SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES.—­The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial tribunal in the country.  It consists of the Chief Justice and eight associate justices, nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.  The country is divided into nine circuits, each represented by a Justice of the Supreme Court.  The justices hold their offices during life, unless impeached; but they have the privilege of retiring upon full pay, at seventy years of age, provided they have served in the court for ten years.  A quorum consists of any six justices, and if a majority agree upon a decision it becomes the decision of the court.

The court holds annual sessions in the Capitol building at Washington, beginning upon the second Monday in October.  The annual salary of the Chief Justice is fifteen thousand dollars; that of the associate justices is fourteen thousand five hundred dollars each.

The Constitution of the United States creates and names the Supreme Court, and provides that the Judicial power shall be vested in it “and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.”

JURISDICTION.—­The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in all cases affecting ministers, consuls, and other agents of the United States and foreign countries, and in cases to which a State is a party.

Most cases tried by it are brought before it upon appeals from the inferior courts of the United States.  They involve chiefly the questions of jurisdiction of the inferior courts, the constitutionality of laws, the validity of treaties, and the sentences in criminal and prize causes.  An appeal from a State court can be carried to the Supreme Court only upon the ground that the decision of the State court is in conflict with the Constitution or laws of the United States.

The peculiar province of the Supreme Court is to interpret the Constitution, and in all conflicts between a State and the nation the final decision rests with the Supreme Court of the United States.  It may, and does, modify its own judgments; but until it modifies or reverses a decision, it is final, and from it there is no appeal.  Whether its decree be against a private citizen, a State, the Congress, or the President, that decree is “the end of the whole matter,” and must be obeyed.

The Supreme Court is more admired and praised by foreign critics than is any other of our institutions.  It is conceded by all to be one of the strongest and best features in our system of government.  In a free country like ours, such a tribunal is necessary to prevent the legislative and executive departments from trespassing upon the Constitution, and invading the rights of the people.  Therefore the Supreme Court of the United States has been appropriately called “the balance-wheel in our system of government.”