List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 59

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This is a list of cases reported in volume 59 (18 How.) of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1855 and 1856.

In 1874, the U. S. government created the United States Reports, and retroactively numbered older privately published case reports as part of the new series. As a result, cases appearing in volumes 1–90 of U. S. Reports have dual citation forms; one for the volume number of U. S. Reports, and one for the volume number of the reports named for the relevant reporter of decisions (these are called "nominative reports").

Starting with the 42nd volume of U. S. Reports, the Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States was Benjamin Chew Howard. Howard was Reporter of Decisions from 1843 to 1860, covering volumes 42 through 65 of United States Reports which correspond to volumes 1 through 24 of his Howard's Reports. As such, the dual form of citation to, for example, The Steamboat New York is 59 U. S. (18 How.) 223 (1856).

The Supreme Court is established by Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States, which says: "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court . . ". The size of the Court is not specified; the Constitution leaves it to Congress to set the number of justices. Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 Congress originally fixed the number of justices at six (one chief justice and five associate justices). Since 1789 Congress has varied the size of the Court from six to seven, nine, ten, and back to nine justices (always including one chief justice). When the cases in 59 U. S. (18 How.) were decided the Court comprised these nine members:

Portrait Justice Office Home State Succeeded Date confirmed by the Senate(Vote) Tenure on Supreme Court Roger B. Taney Chief Justice Maryland John Marshall March 15, 1836(29–15) March 28, 1836–October 12, 1864(Died) John McLean Associate Justice Ohio Robert Trimble March 7, 1829(Acclamation) January 11, 1830–April 4, 1861(Died) James Moore Wayne Associate Justice Georgia William Johnson January 9, 1835(Acclamation) January 14, 1835–July 5, 1867(Died) John Catron Associate Justice Tennessee newly created seat March 8, 1837(28–15) May 1, 1837–May 30, 1865(Died) Peter Vivian Daniel Associate Justice Virginia Philip P. Barbour March 2, 1841(25–5) January 10, 1842–May 31, 1860(Died) Samuel Nelson Associate Justice New York Smith Thompson February 14, 1845(Acclamation) February 27, 1845–November 28, 1872(Retired) Robert Cooper Grier Associate Justice Pennsylvania Henry Baldwin August 4, 1846(Acclamation) August 10, 1846–January 31, 1870(Retired) Benjamin Robbins Curtis Associate Justice Massachusetts Levi Woodbury December 20, 1851(Acclamation) October 10, 1851–September 30, 1857(Resigned) John Archibald Campbell Associate Justice Alabama John McKinley March 22, 1853(Acclamation) April 11, 1853–April 30, 1861(Resigned)

Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 the federal court structure at the time comprised District Courts, which had general trial jurisdiction; Circuit Courts, which had mixed trial and appellate (from the US District Courts) jurisdiction; and the United States Supreme Court, which had appellate jurisdiction over the federal District and Circuit courts—and for certain issues over state courts. The Supreme Court also had limited original jurisdiction (i. e., in which cases could be filed directly with the Supreme Court without first having been heard by a lower federal or state court). There were one or more federal District Courts and/or Circuit Courts in each state, territory, or other geographical region. Bluebook citation style is used for case names, citations, and jurisdictions. "C. C. D." = United States Circuit Court for the District of . e. g.,"C. C. D. N. J." = United States Circuit Court for the District of New Jersey
"D." = United States District Court for the District of . e. g.,"D. Mass." = United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
"E." = Eastern; "M." = Middle; "N." = Northern; "S." = Southern; "W." = Western
e. g.,"C. C. S. D. N. Y." = United States Circuit Court for the Southern District of New York
e. g.,"M. D. Ala." = United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
"Ct. Cl." = United States Court of Claims
The abbreviation of a state's name alone indicates the highest appellate court in that state's judiciary at the time. e. g.,"Pa." = Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
e. g.,"Me." = Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

Case Name Page and year Opinion of the Court Concurring opinion(s) Dissenting opinion(s) Lower court Disposition of case United States v. Reading 1 (1856) Wayne Catron Daniel N. D. Cal. affirmed McLean v. Meek 16 (1856) Catron none none C. C. S. D. Miss. affirmed Kissell v. St. Louis Public Schools 19 (1856) Catron none none Mo. affirmed Hartshorn v. Day 28 (1856) McLean none none C. C. D. R. I. dismissed United States v. Fremont 30 (1856) McLean Catron none N. D. Cal. dismissed Ex parte Sturgess 40 (1855) McLean none none C. C. E. D. La. filing extension denied Peck v. Sanderson 42 (1855) McLean none none C. C. E. D. Pa. rehearing denied Barnard v. Ashley 43 (1856) Catron none none C. C. S. D. N. Y. affirmed Wright v. Mattison 50 (1856) Daniel none none C. C. D. Ill. reversed Graham v. Bayne 60 (1855) Grier none none C. C. D. Ill. reversed The Brig Ann C. Pratt 63 (1855) Nelson none none C. C. D. Me. affirmed Holroyd v. Pumphrey 69 (1855) Campbell none none C. C. D. C. reversed Smith v. Maryland 71 (1855) Curtis none none Md. Cir. Ct. affirmed Jones v. League 76 (1855) McLean none none D. Tex. reversed Bush v. Person 82 (1856) Curtis none none Miss. affirmed Verden v. Coleman 86 (1855) Campbell none none Ind. dismissed Minter v. Crommelin 87 (1856) Catron none none Ala. reversed McCready v. Goldsmith 89 (1856) Nelson none none C. C. S. D. N. Y. affirmed United States v. Gatesby 92 (1856) Grier none Daniel C. C. D. C. affirmed United States ex rel. Mackey v. Coxe 100 (1856) McLean Nelson; Curtis none C. C. D. C. affirmed Sessions v. Pintard 106 (1856) McLean none none C. C. E. D. Ark. affirmed Curtis v. Petitpain 109 (1856) Campbell none none C. C. E. D. La. dismissed J. Torre and Company v. Montgomery 110 (1856) Daniel none none C. C. D. C. affirmed Ham v. Missouri 126 (1856) Daniel Nelson none Mo. affirmed Guild v. Frontin 135 (1856) Grier none none N. D. Cal. affirmed Savignac v. Garrison 136 (1856) Nelson none none C. C. D. Mo. reversed Parker v. Overman 137 (1856) Grier none none C. C. D. Ark. deed annulled Richards v. Holmes 143 (1856) Curtis none none C. C. D. C. affirmed Jones v. Johnston 150 (1856) Nelson none none C. C. D. Ill. reversed Griffith v. Bogert 158 (1856) Grier none none C. C. D. Mo. affirmed Little v. Hall 165 (1856) McLean none none C. C. N. D. N. Y. affirmed Cooper v. Roberts 173 (1856) Campbell none none C. C. D. Mich. reversed The Schooner Freeman 182 (1856) Curtis none none C. C. N. D. N. Y. reversed De la Lande's Heirs v. Louisiana 192 (1856) McLean none none La. dismissed Lafayette's Heirs v. Kenton 197 (1856) Catron none none C. C. E. D. La. affirmed Craighead v. Wilson 199 (1856) McLean none none C. C. E. D. La. dismissed Abbott v. Essex Company 202 (1856) Grier none none C. C. D. Mass. affirmed McLaughlin v. Swann 217 (1856) Curtis none none C. C. D. Md. reversed The Steamboat New York 223 (1856) Nelson none Daniel C. C. S. D. N. Y. affirmed The Ship Howard 231 (1856) Catron Daniel none C. C. S. D. N. Y. reversed McKinney v. Saviego 235 (1856) Campbell none none D. Tex. reversed United States v. The Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad Company 241 (1856) Nelson none none Sup. Ct. Terr. Minn. discontinued Calcote v. Stanton 243 (1856) Grier none none Miss. dismissed The York and Cumberland Railroad Company v. Myers 246 (1856) Campbell none none C. C. D. Me. affirmed Shields v. Thomas 253 (1856) Daniel none none N. D. Iowa affirmed Orton v. Smith 263 (1856) Grier none none D. Wis. reversed Ward v. Peck 267 (1856) Grier none Daniel C. C. E. D. La. affirmed Murray's Lessee v. Hoboken Land and Improvement Company 272 (1856) Curtis none none C. C. D. N. J certification Nutt v. Minor 286 (1856) Catron none none C. C. D. C. affirmed Kinsman v. Parkhurst 289 (1856) Curtis none none C. C. S. D. N. Y. affirmed Ransom v. Winn 295 (1856) McLean none none C. C. D. C. dismissed McCall's Lessee v. Carpenter 297 (1856) Nelson none Campbell C. C. D. Ind. reversed Ex parte Wells 307 (1856) Wayne none McLean; Curtis C. C. D. C. affirmed Dodge v. Woolsey 331 (1856) Wayne none Campbell C. C. D. Ohio affirmed State Bank v. Debolt 380 (1856) Wayne none none Ohio reversed State Bank v. Thomas 384 (1856) Wayne none none Ohio reversed Wilkins v. Allen 385 (1856) Catron none none C. C. W. D. Pa. affirmed Connor v. Peugh's Lessee 394 (1856) Grier none none C. C. D. C. dismissed South v. Maryland 396 (1856) Grier none none C. C. D. Md. reversed Lafayette Insurance Company v. French 404 (1856) Curtis none none C. C. D. Ind. affirmed Stanford v. Taylor 409 (1856) Catron none none C. C. D. Mo. reversed Converse v. Burgess 413 (1856) Campbell none Taney C. C. D. Mass. affirmed Stockton v. Ford 418 (1856) Nelson none none C. C. E. D. La. affirmed Pennsylvania v. Wheeling and Belmont Bridge Company I 421 (1856) Nelson Daniel; Grier; Wayne McLean; Grier; Wayne original injunction dissolved Pennsylvania v. Wheeling and Belmont Bridge Company II 460 (1856) Nelson none none original review of costs denied Goslee v. Shute 463 (1856) McLean none none C. C. E. D. La. affirmed Wood v. Davis 467 (1856) Nelson none none C. C. N. D. Ill. reversed Fouvergne v. City of New Orleans 470 (1856) Campbell none none C. C. E. D. La. affirmed Ledoux v. Black 473 (1856) Catron none none La. affirmed In re United States v. Booth I 476 (1856) Taney none none Wis. continued In re United States v. Booth II 477 (1856) Taney none none Wis. show cause ordered Ableman v. Booth 479 (1856) Taney none none Wis. continued Bacon v. Robertson 480 (1856) Campbell none none C. C. S. D. Miss. reversed Masters v. Barreda 489 (1856) Wayne none none C. C. E. D. Va. affirmed Beauregard v. City of New Orleans 497 (1856) Campbell none none C. C. E. D. La. affirmed Union Bank v. Vaiden 503 (1856) Wayne none none N. D. Miss. reversed McMicken v. Perin 507 (1856) Campbell none none C. C. E. D. La. affirmed Maxwell v. Newbold 511 (1856) Taney none none Mich. dismissed Watson v. Tarpley 517 (1856) Daniel none none C. C. S. D. Miss. reversed Stairs v. Peaslee 521 (1856) Taney none none C. C. D. Mass. certification Hudgins v. Kemp 530 (1856) Taney none none C. C. E. D. Va. dismissal denied The de Arguello 539 (1856) Grier none Daniel N. D. Cal. affirmed United States v. Cervantes 553 (1856) Grier none none N. D. Cal. affirmed United States v. Vaca 556 (1856) Grier none none N. D. Cal. affirmed United States v. Larkin 557 (1856) Nelson none Campbell N. D. Cal. affirmed Dennistoun v. Stewart 565 (1856) Daniel none none C. C. S. D. Ala. certification The Steamer Oregon 570 (1856) McLean none Daniel C. C. S. D. Ala. affirmed Ogilvie v. Knox Insurance Company 577 (1856) Daniel none none C. C. D. Ind. certification The Steamboat Isaac Newton 581 (1856) Curtis none none C. C. S. D. N. Y. reversed The Steamer Southern Belle 584 (1856) McLean none none C. C. E. D. La. reversed United States v. Shackleford 588 (1856) Nelson none none C. C. D. Ky. certification Conner v. Elliott 591 (1856) Curtis none none La. affirmed Pease v. Peck 595 (1856) Grier none Campbell C. C. D. Mich. affirmed Strader v. Graham 602 (1856) per curiam none none original costs denied