The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-02-12
SENATE'S BLOCKADE W..
THREAT AS TO COURT
BILL DELAYS ACTION

House after an hours conference
attended by other senators, Nor
ris said: ~.
II think the presidents plan is
bad, and | won't make any oohe"
about it," 1890,
He proposed constitutional
amendments:
|. To limit the tenure Of SUI
preme court Justices and otheT,
federal Judges, now appointed
for. life, to n term of years. Mi.
Roosevelt proposes retirement al
70, or. if judge chooses not 10
ritire. the power 10 appoint addi-
tional iurists to the court.
2. To give congress authority
to override supreme court d"cl-
sions. perhaps by n two-thwdS ma
iority as it now can do in over
riding presidential vpt0es.
Norris. a former Republican
who became one of the Staunch-
est of President RooSevelt'S SUP
porters and sponsored such I'M
nortant New Deal measures MS the
Tennessee Valley authority and
the Rural Elcctrification admins
trat;on. has been doubtful Of
the wisdom" Of the president
plan since it was first sent to con-
gresS.
The Nebraska veteran h = s
agreed to serve rs cbai'man of
an independent conference of
legislators. lawyers. and interest
cd laymCn on supreme court Ques-
tions to be held here March Is.
Norris was not moved by strong
intimationS from IN" White louS"
earlier Yesterday that Mr.. Roosc-
Welt wanted the program approx
ed without change.
At seems to me- he said, THAT
giving the president power 10 in
crease the supreme court is Il
dangerous precedent. Another
congress might come along and
increase the court again, until it
is rs big as the house Of repre-
sentativeS. Then we'd have to
build another marble palace
Refusing to say definitely that
he would vote against Mr.. Roose-
vclt's bill. Norris suggested an al
tentative legislative remedy.
81 think congress has power ia
limit the appellate powers Of the
U. S. supreme court if it wants
to-" he said. Congress could pro.
vide the court could never hold
a legislative act unconstitutiOnaI
except by a certain margin
In his own state, he pointed
out, the seven supreme court JUS
tees may invalidatc state laws
only by II fvC-to-two margin. He
described the presidents plan as
mot fundamental
Norris opposition gave cncour-
agement to an influential bloc in
the senate that is organizing TO
fight the plan. Administration
leaders, however, insist they have
enough strength to enact it.
Norris. n member of the SEN
ate judiciary committee, was one
of group of five invited to the
White House. The others, Demo
Gratis all, were Senator's Robert f.
Wagner. y. Y, William II. Die
terich. Ill.,. Key Pittman, New,
and William Gibbs McAdoo. Calf.
Another judiciary committee
man. Senator Charles O. Andrews,
D.. Fla. introduced n compromise
bill in the senate yesterday to per
nit retirement of supreme court
justices at ~ instead of at 20 as
provided in a bill passed by the
house yesterday.
Meanwhile, Chairman Hatton
w. Summers, D., Tex. of the
house judiciary committee had
cancelled a meeting scheduled for
Thursday.
1.-THE visibility is poor" was
his only explanation. "The wind
velocity is high and the barometer
is low. / decided not to take off,
Speaker William B. Bankhead
was equally obscure on the unex-
pccted move.
Judge Summers" he observed,
sis one of the most lovable char
actcrs in congress.
Letters and kilograms relating
to Mr.. ROosevclt's proposals pour.
ed in on the White House and
Congress. AT the, executive man
sion they were said 10 be run
ming "two to one" in favor OF
the plan. Most senator's, however
found most Of the comment:
against i. Some noted that law
yerS were most numerous among
the directors.
White House advisers of the
president emphasized that there
was "no talk of compromise ir
the discussions Mr.. Roosevelt haC