While  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Fii'st
Congress  was  employed  ( 1789 )  in  providing
means  for  a  sufficient  revenue,  the  Senate  was
busy  iu  organizing  a  judiciary.  A  bill  draft.-
ed  by  Oliver  Ellsworth,  of  Connecticnt^  which
embodied  a  plan  of  a  judiciary,  was,  after  sev-
eral amendments,  adopted  by  both  Houses  and
became  a  law.  It  provided  for  a  Supreme  Court,
having  one  chief-justice  and  five  associate-jus-
tices, who  were  to  hold  two  sessions  annually  at
the  seat  of  the  national  capital.  Circuit  and
district  courts  were  also  established,  which  had
jurisdiction  over  certain  specified  cases.  Each
state  was  made  a  district,  as  were  also  the  ter-


ritories of  Kentucky  and  Maine.  The  districts,'
excepting  Kentucky  and  Maiue,  were  grouped
together  into  three  circuits.  An  appeal  from
these  lower  courts  to  the  Supreuie  Court  of  the
United  States  was  allowed,  as  tiO  points  of  law,
in  all  civil  cases  where  the  matter  in  dispute
amounted  to  two  thousand  dollars.  A  marshal
for  each  was  to  be  appointed  by  the  President,
having  the  general  powers  of  a  sheritt';  and  a
district  attoruey,  to  act  for  the  United  States
in  all  caaes  iu  which  the  national  goverument
might  be  Interested,  was  also  appointed.  John
Jay  was  made  Chief-justice  of  the  United  States.
Judiciary,  Subversion  of  the,  in  America.
