Final answer:
Marbury needed a commission delivered from the president because he needed to confirm his appointment as a justice of the peace. President Adams's administration failed to deliver the commission before leaving office, and the subsequent refusal of President Jefferson's administration led to the landmark case, Marbury v. Madison, which established the principle of judicial review in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reason Marbury needed a commission delivered from the president is best represented by option B) He was trying to confirm the fact he had been appointed as a justice of the peace. After being appointed by President Adams, Marbury's commission was not delivered due to the change in administration. Marbury petitioned the Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus to force the new president's secretary of state, James Madison, to deliver the commission, as he was legally entitled to his appointment. However, the case resulted in the establishment of judicial review, with the Supreme Court ruling that while Marbury had a right to the commission, the court could not compel Madison to deliver it because the relevant section of the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional.