The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1932-11-14
JUDGE JEFFERSON B. BROWNIES
DEDICATION SPEECH AT OPENING
OF new FEDERAL COURT CHAMBER

Address delivered by Judge JEFF.
ferson B. Browne on the first day
of the term of court in the new
U. S. Federal building, November
10, 1892:
Your Honor:
1t is meet and proper, that or
ian occasion such as this when new
premises are to be dedicated to the
administration of law, that some.
thing more than the mere open.
ing of court be observed.
In ancient days, law was ad.
ministered in Temples dedicated te
the God of Justice. Court pro.
ceedings were attended by great
pomp and ceremony. This prac.
ltice still prevails in England where
law is more highly observed than
in any other country. l otter
wonder if something of the ma.
jesty of the law has not been sac.
rificed by a free and easy fami,
liarity in the court room; foster.
ed by desire for popularity.
Temporal mutantur; indeed the
times have changed, for through.
out the years that have run since
the Federal Court was first estab.
lished in Key West, we have seen
many changes; changes of ths
places where the court was held
changes in the character of litiga'
ton; changes in procedure ane
even in principles of law.
In a talk of this kind one must
necessarily indulge largely in rem.
iniscense. but the memories that
shall evoke will relate to the his.
tory of this court.
Establishment of Court
In 1928, Congress established q
court under the title of 1.-The Su.
perior Court of the Southern Judi.
elai District of this Territory OF
Florida" 1t had civil and crimin'
al jurisdiction. as well as of of,
lenses against the laws of the
Territory of Florida, and of the
United States, and embraced adj
miralty and maritime jurisdiction.
thus superseding the jurisdiction
of local and inferior magistrates,
as we'll as the special commission
ers for the adjudication of ques-
tions of salvage, arising out of the
frequent wrecks occurring in this
vicinity.
The district then was in fact
Southern District, as it included
only that part of the State that
lay south of line extending from
the Indian River on the east to
Charlotte Harbor on the west.
The first term of the Federal
Court convened in Key West on
November 3, 1928; just one hun
bred and four years and six days
ago.
Location. OF Court
For many years the court held
its sessions in the County Court
house, but in 1845, when Florida
was admitted to the Union, it was
moved to a stone building front
ing on Wall Street back of the
building now occupied by Cabrera
Brothers store on Front street.
This building was destroyed by
fire in 1859, and the court was
moved to a stone building situat-
ed on the west corner of Caroline
and Whitehead streets. That site
is now part of the Naval Station
grounds, and the stone building,
until torn down a few years ago,
was used as a Marine Barracks.
In 1885 the court was moved to
a building just erected by Mr..
John w. Sawyer, on the corner OF
Front and Fitzpatrick streets. This
was an unfortunate move. for in
less than year the building was
destroyed by fire, and all the orig
inal files were destroyed.
From there the court was moved
TO the second floor of a building
on the corner of Duval and Charles
streets, then owned by Williams &
Warren, where it remained until
the Government Building on Front
street was completed in 1891.
Now. after forty-one years, the
court convenes in this splendid
courtroom which we dedicate today
to the cause of justice. viii il
remain here for another forty
years or more. and If 50, who with
in the hearing of my voice will be
here to recall this day?
Character Of Litigation
But not only have meeting
places of the court changed in
these hundred years, but the char
acter of the litigation has changed.
BY Act of Congress, this court
was always open, and never week
passed that process in admiralty
was not issued or returned. or sal
wage causes heard and adjudieated.
Never, then, was there any COM
plant of 1.-The laws delay" A libel
filed one day would be answered
the next or succeeding day, and
not later than the fourth or fifth
day the court would convene to
take testimony and hear argu-
.ments. Frequently salvage would
be awarded on the same day. and
rarely was II delayed more than
two or three days.