Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/279/553/
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 11:51:45+00:00

Document:
1. Judicial notice is taken of proceedings in the trial court shown by the record of the case in this Court at all earlier stages. P. 279 U. S. 555.
2. Under the Expediting Act of Feb. 11, 1903, in suits in equity under the Anti-Trust Act "in which the United States is complainant," appeal must be direct to this Court from the final decree of the trial court. P. 279 U. S. 558.
3. The Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia had no jurisdiction over an appeal by a private person from an order of the Supreme Court of the District refusing leave to intervene in a suit brought by the United States under the Anti-Trust Act. P. 279 U. S. 559.
Certiorari, 278 U.S. 592, to review an order of the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia refusing to set aside its earlier one, which reversed an order of the Supreme Court of the District denying a petition to intervene in a suit under the Anti-Trust Act. See Swift & Co. v. United States, 276 U. S. 311.
This case is a sequel to Swift & Co. v. United States, 276 U. S. 311. It is here by writ of certiorari for the determination of a question which arose upon the going down of the mandate in the Swift case.
The suit was commenced by the government in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia on February 27, 1920, against the leading packers to prevent a long feared monopoly in meat and other food products. On that day, a consent decree was entered. Nearly five years later, two of the defendants, Swift & Co. and Armour & Co., filed in the cause motions to vacate that decree. From the denial of those motions, appeals were taken to the Court of Appeals for the District. That court certified questions to us. We ordered the entire record sent here, and then held that, because the Expediting Act of February 11, 1903, c. 544, § 2, 32 Stat. 823, provides for a direct appeal to this Court in suits in equity brought by the United States under the Anti-Trust Act, the court of appeals was without jurisdiction. We also held that the Supreme Court of the District had jurisdiction of the subject matter and of the parties, and that the consent decree entered by it was in all respects valid and enforceable. Its order denying the motions to vacate the consent decree was therefore affirmed.
Canneries, which, long after the entry of the consent decree was allowed to intervene under the following circumstances.
Supreme Court, directed that leave to intervene be granted, and ordered that "such further proceedings thereupon be had as are necessary to determine the issues raised." California Cooperative Canneries v. United States, 299 F. 908. No such proceedings were ever taken.
time of its appeal a party to a suit in which the United States was the "complainant," and because, under § 226 of the District of Columbia Code, the court of appeals has, in its discretion, jurisdiction of an appeal from interlocutory orders. The contention is unsound.
Congress sought by the Expediting Act to insure speedy disposition of suits in equity brought by the United States under the Anti-Trust Act. Before the passage of the Expediting Act, the opportunities for delay were many. From a final decree in the trial court under the Anti-Trust Act, an appeal lay to the circuit court of appeals, and six months were allowed for taking the appeal. From the judgment of the court of appeals, an appeal lay to this Court, and one year was allowed for taking that appeal. Act of March 3, 1891, c. 517, §§ 6, 11, 26; Stat. 826, 828, 829. See United States v. E. C. Knight Co., 60 F. 306; 60 F. 934; 156 U. S. 156 U.S. 1; United States v. Trans-Missouri Freight Association, 53 F. 440; 58 F. 58; 166 U. S. 166 U.S. 290. Moreover, there might be an appeal to the circuit court of appeals from a decree granting or denying an interlocutory injunction, Act of June 6, 1900, c. 803, 31 Stat. 660. These provisions governing appeals in general were amended by the Expediting Act so that, in suits in equity under the Anti-Trust Act "in which the United States is complainant," the appeal should be direct to this Court from the final decree in the trial court. Thus, Congress limited the right of review to an appeal from the decree which disposed of all matters, see Collins v. Miller, 252 U. S. 364, and it precluded the possibility of an appeal to either court from an interlocutory decree. The time for taking the appeal from the final decree was shortened to 60 days.
corresponding to that which is exercised by the federal district courts in the several districts, and the appellate jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals of the District corresponds to that of the several circuit courts of appeals. Compare Federal Trade Commission v. Klesner, 274 U. S. 145. In suits in equity brought by the United States under the Anti-Trust Act, an appeal by one who was permitted to intervene, like an appeal by one of the original parties, must be taken direct to this Court. Continental Insurance Co. v. United States, 259 U. S. 156. Compare Buckeye Co. v. Hocking Valley Ry. Co., 269 U. S. 42, 269 U. S. 48. The purpose of Congress to expedite such suits would obviously be defeated if, in the District of Columbia, an appeal lay to the court of appeals from a denial of a motion for leave to intervene. Compare Interstate Commerce Commission v. Baird, 194 U. S. 25, 194 U. S. 38-39. Even under the Act of 1891, c. 517, in cases where the appeal was taken direct to this Court from the final decree in the trial court, every appeal thereafter taken in the cause was necessarily also to this Court. Arkadelphia Milling Co. v. St. Louis Southwestern Ry. Co., 249 U. S. 134, 249 U. S. 140-142; St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Ry. Co. v. J. F. Hasty & Sons, 255 U. S. 252, 255 U. S. 254. Compare St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Ry. Co. v. McKnight, 244 U. S. 368.
judgment and mandate, the court of appeals departed from the limits of admissible discretion.
MR. JUSTICE SUTHERLAND and MR. JUSTICE STONE took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.
See Forbes v. Railroad, Fed.Cas. No. 4,926; Coffin v. Chattanooga Water & Power Co., 44 F. 533; Lombard Investment Co. v. Seaboard Mfg. Co., 74 F. 325, 327; Land Title & Trust Co. v. Asphalt Co. of America, 114 F. 484; State Trust Co. v. Kansas City, etc., Co., 120 F. 398, 407-408. This rule of practice is embodied in Equity Rule 37. See Hutchinson v. Philadelphia & G. S.S. Co., 216 F. 795; Hopkins v. Lancaster, 254 F.190; Cauffiel v.Lawrence, 256 F. 714; King v. Barr, 262 F. 56; Mueller v. Adler, 292 F. 138; In re Veach, 4 F.2d 334; Union Trust Co. v. Jones, 16 F.2d 236; Board of Drainage Comm'rs v. Lafayette Bank, 27 F.2d 286. Compare Farmers' Loan & Trust Co. v. Kansas City R. Co., 53 F. 182, 186; United States v. Northern Securities Co., 128 F. 808; Horn v. Pere Marquette R. Co., 151 F. 626, 634; United States v. McGee, 171 F. 209; Jennings v. Smith, 242 F. 561, 564; Adler v. Seaman, 266 F. 828.
"That in every suit in equity pending or hereafter brought in any Circuit [District] Court of the United States under . . . [the Anti-Trust Act] wherein the United States is complainant, . . . an appeal from the final decree of the Circuit [District] Court will lie only to the Supreme Court and must be taken within sixty days from the entry thereof. . . ."

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