Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/113/594/
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 20:16:20+00:00

Document:
The ruling in Hyde v. Ruble,, 104 U. S. 407, that clause 2, § 639 Rev.Stat. as to removal of causes was suspended and repealed by the Act of March 3, 1875, 18 Stat. 470, reaffirmed.
§ 2 of the Act of March 3, 1875, defining the cases in which causes may be removed from state courts to circuit court of the United States, being fundamental and based on the grant of judicial power, its conditions are indispensable -- cannot be waived -- and must be shown by the record.
§ 3 of that act not being jurisdictional, but a mere rule of limitation, its requirements may be waived.
The party at whose instance a cause is removed from a state court is estopped from objecting that the removal was not made within the time required by § 3 of the Act of March 3, 1875, 18 Stat. 470.
The general rule in Texas for construing descriptions in grants of land is that natural objects control artificial objects, that artificial objects control courses and distances, that course controls distance, and that course and distance control quantity.
elm 15 in. dia. Thence following up the river by its meanders to the beginning point, and comprising a plane area of eleven leagues of land or 275 millions of square varas."
The evidence showed that the lines, when run on these courses and distances, did not coincide with ascertained monuments, either called for in the grant or conceded to mark the track of a survey of the tract made in 1833. Two marked hackberry trees were found in 1854 in the eastern line, but not at the point called for by the description. If the courses and distances were followed, this grant covered most of the claim of defendant in error. If the two hackberry trees found in 1854 were the ones described in the grant, it would not include any of that claim.
"that a call for two small hackberries at the end of the distance on the course called for, having no marks on them to designate them from other trees of the same kind and having no bearing trees to designate or locate them, is not a call for such a natural object as will control the call for course and distance, and the jury are not authorized to consider any evidence in this case about two small hackberries found by S. A. Bigham, and by him pointed out to various other persons, which are found more than a mile from the point where course and distance would place the S.E. corner of the 11-league grant"
"that if the testimony was not sufficient to identify the two hackberries with those called for in the grant, and could not fix the northeast corner nor the back line by any other marks or monuments, then they should fix it by the courses and distances of the first and second lines of the survey, except that the second line should be extended so as to meet the recognized east line as marked and extended beyond the hackberries,"
(3) That the instructions actually given failed to put this to the jury with sufficient distinctness.
Trespass, to try title. The facts which make this case, both on the jurisdiction of the court and on the merits, are stated in the opinion of the Court.
described in the petition as a tract lying in said County of Bell, about fifteen miles northeast by north from the three forks of Little River, stating the boundaries. The defendants excepted to the petition for insufficiency of law, and also pleaded not guilty. One of them, Frank Ayers, pleaded specially that he was owner in fee simple of a tract of eleven leagues granted by the government of Coahuila and Texas to Maximo Moreno in the year 1833, describing its metes and bounds, and he alleged that the land described in the plaintiff's petition, and claimed by him under some pretended patent from the State of Texas to the heirs of one W. W. Daws, deceased, was embraced within the boundaries of said eleven-league grant, which was an elder and superior title.
Anderson pleaded separately that he was occupying the Moreno grant as tenant of Ayers, and especially that 100 acres, including improvements, where he resided (describing its situation) was held by him under said Moreno title; that he had been in possession of said land for more than twelve months before the institution of this suit, adversely and in good faith, and he claimed the value of his improvements if the court should hold the plaintiff entitled to recover.
The plaintiff's original petition was filed in August, 1877, and the amended petition and pleas were filed in April, 1879. The cause was first tried in April, 1879, and again in April, 1880, and on both occasions the juries disagreed. Ayers then presented a petition for the removal of the cause to the circuit court of the United States, alleging that he was a citizen of the State of Mississippi and that the plaintiff was a citizen of Texas, and that there could be a final determination of the controversy, so far as he was concerned. without the presence of the other defendants as parties in the cause. The court granted the petition, and the cause was removed, no objection to the removal being made either then or in the circuit court afterwards. But after the issuing of the present writ of error from this Court, the plaintiffs in error, at the instance of one of whom (Frank Ayers) the cause was removed, assigned for error, among other things, that the circuit court erred in taking jurisdiction of the cause.
In view of the position of the party who raises the objection, we certainly should not feel disposed to reverse the judgment on the ground of the removal of the cause, unless it was clear that the circuit court had no jurisdiction whatever to hear and determine it. The only reasons assigned before us for the want of jurisdiction are first that it did not appear that the matter in dispute exceeded, exclusive of costs, the value of $500; secondly that the application for removal was too late.
The first reason has no foundation in fact. The plaintiff's petition demanded the recovery of the land and $500 damages. This was certainly a demand for more than $500 unless it can be supposed that the land itself was worth nothing at all, which will hardly be presumed.
The second reason is more serious. The application for removal was beyond question too late according to the act of 1875, though not so under the act of 1866 as codified in Rev.Stat. § 639, cl. 2, which allows the petition for removal to be filed "at any time before the trial or final hearing of the cause." This language has been held to apply to the last and final hearing. mistrial by disagreement of the jury did not take away the right of removal. See Insurance Co. v. Dunn, 19 Wall. 214; Stevenson v. Williams 19 Wall. 572; Vannevar v. Bryant, 21 Wall. 41; Railroad Co. v. McKinley, 99 U. S. 147. But we have held that this clause of § 639 was superseded and repealed by the act of 1875. Hyde v. Ruble, 104 U. S. 407, 104 U. S. 410; King v. Cornell, 106 U. S. 395; Holland v. Chambers, 110 U. S. 59. We are compelled, therefore, to examine the effect of the act of 1875 upon the jurisdiction of the court when the application is made at a later period of time than is allowed by that act.
objection as to the time within which the application for removal is made. It does not belong to the essence of the thing; it is not in its nature a jurisdictional matter, but a mere rule of limitation. In some of the older cases, the word "jurisdiction" is often used somewhat loosely, and no doubt cases may be found in which this matter of time is spoken of as affecting the jurisdiction of the court. We do not so regard it. And since the removal was effected at the instance of the party who now makes the objection, we think that he is estopped. In Railroad Co. v. Koontz, 104 U. S. 17, we held that where the state court disregarded a petition for removal properly made, and the plaintiff continued to prosecute the suit therein, he would be deemed to have waived any objection to the delay of the defendant in entering the cause in the circuit court of the United States until the decision of the state court is reversed.
We do not think that this assignment of error is well taken.
22° east 22,960 varas, and planted a stake in the prairie for the second corner. Thence another line was run to the south 70° east at 8,000 varas crossed a branch of the creek called Cow Creek at 10,600 varas crossed the principal branch of said creek, and at 12,580 varas two small hackberries serve as landmark for the third corner. Thence another line was run to the south 20° west, and at 3,520 varas crossed the said Cow Creek, and at 26,400 varas to a tree (palo) on the aforesaid margin of the River San Andres, which tree is called in English 'box elder,' from which 7 varas to the south 28° west there is a cottonwood with two trunks, and 16 varas to the south 11° east there is an elm 15 in. dia. Thence following up the river by its meanders to the beginning point, and comprising a plane area of eleven leagues of land or 275 millions of square varas."
This tract extended backward from the river, in a northerly direction, from twelve to fourteen miles, and, as that was about the distance from the river of the tract claimed by the plaintiff, the question was whether it embraced the latter. If it did, being held by an elder title, the defendant would be entitled to the verdict; if not, the plaintiff would be entitled to it. Under the concessions made by the parties, the burden of proof was devolved upon the defendant to show that his eleven-league tract extended so far back from the river as to embrace the plaintiff's land or any part of it.
itself, is situated about 570 varas, or three-tenths of a mile, east of what its position would be if the courses and distances were followed, and, as fixed by such monuments, if the tract were made to extend as far back from the river as the defendant contends, it would contain fourteen or fifteen square leagues instead of eleven. But the point of greatest importance was to fix the position of the northern boundary line of the tract, to ascertain whether it took in or crossed the Daws patent. This was a line described in the survey as running from the stake set in the prairie, south 70° east 12,580 varas, or Mexican yards (about 6 2/3 miles) to two small hackberry trees. Of course, these hackberries marked the northern terminus of the eastern boundary line, before mentioned, which commenced from them, and two such trees, having all the old marks and blazes requisite, were found in said eastern boundary line (and were adopted as the northeast corner of the tract), in the course of an official survey made by order of court in 1854, being at a distance of 26,960 varas from the River San Andres -- the distance given in the field notes of the grant, based on calculation and not actual measurement, being 26,400 varas; whereas, by following the courses and distances mentioned in the grant, the easterly line, extended to the river, would be 30,760 varas in length, and, as before stated, would not coincide with the marked line conceded to be the easterly line as run at the original survey. If the northerly line of the Moreno tract should be located and fixed by taking for its eastern terminus the two hackberry trees referred to, it would not reach the plaintiff's land, but would pass south of it a full half of a mile. The defendant Ayers, however, disputed the identity of these hackberry trees with those called for in the Moreno grant and claimed that the grant extended a mile and a half or more further north, which indeed it would do according to the length of the first course measured from the beginning corner, and he adduced testimony to show some marked trees north of the two hackberries, in the line of the eastern boundary, corresponding to his views, and some marks along the northerly or back line, claimed by him to be the true line.
"The original field notes do not call for any landmark at the intersection of the western line with the back or north line of the survey. At the intersection of the back line with the eastern line, two small hackberries are mentioned as serving for a landmark to designate the corner. Our purpose and your duty is to follow the tracks of the surveyor, so far as we can discover them on the ground with reasonable certainty, and where he cannot be tracked on the ground, we have to follow the course and distance he gives, so far as not in conflict with the tracks we can find that he made. . . . There has been proof given you tending to show where the two small hackberries called for as the intersection of the eastern and north lines of the grant actually stood at a distance from the lower corner on the river corresponding to the length of the eastern line of said grant. And if the proof satisfies you that the two hackberries mentioned in the testimony of the witnesses Sam. and Pat Bigham were the two hackberries called for and marked by the original surveyor as a corner of said grant, in that case, a line drawn from the point where said hackberry stood, N. 70° W., until it intersects the western line of said grant, will bound the eleven-league grant upon the north, and if the Daws 1/3 of a league is situated wholly north of this line, it does not conflict with said eleven-league grant, and you will find for the plaintiff."
proof, so fix the unmarked or disputed lines called for in the grant as in your judgment most nearly harmonize the calls with the known corners and the undisputed lines. And if, from the proof, you fix these lines so as to include all or any part of the one-third league patented to Daws, you will find for the defendant. If you are not able to fix the disputed lines or the disputed portions of the lines with reasonable certainty from the proof, you may, taking the river as the base, so extend the eastern and western lines as that a line run N. 70° W. (or S. 70° E.), connecting the extremities of said side lines, will embrace eleven leagues of land, and if said back line so run does not include any portion of the Daws 1/3 league, you will find for the plaintiff. If you can, from the proof, fix the lines of this grant in harmony with its calls and the known corners and undisputed line, the fact, if it be a fact, that said lines would include more than eleven leagues becomes wholly immaterial, and you will not consider the extent of the area further than as a circumstance to aid you in construing the other proof in the case. In seeking to fix these lines from the proof, you will bear in mind that course controls distance, and marked trees control both course and distance."
"If you are not able to fix the disputed lines or the disputed portions of the lines with reasonable certainty from the proof, you may, taking the river as a base, so extend the eastern and western lines as that a line run N. 70° W. (or S. 70° E.), connecting the extremities of said side lines, will embrace eleven leagues of land, and if said back line so run does not include any part of the Daws 1/3 league, you will find for the plaintiff."
evidence in this case about two small hackberries found by S. A. Bigham, and by him pointed out to various other persons, which are found more than a mile from the point where course and distance would place the N.E. corner of the eleven-league grant."
1st. That the rules adopted by the courts as to the calls in a grant, giving one call superiority over another, are adopted for the purpose of identifying the actual survey made by the surveyor -- an invariable rule being that the footsteps of the surveyor must be followed, and wherever he established the lines and corners on the ground, there the survey must be located.
2d. That if the jury believe from the evidence that the Moreno survey was actually made on the ground by commencing at the beginning corner, as called for in the grant, and actually running out and tracing with a chain the upper or western line, as called for (except the offset to avoid crossing the river), and that the northwest corner was fixed at a point on the course called for in the grant at the end of the distance called for, and that from the northwest corner so established, the surveyor did actually run out and trace with the chain the distance called for, on the course called for, to the northeast corner, they must find for the defendant.
The court refused to give the charges so requested.
26 Tex. 441; Bolton v. Lann, 16 Tex. 111, 112. There are exceptional cases, however, in which courses and distances may control, as where mistakes have been made by the surveyor as to objects called for or where the calls for monuments are inconsistent with each other and cannot be reconciled, or where some other clearly sufficient reason exists for disregarding the general rule. Booth v. Upshur, 26 Tex. 71; Booth v. Strippleman, 26 Tex. 441.
"Our purpose and your duty is to follow the tracks of the surveyor so far as we can discover them on the ground with reasonable certainty, and where he cannot be tracked on the ground, we have to follow the course and distance he gives so far as not in conflict with the tracks we can find that he made."
We do not well see how it could be more plainly stated that the main object to be reached by the whole inquiry was to ascertain and follow the actual footsteps of the surveyor.
the two lines referred to were or were not run and measured according to the field notes. For it is perfectly clear that they could not have been so run and measured if the two hackberry trees mentioned in the field notes were the same as those relied on by the plaintiff. The request therefore should have been that if the jury did not believe the hackberries were the same, then, if they believed that the two lines were run according to the field notes, they must find for the defendant.
It still remains to consider the correctness of that part of the charge given which was excepted to by the defendants. The substance and effect of it was that if the jury were not able to fix the disputed lines or the disputed portions of the lines with reasonable certainty, they might locate the back or northerly line so as to embrace eleven leagues between it and the river and between the east and west lines as acknowledged by the parties. This was allowing the jury to make the location of the back line depend on the quantity of the land enclosed if they could not fix it from the evidence. In this we think there was error in the charge. The whole context immediately connected with the passage excepted to was in substance this: that if the testimony satisfied the jury that the two hackberries discovered were identical with those called for in the grant, the back or north line must start from, or end with, them, running in a course north 70° west, or south 70° east; but that if the testimony did not satisfy them as to the identity of the trees, then they must fix the unmarked or disputed lines so as most nearly to harmonize the calls with the known corners and the undisputed line -- that is, the east line. If the jury were not able to fix the disputed lines, or the disputed portions of lines, then they might resort to quantity -- that is, locate the back line between the two recognized side lines so as to take in eleven leagues.
second line should be extended so as to meet the recognized east line as marked and extended beyond the hackberries. This would have been in accordance with the rule that course controls distance, and that course and distance control quantity, which is correctly laid down in Stafford v. King, 30 Tex. 257, and Welder v. Hunt, 34 Tex. 44.
"You will from the whole proof so fix the unmarked or disputed lines called for in the grant as in your judgment most nearly harmonizes the calls with the known corners and the undisputed lines,"
all, and nothing had been known but the beginning corner, the field notes would have furnished the only guide for locating the survey. The position of that line being known, it controlled the survey only in respect to that line, which required the second line to be extended sufficiently to reach it. But if the two hackberry trees in that line were also identified as the true northeast corner, then the position of the north line and the length of the first course would be controlled by those trees.
We think there was error in not putting it to the jury with sufficient distinctness that the course and distance of the first two lines of the survey must govern if the evidence was not sufficient to fix the location of the northern line by identifying the two hackberries with those called for in the field notes for the northeast corner of the survey or by some other marks or monuments.
The judgment must be reversed, with directions to grant a new trial.

References: v. 
 § 639

§ 2

§ 3
 § 3
 § 639
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 § 639
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v.