The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-31
WORK OF THE BIG COURT.
CASES STILL PILING UP ON ITS
DOCKET.

The Interstate Commerce Act the
Basis for g Large Number Of Suits.
Hard Work by the Judges During
the Term Just Closed-rhe Most
Important Decisions.
WASHINGTON, May 30.-The most strik-
ing feature of the work Of the supreme
court of the United States ducing the term
ended last Friday was the large number and
variety of cases involving construction Of
the interstate commerce clause OF the fed
eral constitution. Another feature was the
large and increasing number of habeas
corpus cases before the court. Indeed,
this latter class of cases came before
the court with such frequency that Justice
Miller, in an opinion on one of the last days
of the term, was moved to remark with dry
sarcasm that the case was another case of
the frequent instances of late in which it
was sought on all sorts of pretexts to make
the supreme court pass upon every motion
for writ Of habeas corpus that could be
devised by counsel.
GOOD RECORD MADE.
The work Of the court during the term
shows an increase in the number of cases
QlSDOoSu VI do COlnpdfeu WIG0 previous
terms, though the court still leaves the
docket little more in arrears than it was
the term before The opinions delivered
during the term have been of more than
usual general Importance, and many of
them will hereafter be weighty authorities
in future litigation.
THE APPELLATE DOCKET.
The appellate docket of the court at the
close of the term exhibits an increase of
thirty-one cases in the number left undis-
posed of, as compared with the docket at
the close of the previous term. at the
close of the October term, in 1883, there
remained undisposed of on the appellate
docket LAG cases. There were docketed
during the 1899 term 4S9 cases. making the
total number of cases before the court 1 ,635.
of which 400 were disposed Of, or forty
three more than during the previous term.
In addition to this number there were
eleven cases on the original docket disposed
of, or five more than at the 1883 term.
CASES THAT GO OVER.
Eighteen cases which have been argued
or submitted to the court by counsel po
over until the next term without decisions.
Not more than dozen opinions, however,
will be necessary to dispose of all these
cases under ADJUSTMENT, as in several in
stances two or more cases viii be decided by
OAC ODAA4AOhs
THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS.
The most important cases decided during
the term are as follows: The Iowa original
package suit, the Granger railroad commits
sion cases from Minnesota, the dressed beef
cases from the same state, the Mormon
church suit, the Virginia coupon cases. the
North Carolina and Louisiana bond cases
involving the right of citizen to sue his
own state, the Pennsylvania case involvin Z
the right of property owners to consequent
tial damages, several other suits involving
the question Of the validity of state license
and tax laws, in which the principal ques-
ton was as to whether or not there were
interferences with interstate commerce
ana the Neagle, Meadly and Kemmler
habeas corpus cases.
The most important cases which go over
undecided until the next term are the suits
over the Pennsylvania and Kansas laws
taxing the Pullman Palace Car Company,
over the Kentucky statute taxing express
companies and three important mining
suits from Colorado.