By ELMO SCOTT WATSON ILLIAM HOWARD TAFT. chief justice of the United States, has always been known as a genial man. jut just now the smile on his face is a little broader than ever before, for one of his long cherished plans is about to be realized and the highest court in the land, over which he pre gides, is to have a home at last. A part of the gov- ernment’s $200,000,000 program for the National Capital Includes a magnificent struc- ture for the United States Supreme court, the site for it has been selected and a commission has been created to provide plans for the building. As every school boy knows, our gov. ernment has three tive, executive and judicial, each pre- sumably of equal importance. It seems curious, therefore, that through- out the 133 years of our nation's his- tory of three should be something of a “step-sister,” at least 80 far as its having a home commen- surate with its dignity and importance is concerned. The executive branch has always had its White House, standing In solitary state as the sym- bol of honor of housing the one man who is the of all of our government the President. For most of those 133 years the legis. lative branch has had its great-domed Capitol large enough to take care of the growing needs of the increasing membership of congress. But the Su. premne court, the judiciary branch of our government, has never had a place in which it could feel the pride of sole possession. It has always been a ten- ant in the of the legislative branch, and the latter has sometimes been a very grudging landlord. jut now the Supreme court is to move out of that inhos- pitable home and set up housekeeping for itself in a new home which will be as distinctive as the White House sind the Capitol and will proclaim in its gleaming white walls the power that resides within. The new bulld- ing will stand near the Capitol so that congress and the Supreme court will still be neighbors. The site for the new hall of justice has been chosen after a long controversy in which Chief Justice Taft has been the victor. To win that victory he had to over come the objections of some of the members of the court itself and of congress to any removal of the court from the present quarters. But when the bill to create the commission for planning the new building was passed by congress, the last obstacle was re- moved and the new home of the Su. preme court will rise where the chief Justice has desired it to be, on the plaza east of the Capitol and flanking the congressional library. The first meeting of the Supreme court after the new republic was es- tablished took place in New York city, which was then the Capital of the na- tion. The meeting place was in the Royal Exchange building at the foot of Broad street, and the date was Feb- roary 1, 1790. It continued to meet there until the Capital was moved to Philadelphia. Then in February, 1791, the chief justice opened court in the ‘ity Hall building next to Independ- ence hall. Most of us remember from our gchool histories who were the first men to hold the important executive positions in the new government, but how many of us know who were the first justices of the Supreme court, those men upon whom involved the duty of interpreting the first laws passed for the guidance of the new nation? The first court, as appointed by President Washington, consisted of John Jay, of New York, as chief jus- tice, who was then in his forty-fourth building branches—legislia- one those its head activities, home sometime A f a of o raft —p tices: John fifty-seven; Willlam Cushing, of Mas. fifty-seven; Wilson, of Pennsylvania and a native of Scotland, who was just ten years Rob- ert Hanson Harrison, of Maryland, was next selected. He was forty-four years old and resigned the office just five days after he had been confirmed, of his state, James Iredell was appointed to Judge Harrison's place. He was from North oungest mem- being but thirty. Another appointee to he bench was John Rutledge, of South ‘arolina, who, however, never attend- ed a session of the court. In 1791 he resigned to become chief justice of his state. His place was filled by the ap- pointment of Thomas Johnson,® of Maryland. sachusetts, also become chancellor Carolina and was the 3 ber of the eight years old. When the government was moved to the new Capital on the Potomae, the Supreme court remained in Philadel- phia until August, 1800. And it was not until February 2, 1801, that it finally put in an appearance at Wash. ington. Arriving there, the court was given temporary accommodations on the first floor of the Capitol in a room known as the senate clerk's of- fice and now occupied by the marshal of the court. There it remained until 1808, but during one period of its his- tory, while repairs were being made to the Capitol, this solemn body held its meetings In a Washington tavern. When the repairs were completed the Supreme court returned to the Capi- tol to find that it had been placed on the basement floor underneath the sen- ate chamber--surely a good example of subordinating the judiciary to the legislative! It was still occupying this room when the war of 1812 broke out and when the Pritish army arrived In Washington, Ellas Boudinot Caldwell, clerk of the court, took the court ree- ords to his home at 208 Pennsylvania avenue, Southeast, for safekeeping. There, in this house, which is still standing, the court held fits sessions until it moved back into the Capitol in 1817. It was then provided with quarters temporarily prepared for its use in the less-ruined part of the north wing of the Capitol, which had been burned by the British, a place said to be “little better than a dungeon,” This Mr. Caldwell, who was serving as clerk of tha Supreme court at this exciting period of its history was an interesting character. He was named for Elias Boudinot, of New York, known as the “First President of the Olbrtormood & Underwood United States,” because he served as ¢ United States in Con ed” under the Articles ‘onfederation from 1785. 8 also one of the first law. Assem 1751 1p yers admitted to practice before the Supreme court when it w 1791. Claggett Proctor, wr on, gays: as established Of Caldwell's history, John iting in the Wash- in Mr. Caldwell” Ariyrs fuded apart- The girl w and sald: ‘A Jumped over her maid, retired to a men: with the children. looked out of the winds redcoat soldier has fer with a gun’ Elias Boudinot Caldwell, two years old, playing on the floor, called out, ‘Let me see! and ran the window. Mrs her chair, and at this moment the sol. dier fired his musket through the win- dow at her. It was loaded with two balls, which passed through her body, and she instantly expired, “It is related of Mr. Caldwell that in the battle that followed he showed the utmost ardor in the fight, as if he would avenge himself for the murder of his wife. He galloped to the church nearby and brought back an armful of praim books to supply the men with wadding for their fire