THE WORK OF THE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE.
By Henry Carlton Lewis
[Henry Carlton Lewis, in the Pilgrim for January.] In bygone days the Justices lodged in one house. After dinner they met in solemn consultation over cases. Now they gather in the consultation room in the basement of the Capitol every Saturday to discuss the cases which have been argued during the week, and to arrive at decisions. To this room no one is admitted, not even the clerk of the Court. One Justice writes the opinion of the Court in each case unless there be dissenting voices, in which event another Justice writes the dissenting opinion. The preparations of these decisions takes place at the homes of the Justices to whom assigned and the decisions are then brought to the consultation room and read to the full Bench. If they are approved, they are handed down on Monday, which is decision day. Certain classes of cases are assigned to certain Justices who are considered specialists. To one Justice is assigned patent cases, to another land cases, to another some other class, but they are all supposed to be—and in fact are—sufficiently well informed on all of the subjects considered to render an accurate decision on the points in dispute. There is but one session of the Court each year. This begins on the second Monday in October and ends at the pleasure of the Court. During a portion of the year the Justices act as judges in the nine judicial circuits of the United States. In the circuit work they are assisted by circuit and district judges to whom are delegated such portions of the work as the justices desire. Each justice is now assigned to a particular circuit. The Chief Justice receives a yearly salary of ten thousand five hundred dollars; the Associate Justices, ten thousand dollars. The tenure of office is for life. Any Justice may, however, retire on full salary when seventy years of age, provided he has served ten years. Each Justice is allowed a private secretary at a salary of sixteen hundred dollars a year. Official etiquette requires that the members of the Court shall call on the President and Vice-President annually on the first day of the session. They are also required to call on the President on New Year's Day. These calls are made in ordinary street garb, but each Justice is accompanied by his body servant, who sits on the box of the carriage. The Chief Justice is presented first, and after that the order of seniority in service is respected. Once during the year the President entertains the Court at dinner.