Of course, there was the possibility of leaving public homes in favor of private and probably more comfortable environments. But Jay chose to stay in public institutions whenever possible, even as friends and dignitaries granted him the hospitality of their homes. For example, when New Hampshire Senator John Langdon twice asked for the honor of receiving Jay in Portsmouth, the Chief Justice politely declined the senator`s generosity.40 Shortly thereafter, John offered Hancock his Boston residence, and Jay again refused, stating that he wanted to avoid favoritism by accepting certain offers. while refusing others: “The invitations I have received from various governments. Don`t leave me any choice but to be in the quarter. in restaurants or risk hurting the feelings of gentlemen whose friendly courtesy should be given appropriate consideration of respect. 41 Jay was originally scheduled for the Eastern Circuit and later for the Intermediate Circuit, but never drove the South Circuit. Fortunately, when the Chief Justice toured the Eastern circuit, he kept a diary, which is printed below. Jay`s diary and correspondence show that he did not enjoy circuit driving at least as much as his colleagues. Like the others, he found the night stalls in the desolate shelters to be physical difficulties; But above all, he suffered from long periods of separation from his beloved wife and family. Frequent reports of family illnesses during his absence contributed to his distress.

Like Jay, everyone felt, while Cushing lamented that he had been condemned to “eternal wandering.” 5 As eager as Jay was to stop his track driving while it lasted, he seized opportunities to use his travels for personal and family purposes. In addition to the stress of inclement weather, constant travel, and legal work, the Eastern Circuit gave Jay the advantage of observing farming practices throughout the region. The newspaper`s numerous and sometimes detailed descriptions of farming techniques, crops, and livestock testify to Jay`s great interest in rural agriculture. Entries written in April 1790, for example, cover a range of topics, including the practice of sericulture in Wilton and Worthington, Connecticut, Hessian fly damage to the wheat harvest in Palmer, Massachusetts, and the superior performance of draught animals in Marlborough, Massachusetts.61 “That the task of holding twenty-seven county courts a year in the various states, from New Hampshire to Georgia, as well as two sessions of the Supreme Court in Philadelphia during the two most difficult seasons, is too onerous a task given the size of the United States and the small number of justices. Requiring judges to spend most of their days on the streets, in hostels and at a certain distance from their families is a confiscation that, in their view, should only be done in an emergency. that some of the judges present do not have sufficient health and physical strength to withstand the difficult struggles caused by the different climates and seasons to which they are called; Nor is it unlikely that a group of judges, however robust, would be able to endure such heavy tasks for long periods of time and complete them on time. Although track driving proved challenging, finding housing rarely proved difficult, as Jay stuck to major thoroughfares such as Boston and Albany Post Road. His diary records the names of fifty-six inns he visited on his travels throughout New York and New England.

Poor standards of cleanliness and service are a frequent source of complaints in agendas. But in most cases, Jay`s reviews tended to be positive, or at least neutral, and for every ad criticizing a landlord who “governs too much”37 or a landlord who is “not very neat,”38 another praised one owner for running a “good home,” or at least a “tolerable home”.39 In Virginia, That was another story. There, the Federal District Court files were flooded with lawsuits filed by British creditors against their American debtors. Many of these cases concerned laws of war, which allowed the debts of British creditors to pay sums due to the state and thus be relieved of any obligation to British creditors. The legal issue here was the compatibility of these statutes with the peace treaty with Great Britain. Jay`s diary covers the years 1790 to 1792, beginning with his first departure from his farm in Bedford on September 20. April 1790 and his trip to Connecticut with freezing spring weather, a mixture of snow and freezing rain. During these trying three years on the circuit, he had zigzagged almost the entire length and width of New England and much of New York. At Washington`s request, he gathered information he needed to know about the state of the nation and the administration of the judicial system.6 He met with high- and low-ranking people, from governors and attorneys general to a former Shaysite rebel named Timothy Younglove, whom he met in southwestern Massachusetts. He always spoke to lawyers, farmers, artisans, merchants and clergymen and was extremely well informed about the progress of production, agriculture and the general situation of the eastern circuit and its inhabitants. These observations assisted Jay in his role as a public servant by providing insight into the concerns and conditions of the communities in his area of responsibility.

The data he collected also helped him and the other judges make the circuit driving system as efficient and bearable as possible. The route was almost always unpleasant, but sometimes involved accidents such as an overturned car, as shown in the drawing.