<P> In 1866 , at the behest of Chief Justice Chase , Congress passed an act providing that the next three justices to retire would not be replaced , which would thin the bench to seven justices by attrition . Consequently , one seat was removed in 1866 and a second in 1867 . In 1869 , however , the Circuit Judges Act returned the number of justices to nine , where it has since remained . </P>
<P> In 1866 , at the behest of Chief Justice Chase , Congress passed an act providing that the next three justices to retire would not be replaced , which would thin the bench to seven justices by attrition . Consequently , one seat was removed in 1866 and a second in 1867 . In 1869 , however , the Circuit Judges Act returned the number of justices to nine , where it has since remained . </P>
when did the supreme court get nine justices
when did the supreme court get nine justices
1869
1869