The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-05
OTHER DECISIONS.
Long List of Important Rulings by
the Sunreme Court.

Long List of Important Rulings by
the Supreme Court.
WASHINGTON, March 4.--The Supreme
Court met to-day, after a recess of four
weeks, with all the justices except Mr..
Jackson in attendance. A long list OF opin-
ions was disposed of rapidly. Many of
them decided cases OF great Importance.
The interesting question whether the con-
viction of person by means of decoy let
ter is legal was passed on in the case of
one Grim convicted in Missouri for dealing
in obscene pictures He answered letter
from a postoffice inspector which resulted
in his conviction, and he appealed, COM
planning against the means by which it was
secured. The court held that decoy letters
were both morally and legally justifiable.
The validity of the Louisiana act of 1888,
providing for inspection of coal and coke
by gaugers was sustained by Justice Field
in an opinion in the case of the Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania and Southern Coal Company
against the State of Louisiana The Penn
sylvania corporation claimed that the law
violated the provision of the Constitution
on the tariffs on commerce between the
States, but the court held that the point
was not well taken. and that the law was
but proper regulation for oversight of the
coal and coke boats of the Mississippi riyer,
and, therefore, sustained the Circuit Court.
The decision of the Circuit Court for the
district of Massachusetts in the case of the
National Cash Register Company against
the Boston Cash Indicator and Record
Company was reversed, the opinion by Jus
tice Brown holding that the defendants
machine is an infringement upon the Ma
tional cash register.
An interesting constitutional question was
decided in the case of E. s. Emert against
he - r7,es f<,rs, sc
agent peddler of Singer sewing ma
chimes. 1t was sought to make him pay
peddler's license, which he resisted in or
der to test the law, contendng as the ma
chimes came from New Jersey the license
was restriction on the constitutional right
of interstate commerce. The court held
that. while the goods came from another
the local and domestic commerce. They
were no longer the subject of interstate
commerce but had been merged with the
mass of property within the State, so that
the occupation of selling them was properly
subject to State police regulations, and in
ton.
HREE-CENTS-A-MILE FARES.
The Arkansas law of 1887, limiting passen-
ger fares to cents mile and fixing
penalty of $500 for each overcharge, was
sustained. Several parties secured dam
ages against the st. Louis & San Fran
cisco Railroad Company for overcharge but
branch in question was operated as an as
signee of the st. Louis, Arkansas & Texas
Company. and that the law was in contra
vention of the latter corporations char
ter, with the additional interesting conten-
ticn that the act requires it to do business
of its property without compensation or the
process of law. The court, however ruled
the act of the Arkansas LEGISLATURE ap-
peared to be a legitimate expenditure of
power and that 1t had not been shown
to operate eo,n{ nnjusty thereby sustained the
In the case of the United States against
George III. Pratt and Monroe Salisbury,
|. ments made to them for carrying the mails,
the action of the court below in dismiss
ing the case was reversed.
The conviction of Harry Z. Bachelor
formerly president Of the Stock Growers
National Bank, of Miles City. Mont. for
embezzlement, by the Circuit Court for the
district Of Montana. was reversed on the
ground that the indictment was defective.
& Fort Smith Railroad Company against
the State of Missouri ex rel. Edwin CT.
Merriam was dismissed for want Of juris-
The case of Bannin & Mulkey against the
State of Oregon, the plaintiffs having been
convicted with twenty-five others of con-
spring to bring Chinese laborers into the
State contrary to the law, was decided. The
that the Indictment failed to aver M that the
act was feloniously done, but the court
the lover court in it's coavetion ona
The case of the Corinne AIill, cgnal and
Stock Company against William NJ: john
son involved lands in Utah within the gov
ernment grant Of 1862 to the Central Pa
cific railroad. The decision does not, how
ever, affect Pacific railroad lands in gem
eral, further than to hold that those claim
Ing title to them must show that they
eminent grant and are RE not ' Within 'h the sx- ex
ceptions of mineral lands As the plaintiff
in this case failed to show that tho lands
were strictly within the government grant
to the Pacific roads its right to lands in
question was not sustained.
In the case of the Maricopa e Phoenix
Railroad Company the. Territory of :. Ari-
zona appealed from the Supreme Court
ritory has the right to tax the property
of railroad company uayesing an Indian
rranted 6n ae Of 81 way has Oeen
MUST PAVE BETWEEN THE TRACKS.
The appeal of the New Orleans & Lake
Railroad Company from the order of man
damus granted by the Supreme Court of
louisiana on the appeal of the City of
New Orleans to compel the road to keep
paved certain parts of the streets occupied
by it in accordance with the terms of the
charter was unsuccessful, as the court sus-
tanned the action of the State Court
The validity of the louisiana law of
1877 stipulating that the police jury of
parish or municipal corporation should not
make greater appropriations in any year
than the actual revenue for the year and
that all the revenues of the year should
be devoted to the expenditures OF that year.
provided that any surplus might be applied
to indebted of former years, was sus-
tanned and the decision of the Circuit Court
for the Eastern district of louisiana ar
frmed in an opinion in the case Aof the
United States ex rel. Harry Siegel versus
Otto Thoman, controller of New Orleans,
delivered by Justice White.
Justice Shiras delivered the opinion of
the court In the case of r. n. LINDSAY
assessor of the parish of Caddo La VS.
the First National Bank OF Shreveport,
appealed to the United. States Court for
the. Western district OF Louisiana. The
other cfficals Of Caddo parish for the cam
collation. or modification of alleged excessive
assessment on bank stock. The parish