# List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 112

This is a list of 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). 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:
| Justice | Office | Home State | Succeeded | Date confirmed by the Senate (Vote) | Tenure on Supreme Court |
| Morrison Waite | Chief Justice | Ohio | Salmon P. Chase | January 21, 1874 (63–0) | March 4, 1874 – March 23, 1888 (Died) |
| Samuel Freeman Miller | Associate Justice | Iowa | Peter Vivian Daniel | July 16, 1862 (Acclamation) | July 21, 1862 – October 13, 1890 (Died) |
| Stephen Johnson Field | Associate Justice | California | newly created seat | March 10, 1863 (Acclamation) | May 10, 1863 – December 1, 1897 (Retired) |
| Joseph P. Bradley | Associate Justice | New Jersey | newly created seat | March 21, 1870 (46–9) | March 23, 1870 – January 22, 1892 (Died) |
| John Marshall Harlan | Associate Justice | Kentucky | David Davis | November 29, 1877 (Acclamation) | December 10, 1877 – October 14, 1911 (Died) |
| William Burnham Woods | Associate Justice | Georgia | William Strong | December 21, 1880 (39–8) | January 5, 1881 – May 14, 1887 (Died) |
| Stanley Matthews | Associate Justice | Ohio | Noah Haynes Swayne | May 12, 1881 (24–23) | May 17, 1881 – March 22, 1889 (Died) |
| Horace Gray | Associate Justice | Massachusetts | Nathan Clifford | December 20, 1881 (51–5) | January 9, 1882 – September 15, 1902 (Died) |
| 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 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.
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
* "Ct. Cl." = United States Court of Claims
* 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 and year | Opinion of the Court | Concurring opinion(s) | Dissenting opinion(s) | Lower Court | Disposition |
| 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 et al. Ry. v. Mississippi ex rel. District Attorney | 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, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Company | 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. | certification |
| 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 County v. Burlington and Missouri River Railroad Company | 123 (1884) | Waite | none | none | Iowa | dismissed |
| 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 County v. Iowa Falls and Sioux City Railroad Company | 165 (1884) | Matthews | none | none | Iowa | affirmed |
| Ex parte Virginia Commissioners | 177 (1884) | Waite | none | none | original | mandamus denied |
| Ex parte Crouch | 178 (1884) | Waite | none | none | original | habeas corpus denied |
| Ex parte Royall | 181 (1884) | Waite | none | none | original | habeas corpus denied |
| Scotland County 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 Insurance Company 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 County v. United States ex rel. Moulton | 217 (1884) | Matthews | none | none | C.C.D. Kan. | affirmed |
| Bradstreet Company v. Higgins | 227 (1884) | Waite | none | none | C.C.W.D. Mo. | dismissed |
| 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 |
| Pugh v. Fairmount Gold and Silver Mining Company | 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 Mutual Life Insurance Company v. Union Trust Company | 250 (1884) | Harlan | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Grenada County v. Brogden | 261 (1884) | Harlan | none | none | N.D. Miss. | affirmed |
| Grame v. Mutual Assurance Company of Virginia | 273 (1884) | Waite | none | none | Va. | dismissed |
| Exchange National Bank v. Third National Bank | 276 (1884) | Blatchford | none | none | C.C.D.N.J. | reversed |
| Tradesman's National Bank v. Third National Bank | 293 (1884) | Blatchford | none | none | C.C.D.N.J. | reversed |
| Heidritter v. Elizabeth Oil Cloth Company | 294 (1884) | Matthews | none | none | C.C.D.N.J. | affirmed |
| East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railway Company v. Southern Telegraph Company | 306 (1884) | Waite | none | none | C.C.M.D. Ala. | dismissal denied |
| Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad Company v. Nashua and Lowell Railroad Company | 311 (1884) | Miller | none | none | C.C.D.N.H. | affirmed |
| Bates County v. Winters | 325 (1884) | Waite | none | none | C.C.W.D. Mo. | affirmed |
| Hart v. Pennsylvania Railroad Company | 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, Milwaukee and St. Paul Company 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 National Bank | 405 (1884) | Woods | none | none | C.C.D. Ind. | affirmed |
| Kansas Pacific Railway Company v. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company | 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 Township, New Jersey | 433 (1884) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.D.N.J. | reversed |
| Fortier v. New Orleans National 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 Insurance Company v. Albro Company | 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 and Little Rock Railroad Company v. Arkansas Railroad Commissioners | 609 (1884) | Matthews | none | none | Ark. | affirmed |
| Union Metallic Cartridge Company v. United States Cartridge Company | 624 (1884) | Blatchford | none | none | C.C.D. Mass. | reversed |
| United States v. Great Falls Manufacturing Company | 645 (1884) | Harlan | none | none | Ct. Cl. | affirmed |
| Torrent Arms Lumber Company 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 Machine Company | 676 (1885) | Blatchford | none | none | Sup. Ct. Terr. Utah | affirmed |
| Murphy v. Victor Sewing Machine Company | 688 (1885) | Blatchford | none | none | Sup. Ct. Terr. Utah | affirmed |
| Whitney v. Morrow | 693 (1885) | Field | none | none | Wis. | affirmed |
| Knickerbocker Life Insurance Company 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 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 Association of America | 717 (1885) | Harlan | none | none | C.C.D.W. Va. | reversed |
| St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad Company v. Winona and St. Peter Railroad Company | 720 (1885) | Miller | none | none | Minn. | affirmed |
| St. Paul and Duluth Railroad Company v. United States | 733 (1885) | Matthews | none | none | Ct. Cl. | affirmed |
| Peugh v. Porter | 737 (1885) | Matthews | none | none | Sup. Ct. D.C. | reversed |