List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 156

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Supreme Court of the United States
Seal of the United States Supreme Court.svg
EstablishedMarch 4, 1789;234 years ago (1789-03-04)
Location Washington, D.C.
Coordinates 38°53′26″N77°00′16″W / 38.89056°N 77.00444°W / 38.89056; -77.00444 Coordinates: 38°53′26″N77°00′16″W / 38.89056°N 77.00444°W / 38.89056; -77.00444
Composition methodPresidential nomination with Senate confirmation
Authorized by Constitution of the United States, Art. III, § 1
Judge term lengthlife tenure, subject to impeachment and removal
Number of positions9 (by statute)
Website supremecourt.gov

This is a list of cases reported in volume 156 of United States Reports , decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1895.

Contents

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of volume 156 U.S.

The Supreme Court is established by Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States, which says: "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court . . .". The size of the Court is not specified; the Constitution leaves it to Congress to set the number of justices. Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 Congress originally fixed the number of justices at six (one chief justice and five associate justices). [1] Since 1789 Congress has varied the size of the Court from six to seven, nine, ten, and back to nine justices (always including one chief justice).

When the cases in volume 156 were decided the Court comprised the following nine members:

PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
(Vote)
Tenure on Supreme Court
Melville Weston Fuller Chief Justice 1908.jpg Melville Fuller Chief Justice Illinois Morrison Waite July 20, 1888
(41–20)
October 8, 1888

July 4, 1910
(Died)
Stephen Johnson Field, photo half length seated, 1875.jpg Stephen Johnson Field Associate Justice California newly-created seatMarch 10, 1863
(Acclamation)
May 10, 1863

December 1, 1897
(Retired)
JudgeJMHarlan.jpg John Marshall Harlan Associate Justice Kentucky David Davis November 29, 1877
(Acclamation)
December 10, 1877

October 14, 1911
(Died)
Horacegrayphoto.jpg Horace Gray Associate Justice Massachusetts Nathan Clifford December 20, 1881
(51–5)
January 9, 1882

September 15, 1902
(Died)
DavidBrewer.jpg David Josiah Brewer Associate Justice Kansas Stanley Matthews December 18, 1889
(53–11)
January 6, 1890

March 28, 1910
(Died)
Portrait of Henry Billings Brown.jpg Henry Billings Brown Associate Justice Michigan Samuel Freeman Miller December 29, 1890
(Acclamation)
January 5, 1891

May 28, 1906
(Retired)
George Shiras Jr.jpg George Shiras Jr. Associate Justice Pennsylvania Joseph P. Bradley July 26, 1892
(Acclamation)
October 10, 1892

February 23, 1903
(Retired)
Justice Howell Jackson2.jpg Howell Edmunds Jackson Associate Justice Tennessee Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar February 18, 1893
(Acclamation)
March 4, 1893

August 8, 1895
(Died)
Edward White, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing slightly left, 1905.jpg Edward Douglass White Associate Justice Louisiana Samuel Blatchford February 19, 1894
(Acclamation)
March 12, 1894

December 18, 1910
(Continued as chief justice)

Notable Cases in 156 U.S.

United States v. E.C. Knight Co.

United States v. E.C. Knight Co. , 156 U.S. 1 (1895), also known as the "Sugar Trust Case," is an antitrust decision that severely limited the federal government's power to pursue antitrust actions under the Sherman Antitrust Act. The Supreme Court held that Congress could not regulate manufacturing, thus giving state governments the sole power to take legal action against manufacturing monopolies. The case has never been overruled, but in Swift & Co. v. United States and subsequent cases the Court has held that Congress can regulate manufacturing when it affects interstate commerce.

Sparf v. United States

Sparf v. United States , 156 U.S. 51 (1895), is a criminal law decision by the Supreme Court. The Court held that if one of two persons accused of having together committed the crime of murder makes a voluntary confession in the presence of the other, without threat or coercion, then the confession is admissible in evidence against both. In addition, the Court clarified several questions relating to the duty of federal criminal juries, and of federal courts when instructing them.

Coffin v. United States

In Coffin v. United States , 156 U.S. 432 (1895), the Supreme Court confirmed the presumption of innocence of persons accused of crimes.

Citation style

Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 the federal court structure at the time comprised District Courts, which had general trial jurisdiction; Circuit Courts, which had mixed trial and appellate (from the US District Courts) jurisdiction; and the United States Supreme Court, which had appellate jurisdiction over the federal District and Circuit courts—and for certain issues over state courts. The Supreme Court also had limited original jurisdiction (i.e., in which cases could be filed directly with the Supreme Court without first having been heard by a lower federal or state court). There were one or more federal District Courts and/or Circuit Courts in each state, territory, or other geographical region.

The Judiciary Act of 1891 created the United States Courts of Appeals and reassigned the jurisdiction of most routine appeals from the district and circuit courts to these appellate courts. The Act created nine new courts that were originally known as the "United States circuit courts of appeals." The new courts had jurisdiction over most appeals of lower court decisions. The Supreme Court could review either legal issues that a court of appeals certified or decisions of court of appeals by writ of certiorari.

Bluebook citation style is used for case names, citations, and jurisdictions.

List of cases in volume 156 U.S.

Case NamePage & yearOpinion of the CourtConcurring opinion(s)Dissenting opinion(s)Lower CourtDisposition
United States v. E.C. Knight Co. 1 (1895) FullernoneHarlan 3d Cir. affirmed
Stuart v. City of Easton 46 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.E.D. Pa. reversed
Rouse v. Letcher 47 (1895) Fullernonenone 8th Cir. dismissed
Sparf v. United States 51 (1895) HarlannoneBrewer C.C.N.D. Cal. multiple
In re Robertson 183 (1895) Fullernonenone Va. dismissed
Dunbar v. United States 185 (1895) Brewernonenone D. Or. affirmed
Delaware et al. Co. v. Pennsylvania 200 (1895) Fullernonenone Pa. reversed
Lazarus v. Phelps 202 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.N.D. Tex. affirmed
In re Streep 207 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.S.D.N.Y. mandamus denied
Lindsay v. Burgess 208 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.E.D. Tenn. affirmed
Postal T.C. Co. v. City of Baltimore 210 (1895) Fullernonenone Md. affirmed
In Re Chapman 211 (1895) Fullernonenone Sup. Ct. D.C. habeas corpus denied
McGahan v. Bank of Rondout 218 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.D.S.C. affirmed
Mattox v. United States 237 (1895) BrownnoneShiras D. Kan. affirmed
Roller Mill Patent 261 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.N.D. Ill. affirmed
Andrews v. Swartz 272 (1895) Harlannonenone C.C.D.N.J. affirmed
Hudson v. Parker 277 (1895) GraynoneBrewer W.D. Ark. mandamus granted
Emert v. Missouri 296 (1895) Graynonenone Mo. affirmed
In re Lehigh M. & M. Co. 322 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.W.D. Va. mandamus denied
Brown v. Webster 328 (1895) Whitenonenone C.C.D. Neb. affirmed
Bank of Rondout v. Smith 330 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.D.S.C. dismissed
Connell v. Smiley 335 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.D. Neb. affirmed
Palmer v. Village of Corning 342 (1895) Whitenonenone C.C.N.D.N.Y. affirmed
Maricopa & P.R.R. Co. v. Arizona 347 (1895) Whitenonenone Sup. Ct. Terr. Ariz. affirmed
United States ex rel. Siegel v. Thoman 353 (1895) Whitenonenone C.C.E.D. La. affirmed
Waldron v. Waldron 361 (1895) Whitenonenone C.C.N.D. Ill. reversed
Winter v. City of Montgomery 385 (1895) Fullernonenone Ala. dismissed
Illinois C.R.R. Co. v. Brown 386 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.W.D. Tenn. dismissed
Hays v. Steiger 387 (1895) Fieldnonenone Cal. affirmed
Mather v. Rillston 391 (1895) Fieldnonenone C.C.W.D. Mich. affirmed
Cunningham v. Mason & B.R.R. Co. 400 (1895) Whitenonenone C.C.S.D. Ga. affirmed
Batchelor v. United States 426 (1895) Graynonenone C.C.D. Mont. reversed
Coffin v. United States 432 (1895) Whitenonenone D. Ind. reversed
Bannon v. United States 464 (1895) Brownnonenone D. Or. affirmed
Bell S. & C.M. Co. v. First Nat'l Bank 470 (1895) Fieldnonenone Sup. Ct. Terr. Mont. affirmed
St. Louis et al. Ry. Co. v. Missouri ex rel. Merriam 478 (1895) Shirasnonenone Mo. dismissed
Lindsay v. First Nat'l Bank 485 (1895) Shirasnonenone C.C.W.D. La. reversed
Carr v. Fife 494 (1895) Shirasnonenone C.C.D. Wash. affirmed
National C.R. Co. v. Boston C.I.R. Co. 502 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.D. Mass. reversed
Goldey v. Morning News 518 (1895) Graynonenone C.C.E.D.N.Y. affirmed
Evers v. Watson 527 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.N.D. Miss. affirmed
Ard v. Brandon 537 (1895) Brewernonenone Kan. reversed
Maddox v. Burnham 544 (1895) Brewernonenone Kan. affirmed
Wood v. Beach 548 (1895) Brewernonenone Kan. affirmed
United States v. Berdan F. Mfg. Co. 552 (1895) Brewernonenone Ct. Cl. affirmed
Corinne Mill C. & S. Co. v. Johnson 574 (1895) Brewernonenone Sup. Ct. Terr. Utah affirmed
Pittsburgh & S.C. Co. v. Bates 577 (1895) Fieldnonenone La. affirmed
Pittsburgh & S.C. Co. v. Louisiana 590 (1895) Fieldnonenone La. affirmed
Saltonstall v. Weibusch 601 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.D. Mass. reversed
Grimm v. United States 604 (1895) Brewernonenone E.D. Mo. affirmed
Black Diamond C.M. Co. v. Excelsior C. Co. 611 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.N.D. Cal. reversed
Johnson v. Atlantic et al. Co. 618 (1895) Shirasnonenone C.C.N.D. Fla. affirmed
St. Louis et al. Ry. Co. v. Gill 649 (1895) Shirasnonenone Ark. affirmed
Norfolk & W.R.R. Co. v. Pendleton 667 (1895) Shirasnonenone Va. affirmed
Fox v. Haarstick 674 (1895) Shirasnonenone Sup. Ct. Terr. Utah affirmed
Davis v. Wakelee 680 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.S.D.N.Y. affirmed
Citizens' S. & L. Ass'n v. Perry Cnty. 692 (1895) Harlannonenone C.C.S.D. Ill. reversed

Notes and references

    1. "Supreme Court Research Guide". Georgetown Law Library. Retrieved April 7, 2021.

    See also