3
'1UE MOBEISG iniV3 1
STjISUAY. DEOEMlSEli 1, 1880.
ALMOST A CENTURY.
That is the Age of the U. S.
Supreme Court.
HISTORY OP THE TRIBUNAL.
Only Tw Ei -Antciate Jastisei Sow LiTin
Oaa Eiad Bsoaoi Hi 3 Stats
Bccedtd-Tli Tacaacy-
Tlie Supreme Court of the United
States 19 neanng in lOUtn nnivera
eary as the highest judicial power
in the country. Although it has
been more than a century since it
wan established by law it was not
fully organized until 17!0. During
its century of existence it his
passed ujon all phases oi the law,
interpreted the constitution of the
country, and is the only tribunal
before which law-maker and law
breaker alike must bow in sub
mission. From its findings there is no ap
peal. Its decisions are final ami its
mandates are enforced even if it is
necessary to call upon the military
powe,r of the government to enforce
them. It is the 6ole arbiter of all
legal disputes between the States,
and in fact, is the sovereign of sov
ereignties. Questions of law of all
kinds come before it on appeal from
all other Federal courts, and in
criminal cases where questions
which involve rights claimed under
the constitution, laws or treaties of
the United States. In civil cases
where the validity of a law is at
tacked it can be appealed to with
out regard to the amount in contro
versy in the case. When the stat
ute of a State conflicts with an act 1
of Congress the court is made the
arbiter of the dispute, and by its
action only can the state law be de
clared a nullity. When Congress
passes a law which is in conflict
with the Constitution the Supreme
court has the power to declare it j
void. But the construction of a
law. either State or National, can
not be decided except it comes be
fore the Court in a case, and it
must have regularly passed through
the lower courts. Tims it is that
this court, whose decisions have
come to be looked upon with awe
by the majorily of men, and with
respect by the legal fraternity, has
come to be called the ex -Hinder of
the Constitution. It is in one
nense, but it goes farther and be
sides settling nuestioiis involving
law, has also at times decided those
where life and liberty were in
volved.
The Supreme court, at its organ
ization in 1790, consisted of a Chief
Justice and live A. -ociate Justices
The number of Associate Justices
was increased to six in 1807, by the
appointment of Thomas load
For thirty years it remained the
same, but in 1837 it was increased
to eiirht bv the appointment of
John Catron and John Melvinley.
During the war, or, to lie more pre
cise, in 183:5, President Lincoln
raised the number to nine by ap
pointing Stephen J. Field, one of
its present menbers. lwo years
later its number warf decreased to
eight by the death of John Catron,
and the death of Joseph M. Wayne,
in 1SG7, decreased the quota to
seven. In 1870 President Grant
increased the membership to eight
by the appointment of Josoph P.
Bradley, who still retains a seat on
the wool sack.
At the present time the crowd
consists of seven Associate Judges
and a Chief Justice, the vacancy
among the Associate Judgeships
having been caused by the recent
death of Stanley Matthews. The
Associate Judge's of the court are
Sanuiel F. Miller, Stephen J. Field,
Joseph P. Bradley, John M. Har
lan, Horace Cray, Samuel Blatch
ford. I., (f. C. lamar, and Chief
Justice M. W. Fuller.
Of these Miller is the oldest in
time of service and he enjoys the
proud distinction with Justice
Field of being the two old? st jus
tices on tho bench, Iloth are bcv-cnty-three
years old, and each has
been a member of the Supreme
court for over a quarter of a cen
tury. Justice Miller was appointed
in isr.'j, an 1 Justice Field in tho
vear following.
The tenure of ollice is for life,
during good behavior, and a mem
ber can only be removed by im-pea.-hnient
for high crimes and
misdemeanors. As an instance of
the old inixini that few die and
none resign, it may be said that in
addition to the present members of
the Supreme court, tlice but two
living ex-Associate judges. One of
these, John A. Campbell, of Ala
bama, was appointed by President
Ficnv, in lS-Vi, and at the break
ing out of the war he opposed the
seees-ion of his state, but went
with it, resigning his position on
the bench. He h now practicing
law in New Orleans. The other,
Justice Strong, was retired in 18S0
on full pay, and is spending his de
clining days in Washington.
Since the organization of the
co.irt there have been eight Chief
Justices and forty-four Associate
Justices. Of this number, nine re
signed, live were retired, one failed
ofcontirniation by the senate, and
the others died in otllce or are now
holding the position.
Justice Caniplell is seventy-eight
years of age, but Judge Strong is
three years older. Oi the eight
Chief justices which the court has
had, two resigned John Jay and
OHiver Ellsworth and one ll'it
led"e failed of confirmation. Chief
Justice Marshall and Justice Stoy
had the honor of serving on the
bench longer than any of their
confreres, eac h serving thirty-four
years.
The act of April 10, 1S00, permits
them to retire with full pay for lite,
a-ter reaching the age of Feventy,
provided they serve ten consecutive
year-. The pay is $10,500 tor the
Chief Justice, an.l ?iu,ww ior mi;
Associate Justices.
Prior to 1K70 the docket of the -Su-pr-me
coiut was not very volumin-;
.u rml it was generally un easy
liia'ter for tv court to keep pace
with the cases, and usually dispose
of them within a short time after
! they were submitted. But a change
has come over the court. Shake
eare, when ho wrote of the law's
delays, must have had in mind the
litigous people of America in this
year of our Lord, 1889. For surely
if ever a litigant deserves sympa
thy it will be when he appeals, a
case to the Supreme court, with
the expectation of having it de
cided at an early date. At the
present time there are 1 ,484 cases
on the docket, and new ones are
being added constantly daily, while
there is but one day in the week on
which decisions are rendered,
J Monday.
Ihe court is able to disjnjse ot
about 425 cases per year on an av
erage, so, provided there is no de
lay in the pending cases, the man
who has his case docketed to-morrow
may reasonably hojH to have
it reached between three and a
half and four years.
Only one term is held annually,
beginning on the second Monday
in October, and lasting until about
May. By February the judges are
usually behind in their opinions on
the cases which have been submit
ted, and that month is taken as a
recess in which to write up opin
ions. The mode of proceedings is simi
lar to that in every court of any im
Iortance. When the case is ap
Iealed the record is made up and
sent to the clerk's ollice. Usually
the record is printed, and the argu
ments also printed. The record is
docketed and numbered, and then
put away until it is placed on the
calendar to be reached within a
few days. When reached the ar
guments are made ami the case
submitted. The Justices consult
about it, reach a decision, and one
of their number is assigned to write
up the opinion, which is read usu
ally the following Monday.
AKD
THE I'NIIAI'FY SII.TAX.
A Skeleton in tha Closet of Tur
key' llnler.
If things were done in Turkey is
elsewhere the decease of the Sul
t'ufs mad half-brother, Murad V.
would have been notified to the
diplomatic bodj and thu Turkish
court would have gone into mourn
ing, says a correspondent of the
Glasgow Herald. But it '.s for
bidden to speak openly cf the
Sultan's female relatives or of (he
Sultan's heir. The man who will
succeed Abdul Hainid is a wretch
ed, lean, pale-faced creature of 45
year?, named Mohammed llechad.
lie is the Sultan's on brotjc ,
and is kept a close prisoner in the
iviluce grounds, lest be should con
spire fur his Majesty's downfall.
He Las certainly no such iutcj
tien, hut iisne requires that a
Saltan's heir upnareut should be
t tea ted as a suspected criminal,
ind Abdul Humid is much too
nervous a creature to innnv.te in
thi particular. He has a horrible
(ear lest his brother. Murad V
who became crazy from having
on-n raised to the ihroae too sud
denly, should recorer his reason;
bat of this theie is no chance, and
n that Munid's mother is dead
who will there be to prevent the
Ihi lunuc'c from being hurried to
Irs end by a -pinch or something"
ia hi coffee? Murad's mother, the
Sultana Nadine, buperiotei ded hii
iieu-pheld uud never ieit h'ai. It
would have been impossible to
inoh'M him while siin wu- alive,
but it would only b ton much in
keeping with Turkish traditions if
the unhappy madman were not
NOR
ruietlv removed
in
ht
order that
bleep more
-Vhdul Hamid mi:
soundly .
AUTHORS' Fl'IX NAMES.
I itrrary Leaves.
Bayard Tayloi'j tint uamu was
James.
Frank Stockton is really Francis
Richard Stockton.
Wilkie Collins' full name was
William Wilkie Collins.
Dutfield Osborne is in reality
Samuel Duffield Osborne.
Howard Seclev's full nanio is
Edward Howard Seeley, jr.
Joaquin Miller is a corruption of
Cmcinnatus Heiner Miller.
Lsurrncc Hutton is a contraction
of James Laurence Hutton.
Henry R. Haggard sounds
strange to thousauds of ears who
know Rider Haggard.
Edmund Wilr'am Gosseis to day
known only to the world by his
first and last names.
ar's
Some Carlou Things.
Something curious happened in
Kent's meat market recently, which
seems uaexplaiDable, The butcher
while cutting a hog in two, had
his knife strike some hard sub
stance, and, on examination, lound
that the knife had struek a ten
cent piece, which wa3 firmly im
bedded in the backbone. How the
coin got into such a place is some
what0 of a conundrum. Walla
Walla Union. Pshaw; that's not
hard. The hog swallowed the
dime when he was a little, wee,
wee pig- Talking of swallowing
things, they tell in Yaquina, of a
Wisconsin lady, now there, Wiio
yea s ago, when quite a little girl,
swallowed a needle; that wj3 as
much a9 fifteen years ago, and last
week the same identical needle
worKed out of the light arm of her
jonngest child, a healthy boy baby
lour months old. Now that'9 lots
stranger than the pig nd tbe ten
ceut piece. Astorian Nov. 23.
g3 Dr. John 15. Pilklngton,
Surgeon, oculist and medical
specialist, will be at the Revere
House, Albany, all day Tuesday,
December 3, 1S8J. Eye, ear,
catarrh, rheumatic, neuralgic, rec
tal and chronic .sufferers of either
class will be given tree consulta
tion. T.'.o hundred references
given.
WE DEAL ON THE
OUR CUSTOMERS CATCH
WE DO NOT WANT THE
DO WE USE ANY BAITS TO CATCH CUSTOMERS
rx .. su.t
BUT MARK OUR
We will sell you staple and fancy groceries cheaper than any other
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worth you buy.
C E. BROWNELL
LM URIAH
-FROM NOW UNTIL JANUARY FIRST
Krausse &
Will sell ladies Laird, Schobert & Mitchell French Kid shocsat U
per pair ; all widths from A to EE. Their Caraeoa Kids at $3 per pai r
We have the finest assortment of
HOLIDAY SLIPPERS,
For Ladies and Gents ever hrouht to Albany. We also make a spe
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examine our stock and you will find our prices the
LOWEST IN TEE
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THE BARGAINS.
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CITY,
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SUCCESSOR TO W.
The Largest Line of Stoves and Tinware in the Willamette Valley.
Pumps, pipes a,iid i liimfomg;.
IVHt
Cotton and Rubber Hose.
Tit: Granite and Copperwure. AU.lb Work Pmmitly .itteiileHto.
CO RAD
PROPRIETOR Oi- THE-
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Stock of Staph' Groceries,
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Baked Bread Every Day,
RFLIABLE STAR BAKERY.
EED CROWN MI IVLS.
ISOM, LANNINU
Approved Pmcr.-s Flour
Conveniently located for shipment
by river or rail.
OBDEBS PEOMPTLY PILLED.
H!CHEST CASH PRICE PAID FOR WHEAT.
M
II. McFARLALD
MOBE THAN
SEVEN HUNDRED
different styles and differ
ent kinds of Stoves for
Heat
ti::, .;'JCVe trade m3xi T1.
f0' ia ti up 7' expeD3i7e
WlKarp ' frauds
yor ... e in,,
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M
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Fine Ghistuuu e and t o he vy Kept
Pies, Cakes, Br., Ete.
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and All limdrs of Meals.
o:-Ea-onsr
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