Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-05-21
THE SUPREME COURT,
What 1t has accomplished in the Tern;
Just Ended.

AS'eteCco'
A review of the business transacted
by the supreme court Of the United
States during the term just ended.
shows that the court considered since
last October two hundred and ninety
three cases, in addition to twenty-nine
passed and continued and six ordered
for reargument. One hundred and sew
enty six Of the cases brought before it
were argued orally and one hundred
and seventeen submitted upon printed
briefs.
The number of cases finally disposed
of, including those brought over pend
ing decision from the previous term, is
three hundred and seventy-nine. In two
hundred and one Of these cases the
decisions of the lower courts were af-
firmed and in seventy-nine reversed,
the remainder having been docketed
and dismissed or settled by agree
ment between the contending
parties. 1t thus appears that
two cases out of every five actually de-
cided have resulted in the reversal Of
the judgments Of the courts below.
The number of cases on the docket
has been steadily increasing every year
since 1910, until it has reached, includ-
ing the cases considered this term,
1850. The court is now more than
three years behind in its business, but
tt is hoped that the operations of the
new law limiting appeals to cases in
volving $1,000 Or more, instead of
s., 900, as heretofore, will relieve the
hard worked justices to some extent, and
TO
stantly accommodating appeals.
An analysis of the docket for the
present term shows that Of the ], $50
cases decided and pending, one-half
come from the five states of New York.
Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri and
Pennsylvania, the District Of Co.
| lumbia and court of claims. New
York heads the list with 146 cases, fol-
lowed by Illinois with Sc; the District of
Columbia. so; Louisiana, IS; Missouri,
Is; Pennsylvania, Sc, and the court of
claims, SO. Every state and territory
in the union IS represented by at least
one case with the single exception of
Delaware. An examination into the per-
sonality of the litigants shows that in
ninety-one Of the three hundred and sew
enty-nine cases disposed of this term the
United States was party. and that one
hundred AND eighty-three involved rail
roads, states, municipalities and other
corporations. leaving only one hundred
and five cases in which the contending
parties were private individuals.
Among the salient features Of the bust
ness of the term is a large number Of
municipal bond cases considered and
decided. Twenty-four cities, counties
and towns seeking to avoid the payment
of obligations have brought their cases
by appeal to this court Of last resort.
In twenty-three instances out Of the
twenty-four the court has held that the
bonds must be paid Of these twenty
four cases, all but four came from Hi
nois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa
and Louisiana.
A comparison of the work accom-
plished this term with that of last shows
a decrease of tbirty-two in the number
of cases finally declared from the
docket. The number of opinions de-
livered, however. is about the same.
The court is DOW seventy-two cases
further behind in its work than it was
at the close Of the October term of
1077.-Chicago Times Telegram May s.