MANNING
v.
FRENCH

U.S. | 1890-01-27
No. 1188
133 U.S. 186 Supreme Court of the United States (1890) Positive Treatment
Also reported at: 33 L. Ed. 582 · 10 S. Ct. 258 · 1890 U.S. LEXIS 1900 · SCDB 1889-102
Cited by 10 cases

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Synopsis

Manning sued French and others who, as commissioners under a federal statute, issued an order affecting Manning's interests, and Manning sought damages from French in state court. The Supreme Court dismissed Manning's writ of error for lack of jurisdiction because Manning had neither claimed any federal constitutional or statutory right himself nor challenged the validity of the federal statute or the defendants' federal authority—instead, the state courts ruled in favor of the defendants' claimed federal authority, which did not present a federal question suitable for Supreme Court review. The Court held that a party cannot invoke federal question jurisdiction merely by alleging a federal question in a petition when the actual case involved no claim of federal right by the party seeking review.


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Opinion of the Court
Mu. Chief Justice Fulleé

Mu. Chief Justice Fulleé

delivered the opinion of the court.

Jurisdiction to review the final judgment rendered in this case cannot be maintained upon the ground of the denial by the state courts of any title, right, privilege, or immunity claimed under the Constitution, or some treaty, or statute of, or commission held or authority exercised under, the United States, as the plaintiff in error set up and claimed none such. Spies v. Illinois, 123 U. S. 131, 181; Chappell v. Bradshaw, 128 U. S. 132. And the decision that the defendant was not liable in damages, because in concurring in the order complained of lie acted in his judicial capacity, in itself involved no Federal question. Lange v. Benedict, 99 U. S. 68, 71. Nor can the plaintiff object that the validity of a statute of, or an authority exercised under, the United States was drawn in question, or that a title, right, privilege, or immunity was' claimed under the Constitution, or a statute of, or a commission held, or an authority exercised under, the United States, on the ground that the defendant-claimed to exercise .an authority'under acts of Congress, or under a commission held under the United - States,-since this was not the plaintiff’s contention , but the defendants’; and the state courts decided not against but in favor of the authority, title, right, privilege, or immunity so claimed.

The three .rulings asked by the plaintiff and refused by the court, were:

First. That the Court of Commissioners of Alabama Claims liad no authority to make the order entered by them, touching-the plaintiff.

Second. That, the defendant French having admitted .that he concurred with the other defendants in issuing and enforce ing said order, the plaintiff was entitled to recoyer from him • compensation for all loss sustained by him, as the direct result of its entry and enforcement.

Third. That more, than two years having elapsed after the reorganization of the Court of Commissioners of Alabama Claims, under the act of Congress of June 5, 1882, and after-the appointment of the defendants," but prior to the date of the order, the defendants had no lawful authority to act as judges of said Court of Commissioners.

• The court held that the term of the judges had not expired, and that they had authority to make the order, and, therefore, that the plaintiff could not recover, and in so holding decided in favor of the validity of the authority exercised by the defendant under the United States, and'of the right he claimed under the statutes of the United States, and the commission held by him.

The petition for the writ of errór avers “ that said action involves divers Federal questions one of which is whether said acts of Congress -authorized -said defendants to promulgate or -enforce said order, and another of which is whether so much of said acts of Congress as undertakes (if any part thereof'undertakes) to. authorize the defendants to make such' order was not in violation of articles Y ,and YIII of the amendments of the Constitution of the United States, and the 'decision of said state, court was adverse to the plaintiff’s contention upon all of said Federal questions.”

The grounds thus suggested have been disposed of by what has been said, and it may be added that the petition for á w~it of error forms no part of the record upon which action here is taken. Clark y. Pennsylvania, 128 U. S. 395; Warfield v. Chaffe, 91 U. S. 690.

The writ-of error must he dismissed for want of jurisdiction.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Leeper v. Texas, 139 U.S. 462 (U.S. 1891)
    …Mr. Chief Justice Fuller, after stating'the case, delivered the opinion of the court. It must be regarded as settled that a petition for a writ of error forms no part of the record upon which action here is taken; Manning v. French, 133 U. S. 186; Clark v. Pennsylvania, 128 U. S. 395; Warfield v. Chaffe, 91 U. S. 690; Butler v. Gage, 138 U. S. 52: That to give this court jurisdiction to review the judgment of a state court under section 709 of the Revised Statutes, because of the denial by t…
  • Williams v. Heard, 140 U.S. 529 (U.S. 1891)
  • Butler v. Gage, 138 U.S. 52 (U.S. 1891)
    …record before us so presents a Federal question as to justify the maintenance of the writ. And it may be remarked in the outset-,: that the petition for a writ of error forms no part of the record upon which action;here is taken. Manning v. French, 133 U. S. 186; Clark v. Pennsylvania, 128 U. S. 395; Warfield v. Chaffe, 91 U. S. 690. Sections 1 and 2 of article YI of the constitution of the State of Colorado read thus: “ Section 1. The judicial power of the State as to matters of law and equity, except as…

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