Identifier: picturesquewashi00moor (find matches)
Title: Picturesque Washington: pen and pencil sketches of its scenery, history, traditions, public and social life, with graphic descriptions of the Capitol and Congress, the White House, and the government departments ..
Year: 1884 (1880s)
Authors: Moore, Joseph West
Subjects: Washington (D.C.)
Publisher: Providence, J.A. & R.A. Reid
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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of the Potomac. The chamber gives you a drowsyfeeling. You listen to the lawyers with their endless tongues,andin following the droning arguments soon feel so inclined to sleep thatyou winder how the honorable justices manage to keep their eyesopen during the four hours of the sitting. Indeed, members of thecourt have said that the room was so full of repose that they oftenhad to struggle to keep from sleeping while a dull argument wasgoing on. Some of the justices sit very quiet and appear to pay a great dealof attention to the lawyers. Others are nervous and uneasy, and twistabout in their chairs constantly. One justice has the habit of gettingup and standing behind his chair to rest himself. They turn over thepages of the briefs, consult books brought to them by attendants, andnow and then put pertinent questions to the counsel. Sometimes a jus-tice, by a few keen remarks, will show the matter under considerationin such a clear light, that the lawyer who is trying to muddle it will
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98 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. become quite embarrassed, and abruptly close his argument. The jus-tices air complaisant in manner, and there is no stiffness, no assump-tion of superiority, often seen in very ordinary tribunals. Theyaddress the lawyers pleasandy, and are patient in hearing even themost tiresome discussion. The two senior justices sit at the right andleft ot the Chief Justice, and the others are disposed on the bench inthe order of their appointment. In their consultation-room the sameorder is observed at the table around which they sit. The black silk robes worn by the justices are nearly like thoseused by clerg) men of the Episcopal church. They reach to the feet,and have capacious sleeves. Before entering the court chamber thejustices are dressed in their sheeny gowns, in the robing-room, bycolored attendants. In the first part of the century it was customaryfor the members of the court to wear wigs, and to cover their netherlimbs with small-clothes. Lawyers were expecte

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