<P> Between 1789 and 1959, the Court issued written opinions in only 123 original cases . Since 1960, the Court has received fewer than 140 motions for leave to file original cases, nearly half of which were denied a hearing . </P> <P> Most of these cases have disputes over state boundaries and water rights . The Court has tended to decline other kinds of cases arising from disputes between the states . </P> <P> Examples of such cases include United States v. Texas, a case to determine whether a parcel of land belonged to the United States or to Texas, and Virginia v. Tennessee, a case turning on whether an incorrectly drawn boundary between two states can be changed by a state court, and whether the setting of the correct boundary requires Congressional approval . Two other original jurisdiction cases involve colonial era borders and rights under navigable waters in New Jersey v. Delaware, and water rights between riparian states upstream of navigable waters in Kansas v. Colorado . </P> <P> Because the nine - member Supreme Court is not well - suited to conducting pretrial proceedings or trials, original jurisdiction cases accepted by the Court are typically referred to a well - qualified lawyer or lower - court judge to serve as special master, conduct the proceedings, and report recommendations to the Court . The Court then considers whether to accept the special master's report or whether to sustain any exceptions filed to the report . </P>

What are the original jurisdiction of the supreme court