Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/104

 Ixxxii UNITED STATES Of the Federal Courts the lowest are those of the districts, of which there are about 60, each State forming one or more districts. These courts may try any case of crime against the United States not punishable with death. Above these are nine Circuit Courts, each with a Circuit Judge, with or without the local District Judge ; but one or two District Judges may by themselves hold a Circuit Court. The Circuit Court Judges appoint commissioners, whose duty it is to arrest, examine, and commit persons accused of crime against the United States, and to assist the Circuit and District Judges in taking evidence for the trial of such persons. These duties may, however, be performed by a judge or magistrate of either a State or the Federal Government. Each of the nine Justices of the Supreme Court must hold a Court in one of the nine circuits at least once every two years, and with each may be associated the Circuit or District Judge. The Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Judges, ap- pointed by the President with the consent of the Senate. It deals with appeals from inferior courts, and has original juris- diction in cases affecting foreign ministers and consuls, and those in which a State is a party. Other courts with criminal jurisdiction are the Court of the District of Columbia and those of the Territories. There is also at Washington a Court of Claims. This court was established by act of Congress, Feb. 24, 1855 (10 Stat. L., 612). It has general jurisdiction of all " claims founded upon the Constitution of the United States or any law of Congress, except for pensions, or upon any regu- lation of an Executive Department, or upon any contract, expressed or implied, with the Government of the United States, or for damages, liquidated or unliquidated, in cases not sounding in tort, in respect of which claims the party would be entitled to redress against the United States, either in a court of law, equity, or admiralty, if the United States were suable, except claims growing out of the late civil war and commonly known as war claims," and certain rejected claims. It has jurisdiction also of claims of like character which may be referred to it by any Executive Department, involving dis- puted fa(ts or controverted questions of law, where tlie amount in controversy exceeds $3000, or where the decision will affect a class of cases or furnish a precedent for the future action of any Executive Department in the adjustment of a class of cases, or where any authority, right, privilege, or exemption is claimed or denied under the Constitution. In all the above-mentioned