That number is now increased to twenty-four.

To suppose that a State can subsist when its fundamental laws may be subjected to four-and-twenty different interpretations at the same time is to advance a proposition alike contrary to reason and to experience.
The American legislators therefore agreed to create a federal judiciary power to apply the laws of the Union, and to determine certain questions affecting general interests, which were carefully determined beforehand.
The entire judicial power of the Union was centred in one tribunal, which was denominated the Supreme Court of the United States.

But, to facilitate the expedition of business, inferior courts were appended to it, which were empowered to decide causes of small importance without appeal, and with appeal causes of more magnitude.

The members of the Supreme Court are named neither by the people nor the legislature, but by the President of the United States, acting with the advice of the Senate.

In order to render them independent of the other authorities, their office was made inalienable; and it was determined that their salary, when once fixed, should not be altered by the legislature.