United States v. Railroad Company

Decision Date01 October 1881
Citation105 U.S. 263,26 L.Ed. 1021
PartiesUNITED STATES v. RAILROAD COMPANY
CourtU.S. Supreme Court

ERROR to the Supreme Court of the Territory of Wyoming.

This was a suit in replevin, brought by the United States in one of the District Courts of the Territory of Wyoming, against the Union Pacific Railroad Company to recover the possession of certain goods intended for the Indian service. It was submitted on an agreed statement of facts, from which it appears that the goods belonged to the United States; that they were intended for the Indian service; that the United States had a contract with Dwight J. McCann for their transportation from New York to the White River Agency in Colorado; that they were put into his hands for transportation under his contract; that he agreed with the railroad company for their tranportation from Omaha to Rawlins; that the company carried them as a common carrier under this agreement to the place of destination, for which its proper charges were $496.86; that on their arrival at Rawlins they were stored in the company's warehouses for a long time; that for this storage the proper charge was $91.30; and that he had never paid any part of these charges.

On the 20th of November, 1877, the United States demanded the goods of the company, but a delivery was refused unless the charges were paid, the company claiming the right to hold the goods under a carrier's lien. The United States thereupon replevied them without having first paid the charges. The only controversy was as to the lien, and it was agreed that if, upon the facts, the court should be of opinion the company had a lien, judgment should be entered in its favor and against the United States for the amount of the charges. If, however, it should be decided there was no lien, judgment was to be entered against the company. The court decided there was a lien, and gave judgment against the United States for $588.16, which was affirmed by the Supreme Court of the Territory. To review that judgment this writ of error was brought.

The Solicitor-General for the United States.

Mr. Samuel Shellabarger and Mr. Jeremiah M. Wilson, contra.

MR. CHIEF JUSTICE WAITE, after stating the case, delivered the opinion of the court.

Under the decision in Hecht v. Boughton (supra, p. 235), the case should have been brought here by appeal, and not by writ of error. There was no trial by a jury. But there is still another objection to our jurisdiction. Under sects. 702 and 1909 of the...

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12 cases
  • United States v. Choctaw, Okla. & Gulf R.R. Co.
    • United States
    • Oklahoma Supreme Court
    • 7 Septiembre 1895
    ... ... SEARCH, SAMUEL CLAY, WRIGHT CHRISTIAN, EDWARD J. KELLEY AND GEORGE A. OUTCELT v. THE CHOCTAW, OKLAHOMA & GULF RAILROAD COMPANY, a Corporation, GEORGE S. GOOD AND GEORGE S. GOOD & COMPANY, a Co-Partnership. Supreme Court of Oklahoma Decided: September 7, 1895 Error ... ...
  • State v. Marsh
    • United States
    • North Carolina Supreme Court
    • 20 Octubre 1903
    ...the same as those of the citizen, and it cannot have any superior advantages. Fink v. O'Neill, 106 U.S. 272, 27 L.Ed. 196; U.S. v. R. Co., 105 U.S. 263, 26 L.Ed. 1021; U.S. v. Thompson, 93 U.S. 586, 23 L.Ed. Carr v. U. S., 98 U.S. 433, 25 L.Ed. 209; Sibbald v. U. S., 12 Pet. 489, 9 L.Ed. 11......
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    • Oklahoma Supreme Court
    • 7 Septiembre 1895
    ...party, unless, indeed, exemption should be conceded to it upon the ground of sovereignty. U.S. v. Thompson, 93 U.S. 588; U.S. v. Union P. R. Co., 105 U.S. 263. such exemption is not relied upon in this case, since the liability here discussed has been provided against by the requirement mad......
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    • United States
    • Nevada Supreme Court
    • 20 Junio 1947
    ... ... F. Glanzmann, deceased, concerning the ownership of certain ... United States Savings bonds, wherein Una E. Stephens appealed ... from an ... ...
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