1
Court : US Supreme Court
Decided on : Nov-23-1885
St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Ry. Co. v. McGee - 115 U.S. 469 (1885) U.S. Supreme Court St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Ry. Co. v. McGee, 115 U.S. 469 (1885) St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Company v. McGee Argued November 11, 1885 Decided November 23, 1885 115 U.S. 469 I N ERROR TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI Syllabus In order that an act of Congress should work a reversion to the United States for condition broken of lands granted by them to a state to aid in internal improvements, the legislation must directly, positively, and with freedom from all doubt or ambiguity manifest the intention of Congress to reassert title and resume possession. No such intention is manifested in the Act of July 28, 1866, 14 Stat. 338, so far as it affects the lands granted to the States of Arkansas and Missouri by the Act of February 9, 1853, 10 Stat. 155, except as to mineral lands. The facts are stated in the opinion of the Court. MR. CHIEF JUSTICE ...
Tag this Judgment!Court : US Supreme Court
Decided on : Dec-07-1885
Northern Pacific R. Co. v. Traill County - 115 U.S. 600 (1885) U.S. Supreme Court Northern Pacific R. Co. v. Traill County, 115 U.S. 600 (1885) Northern Pacific Railroad Company v. Traill County Submitted November 17, 1885 Decided December 7, 1885 115 U.S. 600 APPEAL FROM THE SUPREME COURT OF THE TERRITORY OF DAKOTA Syllabus The provisions in the Act of July 17, 1870, 16 Stat. 291 (on page 305), that the lands granted to the Northern Pacific Railroad Company by the act of July 2, 1864, 13 Stat. 365, shall not be conveyed to the company or any party entitled thereto "until there shall first be paid into the Treasury of Page 115 U. S. 601 the United States the cost of surveying, selecting, and conveying the same by the company or party in interest" exempts these lands from state or territorial taxation until such payment is made into the Treasury. The Northern Pacific Railroad Company has acquired no equitable interest in the lands so granted to it by reason of completing...
Tag this Judgment!Court : US Supreme Court
Decided on : Feb-02-1885
Fussell v. Gregg - 113 U.S. 550 (1885) U.S. Supreme Court Fussell v. Gregg, 113 U.S. 550 (1885) Fussell v. Gregg Argued January 8-9, 1885 Decided February 2, 1885 113 U.S. 550 APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO Syllabus A court in equity has no jurisdiction over a suit based upon an equitable title to real estate unless the nature of the relief asked for is also equitable. A court of the United States sitting in equity cannot control the principal surveyor of the Virginia Military District in the discharge of his official duties or take charge of the records of his office or declare their effect to be other than what appears on their face. The plain meaning of the Act of March 23, 1804, 2 Stat. 274, to ascertain the boundaries of the Virginia Military District in Ohio is that a failure within five years to make return to the Secretary of War of the survey of any tract located within the territory, made previous to the expir...
Tag this Judgment!Court : US Supreme Court
Decided on : Mar-19-1885
Dale Tile Mfg. Co. v. Hyatt - 125 U.S. 46 (1885) U.S. Supreme Court Dale Tile Mfg. Co. v. Hyatt, 125 U.S. 46 (1888) Dale Tile Manufacturing Company v. Hyatt No. 1232 Submitted January 9, 1888 Decided March 19, 1885 125 U.S. 46 ERROR TO THE CITY COURT OF NEW YORK Syllabus An action upon an agreement in writing, by which, in consideration of a license from the patentee to make and sell the invention, the licensee acknowledges the validity of the patent, stipulates that the patentee may obtain reissues thereof, and promises to pay certain royalties so long as the Page 125 U. S. 47 patent shall not have been adjudged invalid, is not a case arising under the patent laws of the United States, and is within the jurisdiction of the state courts, and the correctness of a decision of the highest court of a state upon the merits of the case, based upon the effect of the agreement, without passing upon the validity of a reissue, or any other question under those laws, cannot be review...
Tag this Judgment!Court : US Supreme Court
Decided on : Mar-02-1885
Prentice v. Stearns - 113 U.S. 435 (1885) U.S. Supreme Court Prentice v. Stearns, 113 U.S. 435 (1885) Prentice v. Stearns Submitted January 9, 1885 Decided March 2, 1885 113 U.S. 435 I N ERROR TO THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA Syllabus In the absence of a bill of exceptions setting forth evidence, no error can be assigned in respect to facts found by the court when the parties waive a trial by jury. In a suit at law to recover possession of real estate, the court cannot take note of facts which, in equity, might afford ground for relieving the plaintiff by reforming the description in his deed. A deed from an Indian chief to A, in 1858, of a tract described by metes and bounds and further as "being the land set off to the Indian Chief 'Buffalo' at the Indian Treaty of September 30, 1854, and was afterwards disposed of by said Buffalo to said A, and is now recorded with the government documents" does not convey the equitable interest...
Tag this Judgment!Court : US Supreme Court
Decided on : Jan-19-1885
Consolidated Safety Valve Co. v. Crosby Co. - 113 U.S. 157 (1885) U.S. Supreme Court Consolidated Safety Valve Co. v. Crosby Co., 113 U.S. 157 (1885) Consolidated Safety Valve Company v. Crosby Steam Gauge and Valve Company Argued December 10-11, 1884 Decided January 19, 1885 113 U.S. 157 APPEALS FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS Syllabus Letters patent No. 58,294, granted to George W. Richardson September 25, 1866, for an improvement in steam safety valves, are valid. Under the claim of that patent namely, "A safety valve with the circular or annular flange or lip c c , constructed in the manner, or substantially in the manner, shown, so as to operate as and for the purpose herein described," the patentee is entitled to cover a valve in which are combined an initial area, an additional area, a huddling chamber beneath the additional area, and a strictured orifice leading from the huddling chamber to the open air, the orifice...
Tag this Judgment!Court : US Supreme Court
Decided on : May-04-1885
Frasher v. O'Connor - 115 U.S. 102 (1885) U.S. Supreme Court Frasher v. O'Connor, 115 U.S. 102 (1885) Frasher v. O'Connor Argued April 10, 1885 Decided May 4, 1885 115 U.S. 102 I N ERROR TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA Syllabus In adjusting congressional grants of lands to a state, the only questions for consideration by the officers of the United States are whether the state possessed the right to claim the land under the grant, and whether the land was subject to selection by its agents. Those officers have no jurisdiction to review transactions between the state and its purchasers, nor between the state and its locating agents, and determine whether such purchasers or locating agents complied with the provisions of its laws relating to the sale of the lands. Surveys under the eighth section of the Act of July 23, 1863, "to quiet land titles in California," become operative by approval of the United States Surveyor General for the state, and his filing in...
Tag this Judgment!Court : US Supreme Court
Decided on : May-04-1885
Wollensak v. Reiher - 115 U.S. 96 (1885) U.S. Supreme Court Wollensak v. Reiher, 115 U.S. 96 (1885) Wollensak v. Reiher Argued April 14-15, 1885 Decided May 4, 1885 115 U.S. 96 APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS Syllabus The question whether delay in applying for a reissue of a patent has been reasonable or unreasonable is a question of law for the determination of the court. The action of the Patent Office in granting a reissue and deciding that from special circumstances shown it appeared that the applicant had not been guilty of laches in applying for it is not sufficient to explain a delay in the application which otherwise appears unreasonable and to constitute laches. When a reissue expands the claims of the original patent, and it appears that there was a delay of two years or more in applying for it, the delay invalidates the reissue unless accounted for and shown to be reasonable. A bill in equity which sets f...
Tag this Judgment!Court : US Supreme Court
Decided on : Mar-30-1885
Thompson v. Boisselier - 114 U.S. 1 (1885) U.S. Supreme Court Thompson v. Boisselier, 114 U.S. 1 (1885) Thompson v. Boisselier Argued March 10, 1885 Decided March 30, 1885 114 U.S. 1 APPEALS FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK Syllabus The third claim of reissued letters patent No. 978, granted to William S. Carr, June 12, 1880, for "improvements in water closets" (the original patent having been granted to him August 5, 1856, and, as reissued, extended July 23, 1870, for seven years from August 5, 1870), namely, "In a valve for water closets, a cup leather for controlling the motion of said valve in closing gradually, substantially as specified, said cup leather moving freely in one direction, and closing against the containing cylinder in the other direction, and the leakage of water in said cylinder allowing the movement Page 114 U. S. 2 of said cup leather as set forth," construed, and the operation of the device explaine...
Tag this Judgment!Court : US Supreme Court
Decided on : May-04-1885
Richmond Mining Co. v. Rose - 114 U.S. 576 (1885) U.S. Supreme Court Richmond Mining Co. v. Rose, 114 U.S. 576 (1885) Richmond Mining Company v. Rose Argued April 13-14, 1885 Decided May 4, 1885 114 U.S. 576 I N ERROR TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEVADA Syllabus When the statutes of the United States and local laws of a mining district authorize a location on a vein of only two hundred feet by each locator, a location by mistake for more than two hundred feet is not thereby made entirely void, but is good for two hundred feet and void only for the excess. A claimant making a claim in good faith as discoverer of a constituent vein in the Ruby Hill deposit before it was known that the deposit was one lode, is entitled to the additional two hundred feet of location given to discoverers. The filing of a complaint in a court of competent jurisdiction is a commencement of proceedings by an adverse claimant to determine the right of possession to mineral lands under Rev....
Tag this Judgment!