to remain Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State than to be a judge of an inferior federal court, but that if a new justice were added to the Supreme Court of the United States, I would accept the office if tendered to me.  Notwithstanding this reply my appointment was urged, and I was nominated by the President.  The Senators have since told me that they pressed my nomination from a belief that another justice would soon be added to the Supreme Court, and that the appointment would be made from the Pacific States, and that if I were circuit judge it would more likely be tendered to me than to any one else.  The interests of those States were so great, and from the character of their land titles, and their mines of gold and silver, were in some respects so different from those of the Eastern States, that it was deemed important to have some one familiar with them on the Supreme Bench of the United States.  Accordingly, while my nomination for circuit judge was pending before the Senate, a bill providing for an additional justice of the Supreme Court, and making the Pacific States a new circuit, was introduced into both Houses of Congress, and on the last day of the session, March 3d, 1863, it became a law.  Soon after the adjournment of Congress, the entire delegation from the Pacific States united in recommending my appointment to the new office.  The delegation then consisted of four Senators and four Members of the House, of whom five were Democrats and three Republicans; all of them were Union men.  I was accordingly nominated by the President, and the nomination was unanimously confirmed by the Senate.  My commission was signed on the 10th of March, 1863, and forwarded to me.  I did not, however, take the oath of office and enter upon its duties until the 20th of May following.  At the time I received the commission there were many important cases pending in the Supreme Court of California, which had been argued when only myself and one of the associate justices were present.  I thought that these cases should be disposed of before I resigned, as otherwise a re-argument of them would be required, imposing increased expense and delay upon the parties.  I therefore sent my resignation as Chief Justice to the Governor, to take effect on the 20th of May.  I selected that day, as I believed the cases argued could be decided by that time, and because it was the birthday of my father.  I thought it would be gratifying to him to know that on the eighty-second anniversary of his birth his son had become a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.  Accordingly on that day I took the oath of office.[1]

[1] Although I had informed the Attorney-General of my action and
    delay in taking the oath of office, the salary of the office
    was sent to me from the date of my commission, March 10th,
    1863.  I immediately deposited with the sub-treasurer at San
    Francisco, to the credit of the United States, the proportion
    for the time between that date and the 20th of May, and
    informed the Secretary of the Treasury of the deposit,
    enclosing to him the sub-treasurer’s receipt.