, 1870-02-10
THE uRITED STATES SUPREME
COURT.
r-r,atou On the LeGnl.Tcuacr Act
rontrnctp Made Hetnrc the PAAssEo
.t .ha Act CAnH0a be Dtscn2Fked
4. 1tnkfed Esa LEE N1te1.

as ~. ii T. tpe safe OF Kea:ucsy. tn. Question a
,;ttetteo for ONT etsstm'nenos o1 aae teeeta 70 =
~ = nt, rrde pejore sns e3:n Ct P1orasty. 1sta.
= ubi.atd b. law 10 ac-eot u psymeDt bult-d I
5;ses nons saaai IL Ssn.aA 4asn fesdefed d. ., ase
= II e1 Of otne. parsJ oauaa 10 payit Ard iois
!, d ues IN tna nfkt Plaee, conoMEe .oa q taas
,.s.s rs,,sd on that day. wnieh declares tho
Gui1ea 51A7es nntes. the ISSUE Of wael xaA -
I1c1zed y tho stsuse, 20 20 a.e1u !. in & pa
nrrh: i" AND Aucn no'ex hefeia authorised snail I
10 rece,1sbs II ps,nsat s. ~ ssxe. .1:s1sa;
cntsss, Haene ae1 ss.iea u cxceet daasa o. in.
nnT,s ard demands against toe United ate+ OF
eve1J krd VtaIeser. s1ceps Il isnstss ';s = npsa
81 81 co,n: m1as I'd .aaN s.o " Isatu moae5 aaa
= Maal tet DIR tn pssuett df ~ d:ot4 p1-lo
~ n n1rts la ,ntere,: ii atoressd' III u !.
s1atuttr, 3&:}, TITS c'a1fc has altetd5 recetEed
much can.icerttoo acre, ana snls corr nsa
tsxts ~ "a possd By State lextlA,1on Gaae Coon51
ID ofertu, : Wallace. ~. Lor de laod. npoa
eSruars vn,ea svea a:e II I'll, 's1ms tas s1...y
Hrar-. W.raes, go; Hu Ter agt Htrtwtz.7
Wallace, sss. are 1rcludek, By iee,s ause insen:.
s:ou. uLd.t tne DESCRIPTION OF deatA public and
WHAT IS 70 II pzapEn-coN "a ccRRRxcr.
We arr to" 10 cetstnt = aethe1 ta1s otrcnp-
tcp IL bEeces centa con;tsclen before as eel Al |
atlcf The ate OF toe Rst II Is al ea1Ao seen r1le
fcr 1te ro.t.iuc'ttn OF sta'u'es ,hst tne lsrms |
pr,DtnTE0
Il 1sItte l1tor wl.n CO. t,c;s with she ncttoRi. |
ecgt pIlr ep II ot jn.t,ce att equal1y, II Ant. -r
stpse cor saIa.t Nth tb9se ttpctDlr". rAa TIE |
spt !L!4nt l. clear, except III the sca1css9 eup.
col csae Whefe \ s'4tufe sets II DAcant the
pa,pstt I1eeepa Of osa!lt5 aad sostal oos s':ou.
atcs.tatneu icxtsiatlte Interest II 70, rep ,snans
to the Ilrdac ehisl law ath ofdAred tn sre con.
stu;t1n hp2itM ses rnss tas. asated =, TO- tas act
1ca1op Tor eocs'r1suE the sosl "deos1" u hsvtne
reftrLce oily TO dep1 cotuac1ed su5seq1eE. 10
siop 1ns1 sEe i Cni.ee states Eo,es I ues M sns act
mases nlegal tender IN payment ARE eseent!sl1J
u.lke n La'e5s' and L. being irredeena5:e Len u coa @
uoley in,trdst nJ sa;tes to contracts rof the
psyueEi Q: Eeney nads before IL pAAaaze.
III ,r ttass in pa,mens 1 saa aes q!
sola sad silTer COM. Tao a1rsoc, il use
Ut Der tue act and declared by IL teIua 10 be
lnvtal money nd lte.l tender eoastt. Of notes
| p.frd II conTen,eat form tor circulation, aud
ssIs
1alue cetetn md By tho weight ana nneueai Ct
lie Ee:u1; the l.tiCr have no tnss1os'e vaoe, but
e,tulstion. b genera cansenl to iis currency IN
pa,u.er'f, snd by oatnlan al to tha psuaa-
Ct tn se1s,a oo
| yslue ficn1 their adaptation to ruenauon bY inc
iorm apo tnpres, gtven 10 them utd:f paIouA
autnoTtJ, aEn from the ac1 msklnz them respsc.
| uyely LEGAL tender. EQuuactA fer the PAT utnl
Ct nor e. Before dc act Of 1862 had rerestnee to
coll ed mouey, sna could not be d1s:as'Red, unles@
que It. colt. Ezc55 such ca:trac', tEcEtforc, wAs.
tr legal iEpo1f, centracs for tae pA1nsnt OF
| ccE. . .....--..-
There Ia welttntWn Law OF cc1re1cy. faat
| 1ofts Ct ptoEtea 10 pay, erless made colFea.
WIZ wi Il tia aoIdsr, ean neter. creep: under -.
uspsl end abnormal conditions, b. At par n ctr
crIst:on with cotn. II u ~ eq7ally ven .kEo 20
cl;ut11tion oi conaaetc: 70 the ao.'tI OF dispo.
iSn o.s ss E sFs ssts s 3 tsPpss sssaoo 1e
eE.pge ns;e.ialls the eper.uors ot these laws
I' o5se e. ssd sss sss'd z ~
March, lsse they sulk tn Jaly 1set. to thc rae 9
ce1t steo il raner tccane equal TO go:d collar
A1mi,t rg, tnep, tha. prior cooarasts ME wlln:i
set t i % @srssstcd by sse constitution. it fo1o =
I that II: holder OF prout1>hozJ note Hate te'ot
The sIs 2 "a e nass
' tie parties, ID con, vas required when deprec
! Aron ,tacned lts lo'est goint. to neeep: IN p,
cop dolIars due under the cortrac,, he cou 4 kav
p11ch.seo, on that d., SO sucn dollars. ETes
Q pssn=1 sstce the ps.ssge Of TIE act Of sto;
a uftYrltcr lsfr, ht3 presented similar though lei
!, s.1ik.rg fcstuIee. Now, Il ccsasn!J ueeds Io Al
= | guneni 10 prove that an act conpeliir
aerep:snee n ast.iacion Of a.! other tn.n etips
>, lie co.trsct ago iDpsirs ia obligation, an
E, that ths ex.ert Of Impairment s ID proporuoa :
cecstrasrt at tie la~ to the pasuent due uud.
" tic COL uRcs Ncr dccst: need argument - prov
1ha: tic prec'ical operation Of luca Al &C: : CO..
II tIerY 10 tust1ce and equas1ry. II follows that
-, construction HhIcn atttloutss such practical o.
e1st en- 10 80 set ot CobRress u to DC favored.
" erei'ed W.sn " the manifest Intent cf tie Leslsi
d tue.
WAT thet. is lhxL msnliest 1ntent7 Are wa
o1 1fbtrl3, ppos taE AID IeatorBbe construction
N the act, TO Ea5 that Congress meant tnas Il
ut rGtd dseis 9ted d n t1e r. r. sooaa nes 1c4
~ ~ catc Ct Bronson aaL RotcA We thought ourscls
OF w11Ean,ed 10 ho1dng Mat thu rosd es<d 10 I!
!" express contract for the taErep: OF 60
.rs5 sosas5 soseaaop eoi Iss,c. Pr baref. 1
OF maibl5 On tps terms Of the act which not or
IT, allow, .nE require payments II CON b nt 10 .
Eoveinnsni. ana naJ ps iairly considered ind
=. Of cort1sCss tor the delisefJ Of spec,u.d Ariel
- as iAt ctoctna .ptcizi Rli.ste contracts fot i
paIMeat = n nc EMF nio9o
~ ever, dott rot Apply to the na.tef 1oE before
.n ieoSs 10 sry dla. reIce II ia operations on a1
Ia ent descriptions Of dsn's pal abs gntelatly
H. money, that ~ to ss7, in doilata y
hps,1 ffsase tqual1 =. aes. act spee;sJ s.pfs.s Ss
no "a he pay anls u Eod G. c. slSsI Ehc:oer at!a;
M nrder such contracts AID 70 b come tiae 1t
ae tuIe Jas, or srls:ug and becoming due under q,
a ION indeed woaid, u. sueaes,ea by Nj. Jas
20 story. IN tcfptcs 10 the same Eofd uaed in
&. g ssa % : "a bs
o. this construction cannot be aceepted, oecaase
fas limitations sanctioned bJ It caurot ee 7
Of o@sa :, *ss IT, a k ss9 eoSclu,
:" asslns: ary i.tesrteianors Ehtch will
sS9E asss 1,sus Y from z ,s
he toc nee. Ct ,te 1eeht1endes c:sase. RI exc
leat .clipfon Ct dtb'e, Whenever cen,rscted,
the ba WITHDRAWN Isom tic sfeci Of The Let II
Of iLsotea within t.,,,a. ,ss ss,ns e nc tsA.os:
~. the dtrates 10 which the ect gave oe:-slol
.as, ssret.etees cllate cld cor apply Il ials 10
br uEeis ntal- tc:nIe as 10 contracts tn.ae Aitel
I've. Ne do ID, in,rk ourselves ii liberty, ii
atS tore 10 sby tpat Cox arehs DID rot Intend 10 u
nc. The no,ea aulboi,zed by itxleeAi tenser 10
; as mete ot dtots eunuscltd before The passage
Ras 1ux QUESTION Or coss7l7r11oxAItrz.
'!to We a1e tnus bIouen1 10 1Et qut sion whe
ked Cot grras has po7er TO uhke noses la:utd IL
aed III sutEor,'y u lssa! teIuer III paJ ment D.: d.
~, | wn.ct, when contracted, were payable IA
n ana sse, ee IT, 6esieae5 aaa g. 'n1poa1 NJ re-
tsl5. nent. Thls TOUT alka5s apploaeaes the c:1
,red GRAFTON Of questions o! thls uatare Eeuc Al
IN ara rs eersnrt xult Of decision Eas te=r, al
ma that acts oI cocerets rnast tx regarded &C,
ee'' ,nI1tral un!e-B c cttly s-okn 10 re other
me. HEt The CONSTITUTION u Lie .uttaMeutAl Law
D,t. government, dens q III powers. prescribed
l'uitf. dtstttsu:ed them 7uo:c 1ne dreteLt
,, rattEen1f. and directed u general re 1uAnft
:aa- mtnt nss snI other po.sr. !haa tooss decs
&c. toit y tse peo:is ~ TIE lssslaaEs p
'..oo bnt II has 20 tgtsause 20 er u h1ch Is not
hes grantee; ana the *&1cc Observation Il equally
a: 4; s21sse2 s2,a:ea 'ss
mar ia sNc,cc. 10: IN source or IN limitations gTh.
in u st.us. 1sA sne fuecuoa os tas Judiciary Y
At he .r:;,et esd tpp. The Az ses1eea parties =
1fooes ne
'oah ocr.artd- But in atcert,inng the reapsc I've
htse Of ra1ses T. TT GUT nssJ ntcorta 10
, mud :uA the co-ttitauop, ior tae1e csa oe no LII
ctoo eotshseEt rt.a -, s - n1Iaraeeo
e,poo ine sutncr:1y coSfer7ed b. il
euu. create coNEsuors CT eo11er r.abte. for such
.1of there worfs: " TITS constitution and The Ia
b fe- sns.scr iherrti atd aE ttta:ieg made or '
pro- scall ee msde crcer tie an:nor1u OF tie c
for states tnar ts ne tnptsus 4 4 : 70 Of @ tae tsnd 2
~ ~ sp,tnrre IN Ire construction Ct !a*
Z tAs wheat c:te.' Slt ersr5 aet r1 cotQfess,
,e!oz. I Is 10 te rratced - The EupteNe nK u ne
trz ,srer eserE act CT C.c*ress tnat tae J:
sIe tcrct. TETS er1sasteE acd tns force te.o
such res - re rsae IA ru1sasEce Of the q
1da. ia:ior, Wbce, Ac,e.oIe, case ar1sts 5os j1
tc.stu.pa ION II t tue dtcts!cu drpends on =
iestc .nt OF tl.tercJ Of legislative pro!siou
TIC 1.ldAuettA .A*, II "a tho tI1tu datI
Cpuft 10 teEp4se the act stTh tie c1n*t:l
+, nd zld il VI fosnez eannet. ueon = tais coz,
'aeu In.. b. .eeoacLsd WI tns 3 istist, 70 ere
'Ac:oc oHTs 81 s;s'n ma : IL irncss.sfs .
arnea ne..tr 81 sfcuEeut: Il 1t he q
H. had ! Xtat zee eon.t;tutica Is no; the Eop