, 1869-11-20
TIE UNITED STATES SUPREME
COURT.
An important Maritime Dccts'nn-
.ahr validity of HkA1e Lien LAW

Decided.
Tns nE =. E.eS = s Msn.f! .,ss p ksas Sn:1 ss
na htis Gent7al H.rth- Appeal from tas Circuit
;ouIs & 81 Un,sea ssases Tor the EAsse1n Dis
vi Tnis Is Il 40 sppenl rru the Circuit Curt of the
jailed Ststes Icr the Eastern. District Of Mich
Fl. ,1oe, pss nled 10 this case BY Fraser against
he tug AID tue barge Erautlla Moore, for : col. |
l.,on with the brig General Worth, nt the heat Of
he Detroit 1e.tet. aoout o'clock On the norninR |
H1rds, enrolled and licensed At tne port
II Eunaln for the coastinR ,rale, aud Was ua |
port Of Ssgtnax. il the Safe Of M,caigan 70 The
part oi Eutaln, New forH; and hsd proceeded on
her way 70 1ne head Of tho ST. Ciatr River, shea
rent 10 lake her ts Lake EHe. The tug nsd win
her two toNs beside the or7g-tbe schooner Tel.
eGrash and the ntrge Tne scaooaer being tue
t1e third, md tas+ail tailed to The tug. When
the iow hsd reached the head Of the Detroit
h1!er, tho orig grounded % Peach Island fset;
a snort havker, came With her stem ura:n.t the
s'ern Of the brig with great violence, ding yerJ
Tue answer Of u. q. Kean, the owner Of the
tug. denies nost Of the alEtSattuns 10 tue llbel.
and chsr4es thai the bnG was run iot1 ~ The
bssGe witao1s t1y fault Or want OF SRA on the
also tnst hoeilant had any ten or claiG % Of
against the tug that could he enforced 10 = Cont
81 AaE,ratJ. TIE ansser Of 4. u: Do:y, lne
atEsed ht the neaa q tst DETROIT River, Ha.ca
raS about y O'Clock in the morning, it was yeEJ
darx md cloudy. With strc:,g hreez.; that 1ron4
tie Legttgeuce aud 1Gr arauce Of ,ne master aed
hands, the rug vAs half ulle Or u1'e o1t OF the
u&nAt cuufst III u1<ig1'lna At inst place, which
caused nc EIoandnR Of the brig; and that the
barge relnx toHed OF the direction Of the m4ster
Of 1ne trR Win thort hawee1, ann II beng dllk.
ARD s1ror G hteeze, ste wa. forced nEs.1st the
Ate1n Of The nf,g. doing whatever damage ocear-
seI.
A large a10unt Of evidence Waa taken on both
SIDES, All, among bthtE tttaEs. l. appeared that
the place Mnete nc eol.sioa oscafted "a; o. % sae
ptts etn ene Province ana tne G.tted S1stea;
and, asa. that 1nere VAS no :AT u Canada
~1tso{ te9 svsa II es;s o. s1sa
the argnMens Of counsel and const1 aratlon Of
inc Corts, g .c:ee xas ENTERED d.s.ntsElnE the
nel - to Ise nstss nrn a. sasalatnS + asznss
Was an'tne Cd. fhc case u r"v peiofe Us on
npp+ni fzom sits decree n. .qae4slcn Of
ncrta upon the ? oets IS briefly urssd oy lne coan.
re fully copcCr 1t h tre eorc'H.t0ns Of the coIfts
below: We os'lt e1aI1re the questions 81
isw Tne s,nsir, u nc rnc as 5sa,ea H. nJ ne
lhe Province Of taratiss the pIace Wacfc the toEs
wss eornt'!tts, That stfea !ten upon the vessel
fe5 tes a.s S,ys a. ssa tosee -
Il liz il 1tsas ID ,he shsna-5us IN =, nnA not
M {ax e of ne rise. vaeEs tne aNessI Hsat oeeasteI
,easned eeaAse. nss p!a:sa Ills caita u leyessa
(. 'ss I'D ne uceaa
NtT.. s,s]. AID the seyerA cases following Y
! H.nc r., Trevor e Wall. 4s.}.
The leading ca.e oblIt. rated the limit that at
sAtn PREVIOUSLY sdepted and snsaseed IN The iotis
dictton IN admiralty, 10 tide-9ateTs; aad nelI
l shAf, NEcCfdluc to the IHue CuTstfuC1lul Qt H.
erant IN thc constitution. It extended to all pub
M ss or *sssts so TIE ea:f 5aee
esidtnt fnat q aenniaon lot The grant in -
,uss u as souny e :, as rser as Z
rriy inadm1Jsihfe Ne have thousands OF nile
Of pubic nss!gaae wa'ers ,ncluding lakes ~
inerc cau oc 70 rea.on for atm,'a.t, povsr over
pullte ttde.wat~t, Whtc1 does not npply xt:h equs
icrcc 10 any osber public Tatets used for CON ue
th< 9aie1s eonnettt.9 sh<m. be observes. are =,
! deuMcoiy pubic va ess, and, We think. arc With
The eraur OF admiralty sn9 maritime luttsdlrti1
Ia tie EoHstliutlon Of the United States
II fellows, II necessary ,consequence OF III
Interpretation Of the srant IN Thai tnstsutoen
tnas tLe District tcurt, upon whom The ndm!r.
illclary act .! 1.s9, can take .coK1ixArce Of y
civii cauecs OF adm:ralfy Jurisdiction upon Il
lake, and wateEa connecting tneD, tbs ssne
fruc ine tes- Thcte wntcr4 ia! w,ttin The san
category, ard asr subject to sbe zane junsi'cslo
nrI hence the circumstance that portion Of the
lie within the limits pt ah9tbet aoyetet9hsy coz.
tules Eo objection to tie exercise nf this pOHe
Itefore the limit ot tscc-water waA removed
= the judgment In the case The Gcnesee ChIs
this jurisdiction was consiant!y Exercised
catth OF fnarLc tcra upon t'e high seas. oa5
ald rayess In which the tide ehntd and nowe
= occufr'nR IL any Enr1 Of the word, knd IN respe
to which An Amrrcan thip vas caacctntl; au
tlncc that tn,tGment, occurring np0n ang nny
pa'1t 1i,ti al TAI Is nasisase. Irrespective ot
I a!ueeth recent sc,A Of Parliament, Ia Eaglau
4 removing The ar Gent rrstr1ctioas By tho comm
I iaw courts upoa the Admiralty IaEt,dictlaa,
1rcms to t.c exercised u freely aau hr.,aI!J as
ctleiop on the srsat fIol'Hul t'ausi III 1851 Il
= exception was taetn To that lu1lhltct!ou funad
: issios. /, iasa,nsse1.s i. i. ssa, " ia !
r case Of The Courier, WHICH Wa, coii.lun % |
!. Nto Gfante. 10 Iose'gn wAtcst. Up :!t.> AMI :
u 1t IL thsalctl. however, that, II tic court y
tAke jarisdctjon Tor q col ,t.7n occurtiux on +,
l. esxn ~tteEs. ahd wttu!n .ot.!Sn territory. i
!, sost,n; and hence. tse law Of Ciusas IL
u psrrtnt CuEc; ntld sal:th tt al e. Couuny II
ox + ~ ccisSn Il, sss sa,c ossa
q IN ihe pe7s vi Liverpool, wh''e ths yesss' ot
defe.tapt Was coming out Ths dsitndant aet
IN dettnee thst ~ Tho sts1nte os taa NV " y
Il. OF hts ship Liverpool pliUt, which hc aias !
d thc waa c1c!uslsciy III lsa charge ~hen
=, -, accident occurred: and thu, this INV
q the o~nsE ard Haslet Of thu res9ei:.
ihss nas sgrrtd TO b! TIE court, and
~ | ri,eA 10 the catn, sne Caief Justteo giving
i ONlAInn, AL vessels erieftpg Into, or depart
"a ifon, donessio os 1oto,en port AZ. oouns
In ohc1 the lams A,,.l vel luosn uxascs Of the =
q arr! att subject 70 Aettn!u aud penalties ior q
pa tedelcc: ART. wien tul'nitsin. t. tntaa. 1hay
" entiile4l to ali 1ne prOfcclitn which taty sff'
The laluc quet''on ~ recently before Do'
- ItkttnpI6n iu tbr Case oI eo.1s1nn between
nm | The tane rn!t, and The American Eh'p waa
. !. charged on the ufuur.i as in the Gaze sooso Ct
y" Il LushtHrfar, T.. 2e''. Tntst afe cxreptlons
OF inc uIai Of Iho roi,l-tDn ID qncssInn. It vast
ht thcra, A. II thnnH hare fccn tried. aecos11fnt
te~ tFycslr- and PHI: cir1ca of The tnorts Of
u, ritaty III this ctuntss. wholly irrespective Of
vi An ii lsct,on I. Afro taken ,nst the case 7as
ed brought w!tnia 'hr requirements OF thr act
s 1si 20 A. to give tho district cnurta jnrri!ctif
"e that !f. IT as pot Ah0sn taas the Fts>es4 Fct
1tebui,1eu OF twcDty sots and upwarta: or fur
Ct, and l,ctnsed Tor the caasuns srAtc, o. :rpo!
10 ! as tho 1iIrr, tB the nustuess OF conDtfce
.ze nastRa'ioa between ports aud Places IN d'ae
ad- Tncst facts were suettant1alty set rcrth tn
% i.nei, and The oesEer dill not set up any are
ID on}ec..en On tbia 8rousd, tloe~ tt %een tn
"a. t.sn iak+n by thr resP1nl!rEfA u all tn the
IA, 4resR Of the TRIAL below. TIE onFet'on. We 10
THIS .si Of 1s.s Is T. s, 81, r. 7se. a. Is ~
ens from sever!l q tue caAet b+lure the pis
~, has oeca%ipned coed deal Of ctnharra.* *nen
I'D administering Their aiE tralt! 1ar1.d'cslop,
L.. The iech:ou III thr catt or The Geotsee Chisf
/. Gr1,e cieaf under this tfechlort In the ah,
y OF thst acs the DittTics Coults konld POSSESS
ias ersl ]u.l-dctau IN admiralty oV@f thu szes.
ry. the waters conpecttnR taem; and hence, I
utd OF the &Aw than N ca-es upon the high sea-,
'aso or rivers m, !Eahle from The eea
,he us VA Eass,, ~ ~ e., VA!
,r, telt.ed to r. move ihts restriction upon the G.
.,eh as II respected the+s lales. md 20 exiena III
ny, r1sdtrtlon to 1htn.. thereby n maa'tE e..
sssa iln1t. The poket co5terfed ~ the aet, 10
fsfn ez, was rot that Of general alusratT 11rtslc
j Ia bur vas ll1iteti 10 enscs q "coEssaft aoa
Il o.her vessels, Of t@eoty tons harden an'
.lto wa,d, ehroltd and lcensetl for the cossiltg
mrs @ merce ard raytanijnn between poEt- aoA psat
Ily.!i ull1e1eIs Ststea." The better 6rlrtoo, we
Il, ,nat thr act does not embrace. hus ns:ces:
H'' Of cnuuact or tori, ntt The vessels encus
g IN nak,nE The seizure. Is psszc Of star. Hhic:
the snp- Of The nas5} or pttraseets. ste not em2I
:" nastcatfon. We ta,nk It also matter Of
: toutt II the tct coniefs JosfsdIci'on fn CAS-
was fs.eASs. 1tttitor. or general average. ihts
EN- nsnl commentators on tue euhtert e. $
Eli. Jnr,k., Sea- la0: Rent Com, p e4f
II, sa:.a5n ~ "a a. @s;; 9
wLtshss, since the dec,tlot4 OF the tieoesee
which orens The lakes and the wa'ess come
aeed ! them 10 re general jurisdiction OF tne II
o,. Cou,,s In admiralty. they can entertain this
P'@ dtcuan Ia c&Aes out-i1e Of thAt conferrtd b
act: II The Affirmative OF Ibis question
oion le .ueta,s CT. although tue sGssel *oud ne
ceru- l"!1t.d aa1 inconE1.ous yet i would, IN I.
nent sor. " ~ osa I,.tt, ~ ~ NM az nn,ri ~ ~
,ooEs ,in.yrs o. ;nts Cart Al eInrxs4ed IL !,
1-uss c.trs. tapprh the question has nrye1 heea
b III. y before The Court for aeettiou, are that
I'd An snlu.1 ~ iepstne'. ~ =. ~. =
and Irqnrr.,est h1 me Cnsf Jnstce tn tho cass
~Atd ] ErrC.ee Chiet. auc. has bet q followed By
nd TO jEkI'ceB 10 til. CAur1, Hho nave had pccza
C re- t3nss ~ on5 oplHHu ~ ny =, ~ !es[ La. ~
guard sr !, ~ s.an A., erendtnr Ina iartsdsrtton
ID the Distc. Courts 10 crr1atu casea cpon tbs lat
les It. nay1s abe waiegs conneciltE Z the saGra,'