Case Name: AMERICAN SUGAR REFINING CO. v. CITY OF NEW ORLEANS
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1900-05-29
Citations: 104 F. 2
Docket Number: No. 920
Parties: AMERICAN SUGAR REFINING CO. v. CITY OF NEW ORLEANS.
Judges: Before PARDEE, McCOEMICK, and SHELBY, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: Federal Reporter
Volume: 104
Pages: 2–5

Head Matter:
AMERICAN SUGAR REFINING CO. v. CITY OF NEW ORLEANS.
(Circuit Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
May 29, 1900.)
No. 920.
Circuit Courts of Appeals — Jurisdiction—Cases Involving Federal Question.
Where the controlling question in a case involves the construction and application of the constitution of the United States, the circuit court of appeals should decline to take jurisdiction, although the question was not raised by the plaintiff’s pleading, and the jurisdiction of the circuit court was not dependent upon it.
McCormick, Circuit Judge, dissenting.
In Error to the Circuit Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Charles Carroll and J. W. Carroll, for plaintiff in error.
Samuel L. Gilmore and O. H. La Villebeuvre, for defendant in error.
Before PARDEE, McCOEMICK, and SHELBY, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
This cause, as presented and decided in the circuit court, is one in which the constitution and laws of the state of Louisiana are claimed to be in contravention of the constitution of the United States; and therefore, by'the fifth section of the act of March 3,1891 (20 Stat. 826), jurisdiction is conferred upon the supreme court to review by direct appeal the final judgment of the circuit court therein rendered. Penn Mut. Life Ins. Co. v. City of Austin, 168 U. S. 685, 18 Sup. Ct. 223, 42 L. Ed. 626; City of Walla Walla v. Walla Walla Water Co., 172 U. S. 1, 19 Sup. Ct. 77, 43 L. Ed. 341. As presented on this writ of error, the controlling question involves the construction and application.of the constitution of the United States, and we are of opinion that we should dismiss this writ of error on the authority of Carter v. Roberts, 20 Sup. Ct. 713, Adv. S. U. S. 713, 44 L. Ed. 861, and Railroad Co. v. Thiebaud, 20 Sup. Ct. 822, Adv. S. U. S. 822, 44 L. Ed. 911 (both recently decided by the supreme court of the United States), and City of Macon v. Georgia Packing Co., 60 Fed. 781, 9 C. C. A. 262, Railroad Co. v. Adams, 93 Fed. 852, 35 C. C. A. 635, and City of Dawson v. Columbia Avenue Saving Fund, Safe-Deposit, Title & Trust Co. (heretofore decided in this court) 42 C. C. A. 258, 102 Fed. 200. The writ of error herein, is dismissed, with costs, but without prejudice to any right the parties may have to sue out a writ of error from the supreme court of the United States.