counselors, Judge Wilson was unwilling to vouch for them; and the Chief Justice stated that the Court had decided not to accept the voucher of one lawyer for another. The flurry which ensued was vividly depicted in a letter written at the time.[1] "The Supreme Court of the United States opened on Monday, the 7th inst., in which Chief Justice Jay and Judges Cushing, Wilson, and Iredell sat. A number of the Gentlemen of the Bar of this City attended at their lodgings and escorted them to the State House. The Court opened but there was no business. The Gentlemen of the Bar applied for admission but a Rule
of the Court stood in their way, which made it neces-
sary, previously to their admission, that they had
practiced in the Supreme Court of the State three
years, and that they had good moral characters, and
possessed good legal abilities. I obviated the first objection by my Certificate of their Admission in the Supreme Court. The Court took then as evidence of the latter qualities that Mr. Wilcocks was Recorder of the City; Mr. Bradford was Attorney General of the State ; Mr. Lewis was Attorney for the District ; Mr. Fisher was vouched for by Mr. (Justice) Wilson, with apparent reluctance as against his wishes to do it for anyone; Mr. Sergeant proposed that as Mr. Fisher was admitted, he should vouch for the rest of the Bar, but the Chief Justice said that they had determined that one lawyer should not vouch for another. However, he remarked that Mr. Sergeant had been Attorney General, which was an evidence of his good character and legal ability, and therefore he was admitted. Mr. IngersoU was then proposed, and Mr. Randolph stated to the Court that he had been
- ↑ See letter of Edward Burd to Jasper Yeates» Feb. 8, 1791, in Atner, Law Rm, (1900), XXXTV, 628, quoted in a letter from Pranda Rawle.
