List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 159

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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 159 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 159 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 159 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 Case in 159 U.S.

Hilton v. Guyot

In Hilton v. Guyot , 159 U.S. 113 (1895), the Supreme Court ruled that the recognition and enforceability of a foreign judgment rested on the "comity of nations," namely whether there would be any reciprocity and mutual recognition by the foreign jurisdiction from which the judgment was issued. [2] Hilton established the fundamental basis for the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in the United States, [3] remaining "the most detailed exposition of any American court" on this principle. [4] It is also viewed as the quintessential statement of comity in international law, [5] and is one of the earliest decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court to assert that international law is part of U.S. law.

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 159 U.S.

Case NamePage & yearOpinion of the CourtConcurring opinion(s)Dissenting opinion(s)Lower CourtDisposition
White v. Van Horn 3 (1895) Whitenonenone C.C.N.D. Tex. affirmed
Townsend v. St. Louis et al. Co. 21 (1895) Shirasnonenone C.C.S.D. Ill. affirmed
White v. Ewing 36 (1895) Brownnonenone 6th Cir. certification
Horne v. Smith 40 (1895) Brewernonenone C.C.N.D. Fla. affirmed
Wisconsin C.R.R. Co. v. Forsythe 46 (1895) Brewernonenone C.C.W.D. Wis. reversed
Spencer v. McDougal 62 (1895) Brewernonenone C.C.W.D. Wis. reversed
Texas & P. Ry. Co. v. Smith 66 (1895) Brewernonenone C.C.W.D. La. reversed
Gray v. Connecticut 74 (1895) Fieldnonenone Conn. affirmed
United States v. Burr 78 (1895) Fullernonenone 2d Cir. certification
Grand Rapids & I.R.R. Co. v. Butler 87 (1895) Fullernonenone Mich. affirmed
Ex parte Belt 95 (1895) Fullernonenone Sup. Ct. D.C. habeas corpus denied
Brown v. United States 100 (1895) Harlannonenone C.C.W.D. Ark. reversed
Central L. Co. v. Laidley 103 (1895) Graynonenone W. Va. dismissed
Hilton v. Guyot 113 (1895) GraynoneFuller C.C.S.D.N.Y. reversed
Ritchie v. McMullen 235 (1895) GrayFullernone C.C.N.D. Ohio affirmed
Indiana v. Kentucky 275 (1895) Fullernonenone original commissioners
Simmons v. Burlington et al. Ry. Co. 278 (1895) Shirasnonenone C.C.S.D. Iowa reversed
Richmond N. Co. v. Richmond 293 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.S.D. Ill. reversed
Gilfillan v. McKee 303 (1895) Brownnonenone Sup. Ct. D.C. reversed
McKee v. Lamon 317 (1895) Brownnonenone Sup. Ct. D.C. reversed
McKee v. Latrobe 327 (1895) Brownnonenone Sup. Ct. D.C. affirmed
McCormick v. Hayes 332 (1895) Harlannonenone Iowa reversed
Sioux City et al. R.R. Co. v. United States 349 (1895) Harlannonenone C.C.N.D. Iowa affirmed
Chicago et al. Ry. Co. v. United States 372 (1895) Harlannonenone C.C.N.D. Iowa affirmed
Sioux City et al. R.R. Co. v. Countryman 377 (1895) Harlannonenone Iowa affirmed
Sweet v. Rechel 380 (1895) Harlannonenone C.C.D. Mass. affirmed
Borgmeyer v. Idler 408 (1895) Fullernonenone 3d Cir. dismissed
California v. Holladay 415 (1895) Fullernonenone Cal. dismissed
Sonn v. Magone 417 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.S.D.N.Y. affirmed
Thorn W.H. Co. v. Washburn & M. Mfg. Co. 423 (1895) Shirasnonenone C.C.N.D. Ill. affirmed
United States v. Chaves 452 (1895) Shirasnonenone Ct. Priv. Land Cl. affirmed
Incandescent Lamp Patent 465 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.W.D. Pa. affirmed
Richards v. Chase E. Co. 477 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.N.D. Ill. rehearing denied
Isaacs v. United States 487 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.W.D. Ark. affirmed
Shiver v. United States 491 (1895) Brownnonenone 5th Cir. certification
Patton v. United States 500 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.E.D. Pa. affirmed
Thiede v. Utah 510 (1895) Brewernonenone Sup. Ct. Terr. Utah affirmed
Wheeler v. United States 523 (1895) Brewernonenone C.C.E.D. Tex. affirmed
Winona et al. Co. v. Minnesota I 526 (1895) Brewernonenone Minn. affirmed
Winona et al. Co. v. Minnesota II 540 (1895) Brewernonenone Minn. dismissed
Weeks v. Bridgman 541 (1895) Fullernonenone Minn. affirmed
United States v. American B.T. Co. 548 (1895) Fullernonenone 1st Cir. dismissal denied
Magone v. Wiederer 555 (1895) Whitenonenone C.C.S.D.N.Y. affirmed
De Jonge v. Magone 562 (1895) Whitenonenone C.C.S.D.N.Y. affirmed
Cowley v. Northern P.R.R. Co. 569 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.D. Wash. reversed
Hilton's Adm'r v. Jones 584 (1895) Brownnonenone C.C.D. Neb. affirmed
Clune v. United States 590 (1895) Brewernonenone S.D. Cal. affirmed
McDowell v. United States 596 (1895) Brewernonenone 4th Cir. certification
Baltimore & O.R.R. Co. v. Griffith 603 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.S.D. Ohio affirmed
Folsom v. Township 96 611 (1895) Graynonenone 4th Cir. certification
Rutland R.R. Co. v. Central Vt. R.R. Co. 630 (1895) GraynonenoneVt. Chan. dismissed
Stewart v. McHarry 643 (1895) Fieldnonenone Cal. affirmed
Mills v. Green 651 (1895) Graynonenone 4th Cir. dismissed
Gillis v. Stinchfield 658 (1895) Fullernonenone Cal. dismissed
Lambert v. Barrett 660 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.D.N.J. affirmed
Goode v. United States 663 (1895) Brownnonenone D. Mass. affirmed
Moore v. Missouri 673 (1895) Fullernonenone Mo. affirmed
Bucklin v. United States I 680 (1895) Harlannonenone D. Kan. dismissed
Bucklin v. United States II 682 (1895) Harlannonenone D. Kan. reversed
The Bayonne 687 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.S.D.N.Y. dismissed
Ansbro v. United States 695 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.S.D.N.Y. dismissed
Little Rock et al. Co. v. East Tenn. et al. R.R. Co. 698 (1895) Fullernonenone C.C.W.D. Tenn. dismissed

Notes and references

    1. "Supreme Court Research Guide". Georgetown Law Library. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
    2. "Overview of U.S. Law - Proskauer on International Litigation and Arbitration". www.proskauerguide.com. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
    3. David J. Levy, International Litigation: Defending and Suing Foreign Parties in U.S. Federal Courts (American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, 2003), p. 343, 346.
    4. Levy, p. 343 (quoting Willis L. M. Reese, The Status in this Country of Judgments Rendered Abroad, 50 Columbia Law Review 783, 790 (1950))).
    5. International Human Rights Litigation in U.S. Courts:, 2d rev. ed., p. 355.

    See also