WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1844
519
to the people of the country as Austin was; and indeed, would be attended with greater expense, from its insular position than any other situation which could be selected. It may be urged that the convenience to judges and lawyers would be greater in Galveston than at Washington, because they would there have access to libraries which are not at this time to be found here. But, in the opinion of the Executive, this should not be regarded as a sound argument. It is the business of professional gentlemen, to prepare and attend to the business of their clients; and if the Supreme Court should remain here permanently, or at any other convenient point, the want of libraries would soon be obviated; because necessity would furnish inducement to provide the necessary means of investigation. It certainly would be more reasonable to suppose, that the use of libraries was contingent upon the location of the Supreme Court than that the location of the Supreme Court should depend upon the location of libraries. One is a matter of individual provision and accomplishment-the other is a matter of national con- venience and general necessity.- The government as well as individuals, has rights to be adjudicated in the supreme tribunal, to which it is as necessary as expected that the Attorney General of the Republic should give his attention. He is compelled to reside at the Seat of Govern- ment, and to attend the sessions of the Court elsewhere, in the performance of his official duties, would not only be productive of great .inconvenience, but, perhaps, in many cases, serious injury to the important interests involved. During his absence, the government would necessarily be deprived of his advice. At this time, the title to many scores of leagues of valuable land is in dispute, to be decided by the Supreme Court. In the investiga- tion of these causes, to which the government is a party, reference must be made to the records of the General Land office, and per- haps to those of other Departments of the government. The removal of the Court, therefore, would in this respect, greatly embarrass the course of justice and probably the rights of parties. Another objection to the approval of the bill, arises, from the fact that, in a country like ours, not yet having assumed a fixed and compact character, it is important to give an air of unity to the national institutions, by associating them intimately to- gether in point of locality. No danger can ever spring out of this association, so long as the functions of each coordinate
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