On the establishment of "inferior courts," cf. American History and Government, § 217. Such courts at present (1913) are from the bottom up:—
1. District Courts. Over ninety in 1911; the law of 1789 provided for thirteen.
2. Circuit Courts. Nine, each three justices. The first law, 1789, provided three circuit courts, but no special circuit judges; a circuit court then consisted of a justice of the Supreme Court "or circuit" and one or more judges of district courts included within the circuit. This remained the rule with a brief attempt at change in 1801, as described in § 240, until 1866, when separate circuit justices were provided.
3. Circuit Courts of Appeals. One for each of the nine circuits, composed of a justice of the Supreme Court and of other Federal judges—not less than three in all, and not including any justice from whose decision the appeal is taken. This order of courts was instituted in 1891, to relieve the Supreme Court which was then hopelessly overburdened with appeals from lower courts. In most cases, now, the decision of the circuit court of appeals is final.
4. The Supreme Court. One Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. Its business now is confined very largely to those supremely important matters specified in the Constitution and in the law of 1789 quoted above.
There are also three special courts, somewhat outside this system: (1) the Federal Court of Claims, to determine money claims against the United States, established in 1855; (2) Court of Customs Appeals, established in 1909; and (3) the Commerce Court, created in 1910, to revise the work of the Interstate Commerce Commission.)
ARTICLE IV
Section 1. Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceeding of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.
Section 2. The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and immunities of Citizens in the several States.[185]