Evening star., 1938-03-20
By John Clagen Proctor.

n VOW that the time is fast ap-
nj preaching when the Police
Court will be transferred to
the new building provided for
1t on the west side of Judiciary Square,
perhaps a word regarding this public
necessity and its historic background
will prove Of interest.
BY the act of Congress approved
February 81, 1901, the laws then in
force in the District of Columbia were
continued in operation, but a judiciary
set-up was provided for. in which a
number Of justices of the peace were
to be appointed for the counties of
Alexandria and Washington. into
which the District was then divided
Among several things. this law pro-
vided, That there shall be appointed
in. and for each of said counties
alexandria County, formerly a part
Of Virginia, and Washington County,
formerly part Of Maryland) such
number of discreet persons to be JUS
tices Of the peace, as the President of
the United States shall from time to
time think expedient, to continue in
ohice five years, and such justices hav-
ing taken an oath for the faithful and
impartial discharge of the duties Of
the ONCE, shall in all matters civil and
criminal, and whatever relates to the
conservation Of the peace. have all the
powers vested in, and shall perform all
the duties required of, justices of the
peace, as individual magistrates, by
the law hereinbefore continued in
force in those parts
At the time of the passage of this
oct, John Adams was just winding up
his term as President, and was still
smarting under his defeat for re-
election to that high ofi1ce, in which
he had received only IS electoral votes
to Jefferson's and Burr's 70 each,
Charles G. Pinkney's "a and John
jays l. This, of course, presented a
tie which had to be settled by the
House Of Representatives, and as is
well known, Jefferson was selected for
President and Burr for Vice President
STRANGE as 1t might seem to the
millions Of admirers of Mr. Jeffer-
son, there was at this time a doubt in
the minds Of many If he really had the
ability to understand either the letter
or the spirit Of the Constitution, as a
result Of his French contacts and the
study of the French philosophy pre-
vailing at that time. And SO. in order
to place upon the bench of the coun-
try such men as were deemed safe in
this respect, just before quitting his
ONCE, President Adams sent a long list
Of judicial appointments, including
the justices of the peace for the Dis
trict OF Columbia, to Congress. where
they were immediately confirmed.
The justices Of the peace selected
FOR Washington County included
Thomas Sim Lee. Thomas Peter,
Tristram Dalton, William Marbury.
Benjamin Stoddert, Thomas Addison,
Uriah Forrest, John Mason, Cornelius
Cunningham. James Barry, Marshall
Waring, Thomas Beall, John Trelkeld.
William Thornton. Lewis Devlois, Dam
iel Reintzel, William Hammond Dor
sey, Robert Brent, Joseph Sprigg Belt
and Abraham Boyd.
Those appointed for Alexandria
County, which included that part of
Virginia retroceded in 1846. were: Will
liam Fitzhugh, John Potts. Robert
Townsend Hooe, Jonah Thompson,
Richard Conway, William Harper,
Charles Alexander, Jonathan Swift,
George Gilpin, Abraham Faw, Francis
Payton, Charles Alexander, jr.; George
Taylor. John Herbert, Dennis Ramsay,
Outhbert Powell, Simon Summers,
Jacob Haughtman and Cleon More.
N1HEN Mr.. Jefferson came into Of
~! fice the day after these appoint
ments were made and confirmed, he
caused his Secretary Of State. James
Madison. to hold up the delivery Of
the certificates Of appointment, and
this brought on the famous suit Of
Marbury vs.. Madison, which resulted
in a United States Supreme Court de-
cision in favor of Marbury, one Of the
Justices Of the peace appointed by Mr..
Adams. but it availed Mr.. Marbury,
and those who joined with him.
nothing. and not one of Mr.. Adams
appointments to the ONCE Of justice
Of the peace ever got his commission
under that appointment. but MIR. JET
farann. o.. March 10. following his an
aug1hanon, did appoint all those whose
appointments had been held up, except
William Dalton, william Marbury,
r>'"h ''~--~s+ John Laird, Richard
Forrest, James ba4ry. Marshall War
ing, Thomas Beall, John Trelkeld and
Louis Devolis, though he included the
names Of two new appointees not mem