Why would the secretary of state organize the supreme court?
"There was an animated discussion in the Senate yesterday, on the organization of the Supreme Court."
From the records of the confederate congress:
The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill (S. 3) to organize the Supreme Court of the Confederate States.
On the question to agree to the amendment proposed by Mr. Clay, viz:
Add the following independent section:
"Sec. 6. That sections forty-five and forty-six of an act of the Provisional Congress entitled "An act to establish the judicial courts of the Confederate States of America," approved sixteenth March, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, be, and the same are hereby, repealed,"
After debate,
On motion by Mr. Semmes.
The Senate resolved into executive session.
The doors having been opened,
On motion by Mr. Yancey,
The Senate adjourned.
It couldn't have been too spirited if the congressional record didn't record it. And note that the senate adjourned without any action on it that day. Or during the next session. Or the one after that. Or the one after that. Etc. etc.
"A Supreme Court is being organized, and Congress is considering, in secret session, the propriety of sending Commissioners to France for the special object of bringing about an alliance. Judge Monroe, of Kentucky, hopes to become one of the Judges of the Supreme Court." - Charleston Mercury, March 19, 1862
Apparently not. The matter had not been mentioned in the court since March 11, where the matter was placed on the calender, and would not be brought up again until March 26 when discussion on the matter was postponed at the request of Senator Semmes. The it remained unmentioned until September where discussion was postponed yet again.
If the Congress was conspiring to supress the court bill, why did they debate it several times?
It was debated hardly at all. Discussion of it was killed almost every time it was brought up on the floor. Why didn't Davis or his allies fight for it. That is, assuming that they really wanted it in the first place.
Don't ask me - that was Foote's charge, not mine. Look up his speech if you want to know though. The newspaper clipping does prove one thing though. Judah Benjamin, a senior member of Davis' cabinet, was actively pushing for a Supreme Court.
Apparently not. The matter had not been mentioned in the court since March 11
Curious. The date on that newspaper was March 19, or eight days earlier. Since they did not have televisions back then it was not at all uncommon for news to take several days to travel. Thus, newspapers would often report on events in the capitol about a week after they happened. The Charleston Mercury was published in Charleston, meaning the news from the capitol had to get there from Richmond. Therefore it is not at all surprising that they reported on a debate from March 11th a week later on the 19th.
It was debated hardly at all.
The newspapers say otherwise. Live with it.
Why didn't Davis or his allies fight for it.
Was Judah Benjamin not an ally of Davis?