadors.
when the President en'erra aims the
Supreme Court Mt dinner no Ambassadors
are asked and the dinner is strictly n
judicial one The chairman of the House
and Sanar. Judiciary committees and
members 81 the committees are asked.
the Attorney General and OF her dist in
v,,ished Judges and lawyers In seat ing