Source: https://m.openjurist.org/198/us/149
Timestamp: 2019-11-19 23:48:54
Document Index: 51970081

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3397', '§ 3393', '§ 3390', '§ 3397', '§ 3393', '§ 3390', '§ 709']

198 US 149 George Allen v. Frank M Arguimbau | OpenJurist
198 U.S. 149 - George Allen v. Frank M Arguimbau
198 US 149 George Allen v. Frank M Arguimbau
25 S.Ct. 622
49 L.Ed. 990
GEORGE W. ALLEN, Administrator of the Estate of John J. Philbrick, Deceased, Plff. in Err.,
FRANK M. ARGUIMBAU, as Surviving Partner of the Copartnership Composed of Frederick A. Schroeder, Edwin A. Schroeder, and Frank M. Arguimbau, Doing Business under the Firm Name and Style of Schroeder & Bon.
Six errors were assigned in this court; namely, that the state court erred in holding that the demurrer to the first plea of March 24, 1900, was properly sustained, and that the plea constituted no defense under § 3397 of the Revised Statutes (U. S. Comp. Stat. 1901, p. 2222), and as to the second plea and § 3393, Revised Statutes (U. S. Comp. Stat. 1901, p. 2220), and as to the third plea and § 3390, Rvised Statutes (U. S. Comp. Stat. 1901, p. 2218); and in so holding as to the fourth plea, filed February 2, 1903, and § 3397, Revised Statutes; and as to the fifth plea of that date, and § 3393, Revised Statutes; and as to the sixth plea of that date, and § 3390, Revised Statutes.
The only ground on which our jurisdiction can be maintained is that defendant specially set up or claimed some title, right, privilege, or immunity under a statute of the United States, which was denied by the state court. The supreme court of Florida gave no opinion, and, therefore, we are left to conjecture as to the grounds on which the pleas were held to be bad; but if the judgment rested on two grounds, one involving a Federal question and the other not, or if it does not appear on which of two grounds the judgment was based, and the ground independent of a Federal question is sufficient in itself to sustain it, this court will not take jurisdiction. Dibble v. Bellingham Bay Land Co. 163 U. S. 63, 41 L. ed. 72, 16 Sup. Ct. Rep. 939; Klinger v. Missouri, 13 Wall. 257, 20 L. ed. 635; Johnson v. Risk, 137 U. S. 300, 34 L. ed. 683, 11 Sup. Ct. Rep. 111. And we are not inclined to hold that if, in the view of the state court, the promise of Kelly to manufacture cigars at Key West was the consideration of the notes, and had been performed, and the makers could not defend on the ground that it was contemplated between Kelly and Rosen that the cigars should be removed without compliance with the revenue laws, a Federal question was decided in sustaining the demurrers to the pleas.
But, apart from that, no title, right, privilege, or immunity under a statute of the United States, within the intent and meaning of § 709 of the Revised Statutes,1 was specially set up or claimed by defendant, and decided against.
And Mr. Chief Justice Taney said: 'But if it had been otherwise, and the state court had committed so gross an error as to say that a contract forbidden by an act of Congress, or against its policy, was not fraudulent and void, and that it might be enforced in a court of justice, it would not follow that this writ of error could be maintained. In order to bring himself within the 25th section of the act of 1789 [1 Stat. at L. 85, chap. 20], he must show that he claimed some right, some interest, which the law recognizes and protects, and which was denied to him in the state court. But this act of Congress certainly gives him no right to protection from the consequences
The certificate on the allowance of the writ of error could not, in itself, confer jurisdiction on this court (Fullerton v. Texas, 196 U. S. 192, 194, 25 Sup. Ct. Rep. 221, 49 L. ed. 443), and the result is that the writ of error must be dismissed.