List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 112

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Supreme Court of the United States
Seal of the United States Supreme Court.svg
EstablishedMarch 4, 1789; 233 years ago (1789-03-04)[1]
LocationWashington, D.C.
Coordinates38°53′26″N 77°00′16″W / 38.89056°N 77.00444°W / 38.89056; -77.00444Coordinates: 38°53′26″N 77°00′16″W / 38.89056°N 77.00444°W / 38.89056; -77.00444
Composition methodPresidential nomination with Senate confirmation
Authorized byConstitution of the United States, Art. III, § 1
Judge term lengthlife tenure, subject to impeachment and removal
Number of positions9 (by statute)
Websitesupremecourt.gov

This is a list of the 86 cases reported in volume 112 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1884 and 1885.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of volume 112 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).[2] 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 112 U.S. were decided the Court comprised the following nine members:

Portrait Justice Office Home State Succeeded Date confirmed by the Senate
(Vote)
Tenure on Supreme Court
Chief Justice Morrison Waite.jpg Morrison Waite Chief Justice Ohio Salmon P. Chase January 21, 1874
(63–0)
March 4, 1874

March 23, 1888
(Died)
Samuel Freeman Miller - Brady-Handy.jpg Samuel Freeman Miller Associate Justice Iowa Peter Vivian Daniel July 16, 1862
(Acclamation)
July 21, 1862

October 13, 1890
(Died)
Stephen Johnson Field, photo half length seated, 1875.jpg Stephen Johnson Field Associate Justice California newly-created seat March 10, 1863
(Acclamation)
May 10, 1863

December 1, 1897
(Retired)
Joseph Philo Bradley - Brady-Handy.jpg Joseph P. Bradley Associate Justice New Jersey newly-created seat March 21, 1870
(46–9)
March 23, 1870

January 22, 1892
(Died)
JudgeJMHarlan.jpg John Marshall Harlan Associate Justice Kentucky David Davis November 29, 1877
(Acclamation)
December 10, 1877

October 14, 1911
(Died)
William Burnham Woods.jpg William Burnham Woods Associate Justice Georgia William Strong December 21, 1880
(39–8)
January 5, 1881

May 14, 1887
(Died)
Thomas Stanley Matthews - Brady-Handy.jpg Stanley Matthews Associate Justice Ohio Noah Haynes Swayne May 12, 1881
(24–23)
May 17, 1881

March 22, 1889
(Died)
Horacegrayphoto.jpg Horace Gray Associate Justice Massachusetts Nathan Clifford December 20, 1881
(51–5)
January 9, 1882

September 15, 1902
(Died)
Samuel Blatchford, US Supreme Court Justice.png Samuel Blatchford Associate Justice New York Ward Hunt March 22, 1882
(Acclamation)
April 3, 1882

July 7, 1893
(Died)

Notable Cases in 112 U.S.[]

Elk v. Wilkins[]

Elk v. Wilkins, 112 U.S. 94 (1884), is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court[3][4] respecting the citizenship status of Indians. John Elk, a Winnebago Indian, was born on an Indian reservation and later resided with whites on the non-reservation US territory in Omaha, Nebraska, where he renounced his former tribal allegiance and claimed citizenship by virtue of the Citizenship Clause. The case came about after Elk tried to register to vote in 1880 and was denied by Charles Wilkins, the named defendant, who was registrar of voters of the Fifth ward of the City of Omaha.

Port of New York Custom House at the time of the Head Money Cases

The Court decided that even though Elk was born in the United States, he was not a citizen because he owed allegiance to his tribe when he was born rather than to the United States and therefore was not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States when he was born.

Head Money Cases[]

The Head Money Cases, 112 U.S. 580 (1884), relate to the legal status of treaties. Under the Immigration Act of 1882, officers from the customhouse in the Port of New York began collecting a tax from ships of fifty cents for each immigrant aboard. Multiple ship owners sued because they were transporting Dutch immigrants, and the Netherlands had a treaty with the United States that they claimed prohibited the tax. The decision established that treaties, which are described in the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution as "the supreme law of the land" equal to any domestic federal law, do not hold a privileged position above other acts of Congress. So, other laws affecting the "enforcement, modification, or repeal" of treaties are legitimate.

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.

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

  • "C.C.D." = United States Circuit Court for the District of . . .
    • e.g.,"C.C.D.N.J." = United States Circuit Court for the District of New Jersey
  • "D." = United States District Court for the District of . . .
    • e.g.,"D. Mass." = United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
  • "E." = Eastern; "M." = Middle; "N." = Northern; "S." = Southern; "W." = Western
    • e.g.,"C.C.S.D.N.Y." = United States Circuit Court for the Southern District of New York
    • e.g.,"M.D. Ala." = United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
  • "Adm." = Admiralty Court (a federal court)
  • "Ct. Cl." = United States Court of Claims
  • "Ct. Com. Pl." = Court of Common Pleas (a state court)
  • The abbreviation of a state's name alone indicates the highest appellate court in that state's judiciary at the time.
    • e.g.,"Pa." = Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
    • e.g.,"Me." = Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

List of cases in volume 112 U.S.[]

Case Name Page & year Opinion of the Court Concurring opinion(s) Dissenting opinion(s) Lower court Disposition of case
United States v. Morton 1 (1884) Blatchford none none Ct. Cl. affirmed
Woodworth v. Blair 8 (1884) Gray none none C.C.N.D. Ill. affirmed
New Orleans, M. & T. Ry. v. Mississippi ex rel. Dist. Att'y 12 (1884) Harlan none none C.C.S.D. Miss. affirmed
Moffat v. United States 24 (1884) Field none none C.C.D. Colo. affirmed
Skidmore v. Pittsburgh, C. & S.L. Ry. Co. 33 (1884) Waite none none C.C.N.D. Ill. affirmed
Davies v. Corbin 36 (1884) Waite none none C.C.E.D. Ark. dismissal denied
Mellen v. Wallach 41 (1884) Blatchford none none Sup. Ct. D.C. reversed
Butterworth v. United States ex rel. Hoe 50 (1884) Matthews none none Sup. Ct. D.C. affirmed
Moran v. City of New Orleans 69 (1884) Matthews none none La. reversed
United States v. Waddell 76 (1884) Miller none none C.C.E.D. Ark. remanded to divided lower court
Wilson v. Arrick 83 (1884) Woods none none Sup. Ct. D.C. affirmed
United States v. Flanders 88 (1884) Blatchford none none C.C.E.D. La. affirmed
Elk v. Wilkins 94 (1884) Gray none Harlan C.C.D. Neb. affirmed
Adams Cnty. v. Burlington & M.R.R.R. Co. 123 (1884) Waite none none Iowa dismissed for want of jurisdiction
Nix v. Allen 129 (1884) Waite none none C.C.E.D. Ark. affirmed
Mersman v. Werges 139 (1884) Gray none none C.C.D. Iowa reversed
Horbach v. Hill 144 (1884) Field none none C.C.D. Neb. reversed
City of Ft. Scott v. Hickman 150 (1884) Blatchford none none C.C.D. Kan. reversed
Buena Vista Cnty. v. Iowa Falls & S.C.R.R. Co. 165 (1884) Matthews none none Iowa affirmed
Ex parte Virginia Comm'rs 177 (1884) Waite none none original jurisdiction mandamus denied
Ex parte Crouch 178 (1884) Waite none none original jurisdiction habeas corpus denied
Ex parte Royall 181 (1884) Waite none none original jurisdiction habeas corpus denied
Scotland Cnty. v. Hill 183 (1884) Waite none none C.C.E.D. Mo. reversed
Ayres v. Wiswall 187 (1884) Waite none none C.C.E.D. Mich. affirmed
Great Western Ins. Co. v. United States 193 (1884) Miller none none Ct. Cl. affirmed
Foster v. Kansas ex rel. Johnston I 201 (1884) Waite none none Kan. affirmed
Foster v. Kansas ex rel. Johnston II 205 (1884) Waite none none Kan. affirmed
Ranney v. Barlow 207 (1884) Woods none none C.C.N.D. Ohio reversed
Snyder v. United States 216 (1884) Gray none none C.C.D. La. affirmed
Labette Cnty. v. United States ex rel. Moulton 217 (1884) Matthews none none C.C.D. Kan. affirmed
Bradstreet Co. v. Higgins 227 (1884) Waite none none C.C.W.D. Mo. dismissed for want of jurisdiction
Hancock v. Holbrook 229 (1884) Waite none none C.C.E.D. La. reversed
California ex rel. Hastings v. Jackson 233 (1884) Waite none none Cal. dismissed for want of jurisdiction
Pugh v. Fairmount G. & S. Mining Co. 238 (1884) Woods none none C.C.D. Colo. reversed
Morris v. McMillin 244 (1884) Woods none none C.C.W.D. Pa. reversed
Connecticut Mut. Life Ins. Co. v. Union Tr. Co. 250 (1884) Harlan none none C.C.S.D.N.Y. affirmed
Grenada Cnty. v. Brogden 261 (1884) Harlan none none N.D. Miss. affirmed
Grame v. Mutual Assurance Co. 273 (1884) Waite none none Va. dismissed for want of jurisdiction
Exchange Nat'l Bank v. Third Nat'l Bank 276 (1884) Blatchford none none C.C.D.N.J. reversed
Tradesman's Nat'l Bank v. Third Nat'l Bank 293 (1884) Blatchford none none C.C.D.N.J. reversed
Heidritter v. Elizabeth Oil-Cloth Co. 294 (1884) Matthews none none C.C.D.N.J. affirmed
East Tenn., V. & G.R.R. Co. v. Southern Tel. Co. 306 (1884) Waite none none C.C.M.D. Ala. dismissal denied
Ogdensburgh & L.C.R.R. Co. v. Nashua & L.R.R. Co. 311 (1884) Miller none none C.C.D.N.H. affirmed
Bates Cnty. v. Winters 325 (1884) Waite none none C.C.W.D. Mo. affirmed
Hart v. Pennsylvania R.R. Co. 331 (1884) Blatchford none none C.C.E.D. Mo. affirmed
Brandies v. Cochrane 344 (1884) Matthews none none C.C.N.D. Ill. affirmed
Mahn v. Harwood 354 (1884) Bradley none Miller C.C.D. Mass. affirmed
Mackall v. Richards 369 (1884) Harlan none none Sup. Ct. D.C. reversed
Chicago, M. & S.P. Ry. Co. v. Ross 377 (1884) Field none Matthews C.C.D. Minn. affirmed
Batchelor v. Brereton 396 (1884) Blatchford none none Sup. Ct. D.C. affirmed
Reynolds v. Crawfordsville First Nat'l Bank 405 (1884) Woods none none C.C.D. Ind. affirmed
Kansas P. Ry. Co. v. Atchison, T. & S.F.R.R. Co. 414 (1884) Field none none C.C.D. Kan. reversed
Richardson v. Traver 423 (1884) Waite none none C.C.N.D. Ill. affirmed
Middleton v. Mullica Twp. 433 (1884) Bradley none none C.C.D.N.J. reversed
Fortier v. New Orleans Nat'l Bank 439 (1884) Woods none none C.C.E.D. La. affirmed
Lámar v. Micou 452 (1884) Gray none none C.C.S.D.N.Y. reversed
Carter v. Carusi 478 (1884) Woods none none Sup. Ct. D.C. affirmed
Birdsell v. Shaliol 485 (1884) Gray none none C.C.N.D. Ohio reversed
Maryland ex rel. Markley v. Baldwin 490 (1884) Field none none C.C.D. Md. reversed
Arthur v. Morgan 495 (1884) Blatchford none none C.C.S.D.N.Y. affirmed
England v. Gebhardt 502 (1884) Waite none none C.C.S.D.N.J. affirmed
New Orleans Ins. Co. v. Albro Co. 506 (1884) Waite none none C.C.E.D. La. affirmed
United States v. North 510 (1884) Waite none none Ct. Cl. affirmed
The Elizabeth Jones 514 (1884) Blatchford none none C.C.N.D. Ill. affirmed
Britton v. Thornton 526 (1884) Gray none none C.C.W.D. Pa. affirmed
Chew Heong v. United States 536 (1884) Harlan none Field, Bradley C.C.D. Cal. reversed
Head Money Cases 580 (1884) Miller none none C.C.E.D.N.Y. affirmed
Matthews v. Warner 600 (1884) Miller none none C.C.D. Mass. affirmed
Bond v. Dustin 604 (1884) Gray none none C.C.S.D. Ill. affirmed
Memphis & L.R.R.R. Co. v. Arkansas R.R. Comm'rs 609 (1884) Matthews none none Ark. affirmed
Union Metallic Cartridge Co. v. U.S. Cartridge Co. 624 (1884) Blatchford none none C.C.D. Mass. reversed
United States v. Great Falls Mfg. Co. 645 (1884) Harlan none none Ct. Cl. affirmed
Torrent Arms Lumber Co. v. Rodgers 659 (1884) Woods none none C.C.W.D. Mich. reversed
Town of Martinton v. Fairbanks 670 (1885) Woods none none C.C.N.D. Ill. affirmed
Streeper v. Victor Sewing-Mach. Co. 676 (1885) Blatchford none none Sup. Ct. Terr. Utah affirmed
Murphy v. Victor Sewing-Mach. Co. 688 (1885) Blatchford none none Sup. Ct. Terr. Utah affirmed
Whitney v. Morrow 693 (1885) Field none none Wis. affirmed
Knickerbocker Life Ins. Co. v. Pendleton 696 (1885) Bradley none none C.C.W.D. Tenn. reversed
Power v. Baker 710 (1884) Waite none none C.C.D. Minn. vacation of supersedeas denied
Scharff v. Levy 711 (1885) Waite none none C.C.E.D. Mo. affirmed
Halferty v. Wilmering 713 (1885) Matthews none none C.C.D. Iowa reversed
Mattoon v. McGrew 713 (1884) Waite none none Sup. Ct. D.C. reversed
Thayer v. Life Ass'n 717 (1885) Harlan none none C.C.D.W. Va. reversed
St. Paul & S.C.R.R. Co. v. Winona & S.P.R.R. Co. 720 (1885) Miller none none Minn. affirmed
St. Paul & D.R.R. Co. v. United States 733 (1885) Matthews none none Ct. Cl. affirmed
Peugh v. Porter 737 (1885) Matthews none none Sup. Ct. D.C. reversed

Notes and references[]

  1. ^ Lawson, Gary; Seidman, Guy (2001). "When Did the Constitution Become Law?". Notre Dame Law Review. 77: 1–37.
  2. ^ "Supreme Court Research Guide". Georgetown Law Library. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  3. ^ Rudolph C. Ryser (2012). Indigenous Nations and Modern States: The Political Emergence of Nations Challenging State Power. Routledge. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-415-80853-8. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  4. ^ Bryan H. Wildenthal (2003). Native American Sovereignty on Trial: A Handbook with Cases, Laws, and Documents. Santa Barbara, California, United States of America; Denver, Colorado, United States of America; Oxford, Englang, Great Britain: ABC-CLIO. p. 28. ISBN 1-57607-624-5. Retrieved June 10, 2020.

External links[]

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