Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-04-14
EASTERN NEWS.
y FsLEsRAYH TO ZEE Posr-us7urt.z...

| CHICAGO. April I3.-In the shssres %
any definite news from London 81 -
ne Russian Afghan situation. xbaat
zen Gu from It's highest point about IsI
unoef Tree selling, bat there was strong
uuylnR 70 the close. and the market !
Els - higher than YESTERDAY. al
GA cash, and sgss account.
The Fish Case,
| NV YORK, April I3.-Tbe eopnsel o.,
JaInss ID. Fish. the convicted sx-prss5-
dent OF the Marine Bank. aunlisd =,
Judge Bensdiet in the Uuitsa Sta.ss
| circuit Court today to have their alien, /
admitted to sail. The Court refnsa5 q /
grant the motion. Tee counsel will re- !
new the motion before the Court in /
oane in May next.
Wants 10 Retire.
"AsaIxeToS, April I3.-Jadse An
dreV nylle, OF the United States So |
bls, notified the President that be de. /
sires 20 be placed upon the retired |
Justice Wylie is II years Of age.
Appointments.
The President made the folIovino an
p0intments today: To be eopsaIs Of /
the United States-Charles T. X 1ssslI. |
OF Connecticut, To Liverpool, England
A. HALTER Gross, OF Pennsylvania, at
Atnens, Greece; WD. W. Long, of |
Texas, at Hamburg. Germany Hy
NignAux, of Louisiana, Secretary az |
Legation of the United States at Paris
Augustus Jaw, of New York, Second l
Secretary of Legation at Paris.
A Family Decision.
WAsHISGroS, April ia decision
was rendered by the Supreme Court of
the United states today in the case of
FRANCIS Dodge ct al, appellants, against
IhoDas Knowles, which presents the
question OF the liability Of a married
woman for certain debts contracted by
her husband, nominslly as her trustee,
The court holds that neither liability
for provisions Supplied al the dwelling
house where tbs husband and wife and
their children are living together, for a
Promlssory note given by the husband,
describing himself as trustee for his
wife, IN payment for such supplies, can
se charged in equity upon the wife's
separate estate without clear proof that
she contracted the debt in her own be-
half, or intended to bind ner separate
estate for its payment. The decree of
the court below is reversed. and the case
remanded with directions TO dismiss the
bill. The opinion ia by Justice Gray.
Our Marines VIII Return.
WASHINGTON. April 13.-Admiral Jou-
cit telegraphed to Secretary Whitney
today from Colon as follows: The sit
nation on the isthmus is unchanged
Trans run across regularly without
molestation." Ii is the general opinion
of officers on duty in the Navy Depart
meDt that the marines who were recent
ly sent frem New York will leave Aspin-
wall on their return home within two
weeks. The oEficers apprehend no
further trouble, and say it is useless TO
keep 80 large force on the isthmus,
unlt IS the rebels show signs of continu
ing their devastations. Should the ma
rines retarn Admiral Jouett will still
have force Of about 600 men to pro-
;et Americans and American inter
ests.
An Interstate Commerce Decision.
WASHINGTON, April ia decision
was rendered by the Supreme Court to- I
day in the tax case of the Gloucester J
Ferry Company, plaintiff 10 error, |
against the Commonwealth of Penn
sylvania, in error, to the Supreme Court
Of that State. This ssit was begun
originally in the Court Of Pleas of ,
Philadelphia, for the purpose of recov-
ering froH the Cary Ferry Company ,
New jersey corporatiog-the amount
of certain taxes levied upon its capital
stock by virtue of an act of the Legis- |
lature of Pennsylvania entitled "Au
act to provide revenue by taxation"
passed June 7. 1879. The Coort of
Common Pleas held that taxes could
not be lawfully levied, because the
ferry company carried on no business
IN Pennsylvania, except the landing
and receiving of passen9ersend freight, |
which is part of the commerce of the
country, and is protected by the cossti
tuition from the imposition of burdens
by State legislation. Ii therefore gave
Judgment in favor of the company.
The case was carried, on a writ of error, |
to the Supreme Court of the State,
where the Judgment WAS reversed. and
Il Is now brought here for final review.
This Court, in a long and elaborate
opinion by Justice Field, holds that re-
esivinR and landing passengers and
freight is incident to their trAnsporta-
ton, without which there could be no
such thing a. their transportation
across the river Delaware. The trans
portation as to passengers is not CON-
plete until they are disembarked at the
pier of the city to which they are ear
RED, and as TO freight, until
il is landed upon such pier.
All restraints By exsetions in the {
form of taxes upon snch transportation
or upon acts necessary to its compile !
ton are so many invasious Of the OK
elusive power of Congress TO regulate Z
that portion OF commerce between the !
States. How the conflicting legislation I
Of two States on the subject of ferrys |
on waters dividing them ~ TO be met I
aud treated is not question before this
court for consideration. Pennsylvania Z
has never attempted TO exercise her
power of establishing and regulating /
ferries across the Delaware river. Any ,
one, so far AS her Law is concerned, is
free to establish such ferries. as be may {
chooee, She merely exercises the right /
to designate the places of landing, as
she does the PLACES of landing for all /
vessels engaged in commerce. The I
question, therefore, respecting the tax
in the present case 10 not complicated ,
by any action of that State concerning
ferries. However great her power. no /
legislation on her part can impose taxi [
on that portion OF her inter State eom-
uerce which IL involved in the trans
portation of eersous and freight, what
ever be the instrumentality by which u
is carried on. Ii follows that upon
the case stated the tax imposed
on the ferry company was illegal and
void. Judgment Of the Supreme Court
of Pennsylvania Is reversed, and the
cause remanded for further proceedings
in conformity with this opinion. 1he
Chief Justice notified the bar thai the
court will adjourn for the term Of May
f,h, and will hear no argu .nents after
April 24th.
Gen. Grant.
NEW YoKk, April Ex-senator Chaffse
left the house At 9:l5 a. M He stated
that the disease Was spreading. The
Senator was with Gen. Grant an hour.
| There was some pain. this morning AZ
tending the taking Of food. The c noer
in the THREAT was spreading. The Gen
eral seemed no weaker than yester isy,
and daring the Senator'S call the patient
couehed once. and then the expectora-
ton Of mucus was accomplished With
| out difficulty. So long as she General
vas nsufished nov the Senator believed
that he woald survive until the gradual