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Show TO PROTECT SACRED SNUFF Reason Given for the High Bench Behind Be-hind Which Supreme Court Judges Have Their Seats. The Federal Supreme court is celebrating cele-brating its centenary of "the high bench." Originally the justices sat behind a loiig bench on the floor of the court on a level with, the lawyers who tried their cases before them. This straight desk had set into it a shaft box opposite each justice's seat. Henry Clay was arguing a case before the court. During a pause in his argument argu-ment one of the justices reached for- i ward, took a pinch of snuff and settled back to weigh the more carefully the reasoning presented. In his next pause Mr! Clay reached over and with a "T'.iank you" took a pinch himself. The court was indignant. That afternoon after-noon they met fd decide what could be done to preclude the possibility of a second breach of the "etiquette of the. court" and decided to have a bench made of such height that no mere practitioner could reach their pet snuff. Since then they have sal behind the high bench that is in use today. New ' York Tribune. |