Evening star., 1913-12-07

| fteeu, secretary to Gen. washington VIII
the rank of lieutenant colonel, and re.
mained a member of the military family
OF the comander-in-chief until the sprlns
OF 1871. In March. 1871. he was ap.
pointed chief judge of the general cour
of Maryland. an Office which he neio
when, in the balloting for tirst vice
President in the electoral college ne
received the six votes of his native state
Five days after his confirmation as an
associate Justice of the Supreme Courl
| OF the United States he was unanimously
chosen chancellor of Maryland. He hesi-
tated for some time before making
| choice between the two positions. Du'
] finally determined in favor of the latter
| In a letter dated November .. 1850
Washington acknowledged the return OF
the commission, but finding that one OF
the reasons that induced him to decline
the appointment was an objection to the
judiciary act, suggested that such a
change in the system was contemplated
as would permit him to pay as much at
tention to his private affairs as his pres
ent station, and declared that he thought
1T proper to return his commission. In
the end he again declined. perferring the
state Office. He died, however. in the
following April at his seat on the Po-
nfth year of his age. and Washington
wrote to Lafayette; Poor Col. Harrison,
who was appointed one Of the associate
judges of the Supreme Court and de-
SAhCu Is idtely uedu.
Ablest Member of Court
James Wilson. the fifth selection of
President Washington, was in some re-
spects the ablest member of the first
Supreme Court He stood in the very
foremost rank at the bar His attain
ments in the law were such as to lead
the King of France to commission him as
avocat general de la nation Francaise a
Philadelphia. and bestow upon him the
sum of 10000 livres: while Washington,
passing by the Wythes and Pendletons
of Virginia. selected him as the preceptor
of his nephew. Bushrod Washington. a
service for which he received 100 guneas
from Washington. He accepted the posi-
ton of associate justice of the Supreme
Court. rendered him October ). 1889, and
appeared before the mayor of Philadel-
phia, and voluntarily took the oath of
office prescribed by the judiciary act. He
was native of Scotland. and had studied
at Glasgow, st. Andrews and Edinburgh,
and at the age of twenty-one years had
emigrated to New York, and In 1855 ar
rived in Philadelphia. For short time
he was tutor in the College of Phla-
delphia, subsequently studying law in the
office of John Dickinson. and after some
years of practice at Reading, Carlisle
and Annapolis, went to Philadelphia, and
was admitted to the bar of that city
member of Congress. and was CON-
cerned in all the measures of govern
ment both during and after the war.
He was one of the signerS of the Declara
ton. He was man of large and pow
erful frame with bright blue eyes beam
ing mildly from behind pair OF heavy
silver-rimmed spectacles.
John Blair. the last in the commission
of the associate Justices was born in
the city of Williamsburg. Va, in 1872,
and was educated at William and Mary
College. Bred to the bar, he studied in
the Temple and became a barriSter, and
on his return ne settled in his native
city, where he acquired a considerable
share of the current legal business. In
17T9 he was made chief justice of the
general court, and on the death of Judge
Nicholas was appointed member of the
high court of chancery and by virtue of
both stations was judge Of the first
court of appeals. He was regarded by
his contemporaries as an able man, ami
able in disposition. blameless and pious.
possessed of great benevolence and good
ness of heart.
On the first Monday of February, being
the first day of the month, 1899, in the
city of New York, then the seat of the
national government, Chief Justice Jay
and Justices Gushing and Wilson appeared
in the courtroom which had been provided
at the Exchange. John McKesson acting
as clerk. No quorum being present, the
court adjourned to the following day.
when, Justice Blair having arrived with
Edmund Randolph. the first Attornc
General, the court was formally open
in the presence of the Chief Justice
other judges Of the supreme court @
New York, Mr.. James Duane, Unite
States district judge. the mayor and re
corder Of New York city, the marshal o.
the district, the sheriff and other officers
and a great number of the gentlemen o
the bar: the jury from the district court
many members of Congress and a nun
ber OF prominent citizens.
Clerk of Court Named.
The commission of the judges and
the Attorney General were read and pub
lished and Richard Wenman was ar
pointed cryer of the court. The next da
John Tucker of Boston was appointe
clerk, and it was ordered that he resid
and keep his office at the seat of the ma
tonal government, and that he do not
practice either as counselor or attorner
so long as he acted as clerk. After oati
had been administered and a bond ap
In the evening the grand jury for tn
United States. in the district. gave an en-
tertainment in honor of the court a
Francis Tavern. on Courtlandt street
During the 123 years of its existence
eight persons. exclusive of the present in
cumbent filed the Office of Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of the United State
Jay, Rutledge. Ellsworth, Marshall, Tia
ney, Chase Waite and Fuller.
Most Of these were appointed in the
prime of life. Taney, at fifty-nine was