List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 80

None

This is a list of cases reported in volume 80 (13 Wall.) of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1872.

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 66th volume of U. S. Reports, the Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States was John William Wallace. Wallace was Reporter of Decisions from 1863 to 1874, covering volumes 68 through 90 of United States Reports which correspond to volumes 1 through 23 of his Wallace's Reports. As such, the dual form of citation to, for example, Pumpelly v. Green Bay Co. is 80 U. S. (13 Wall.) 166 (1872). Wallace's Reports were the final nominative reports for the US Supreme Court; starting with volume 91, cases were identified simply as "(volume #) U. S. (page #) (year)".

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 80 U. S. (13 Wall.) were decided the Court comprised these nine members:

Portrait Justice Office Home State Succeeded Date confirmed by the Senate(Vote) Tenure on Supreme Court Salmon P. Chase Chief Justice Ohio Roger B. Taney December 6, 1864(Acclamation) December 15, 1864–May 7, 1873(Died) Samuel Nelson Associate Justice New York Smith Thompson February 14, 1845(Acclamation) February 27, 1845–November 28, 1872(Retired) Nathan Clifford Associate Justice Maine Benjamin Robbins Curtis January 12, 1858(26–23) January 21, 1858–July 25, 1881(Died) Noah Haynes Swayne Associate Justice Ohio John McLean January 24, 1862(38–1) January 27, 1862–January 24, 1881(Retired) Samuel Freeman Miller Associate Justice Iowa Peter Vivian Daniel July 16, 1862(Acclamation) July 21, 1862–October 13, 1890(Died) David Davis Associate Justice Illinois John Archibald Campbell December 8, 1862(Acclamation) December 10, 1862–March 4, 1877(Resigned) Stephen Johnson Field Associate Justice California newly created seat March 10, 1863(Acclamation)May 10, 1863–December 1, 1897(Retired) William Strong Associate Justice Pennsylvania Robert Cooper Grier February 18, 1870(No vote recorded) March 14, 1870–December 14, 1880(Retired) Joseph P. Bradley Associate Justice New Jersey newly created seat March 21, 1870(46–9) March 23, 1870–January 22, 1892(Died)

The Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Klein, 80 U. S. (13 Wall.) 128 (1872) stands for the proposition that the legislative branch cannot impair the exclusive powers of another branch; it recognizes and supports the fundamental value of separation of powers defined by the Constitution. Specifically, Klein means that Congress may not direct the outcome of a case by prescribing the rule of decision, nor may Congress impair the power and effect of a Presidential pardon.

In Tarble's Case, 80 U. S. (13 Wall.) 397 (1872), the Supreme Court held that a state judge has no jurisdiction to issue a writ of habeas corpus, or to continue proceedings under the writ once issued, for the discharge of a person held by the authority of the United States by an officer of the federal government.

Watson v. Jones, 80 U. S. (13 Wall.) 679 (1872), was based upon a dispute regarding the Walnut Street Presbyterian Church in Kentucky. The Court held that in adjudications of church property disputes: (1) courts cannot rule on the truth or falsity of a religious teaching; (2) if a previous ecclesiastical authority structure existed before the dispute, then courts should defer to the decision of that structure; and (3) in the absence of such an internal authority structure, courts should defer to the wishes of a majority of the congregation.

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 Bethell v. Mathews1 (1872) Chase none none C. C. D. La. affirmed Norwich Transportation Company v. Flint3 (1872) Bradley none none C. C. D. Conn. affirmed Yeager v. Farwell6 (1872) Davis none none C. C. D. Mo. affirmed Webb v. Sharp14 (1872) Bradley none none Sup. Ct. D. C. affirmed Boyden v. United States17 (1872) Strong none none C. C. D. Wis. affirmed United States v. Wormer25 (1872) Bradley none none Ct. Cl. reversed Low v. Austin29 (1872) Field none none Cal. reversed United States v. Clyde35 (1872) Bradley none none Ct. Cl. reversed Clyde v. United States38 (1872) Bradley none none Ct. Cl. reversed Toof v. Martin40 (1872) Field none none C. C. D. Ark. affirmed Wheeler v. Harris51 (1872) Chase none none C. C. S. D. N. Y. dismissed Bevans v. United States56 (1872) Strong none Chase C. C. E. D. Ark. affirmed Halliburton v. United States63 (1872) Strong none Chase C. C. E. D. Ark. affirmed Rice v. Houston66 (1872) Davis none none C. C. M. D. Tenn. affirmed Curtis v. Whitney68 (1872) Miller none none Wis. affirmed Johnson v. Towsley72 (1872) Miller none Clifford Neb. affirmed Samson v. Smiley91 (1872) Miller none none Neb. affirmed Gibson v. Chouteau92 (1872) Field none none Mo. reversed Norwich Company v. Wright104 (1872) Bradley none none C. C. D. Conn. affirmed United States v. Klein128 (1872) Chase none Miller Ct. Cl. affirmed Carroll v. United States151 (1872) Chase none none Ct. Cl. reversed Armstrong v. United States154 (1872) Chase none none Ct. Cl. reversed Pargoud v. United States156 (1872) Chase none none Ct. Cl. reversed Semmes v. Hartford Insurance Company158 (1872) Miller none none C. C. D. Conn. reversed Reiche v. Smythe162 (1872) Davis none none C. C. S. D. N. Y. reversed Pumpelly v. Green Bay and Mississippi Canal Company166 (1872) Miller none none C. C. D. Wis. reversed Steinbach v. Insurance Company183 (1872) Chase none none C. C. D. Md. affirmed Philip v. Nock185 (1872) Chase none none Sup. Ct. D. C. dismissal denied Hampton v. Rouse187 (1872) Chase none none C. C. S. D. Miss. dismissed Wells v. McGregor188 (1872) Chase none none Mont. dismissed Pennsylvania College Cases190 (1872) Clifford none none Pa. affirmed (both cases) Union Mutual Insurance Company v. Wilkinson222 (1872) Miller none none C. C. D. Iowa affirmed Ex parte McNiel236 (1872) Swayne none none E. D. N. Y. prohibition denied Bath County v. Amy244 (1872) Strong none none C. C. D. Ky. reversed United States v. Avery251 (1872) Chase none none C. C. D. S. C. certification United States v. Wilder254 (1872) Davis none none Ct. Cl. reversed Klinger v. Missouri257 (1872) Bradley none none Mo. dismissed Wilmington and Weldon Railroad Company v. Reid264 (1872) Davis none none N. C. reversed Raleigh and Gaston Railroad Company v. Reid269 (1872) Davis none none N. C. reversed Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company v. Whitton's Administrator270 (1872) Field none none C. C. E. D. Wis. affirmed Myers v. Croft291 (1872) Davis none none C. C. D. Neb. affirmed Pendleton County v. Amy297 (1872) Strong none none C. C. D. Ky. reversed Williams v. Kirtland306 (1872) Field none none C. C. D. Minn. reversed Delaware and Hudson Canal Company v. Clark311 (1872) Strong none none C. C. S. D. N. Y. affirmed The Patapsco329 (1872) Davis none none C. C. S. D. N. Y. affirmed Bradley v. Fisher335 (1872) Field none none Sup. Ct. D. C. affirmed Gay's Gold358 (1872) Miller none none C. C. D. La. affirmed Robinson v. United States363 (1872) Davis none none C. C. D. Cal. affirmed Hall and Long v. Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad Company367 (1872) Strong none none C. C. M. D. Tenn. reversed East Saginaw Salt Manufacturing Company v. City of East Saginaw373 (1872) Bradley none none Mich. affirmed Slaughter's Administrator v. Gerson379 (1872) Field none none C. C. D. Md. affirmed Alexander v. Roulet386 (1872) Davis none none C. C. D. Cal. affirmed The Siren389 (1872) Swayne none none D. Mass. affirmed Tarble's Case397 (1872) Field none Chase Wis. reversed Kitchen v. Bedford413 (1872) Bradley none none C. C. D. Kan. reversed Davenport v. Lamb418 (1872) Field none none C. C. D. Ore. affirmed West Tennessee Bank v. Citizens' Bank432 (1872) Swayne none none La. dismissed Clinton v. Englebrecht434 (1872) Chase none none Sup. Ct. Terr. Utah reversed United States v. Vigil449 (1872) Davis none none Sup. Ct. Terr. N. M. reversed Tucker v. Spalding453 (1872) Miller none none C. C. D. Cal. reversed Butler v. Watkins456 (1872) Strong none none C. C. D. La. reversed Caujolle v. Ferri465 (1872) Davis none none C. C. D. N. Y. affirmed The Ariadne475 (1872) Swayne none none C. C. S. D. N. Y. reversed Carpentier v. Montgomery480 (1872) Bradley none none C. C. D. Cal. affirmed Chew v. Brumagen497 (1872) Strong none none N. J. reversed French v. Edwards506 (1872) Field none Miller C. C. D. Cal. reversed Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company v. Soutter517 (1872) Bradley none Field C. C. D. Wis. affirmed Kentucky v. Boutwell526 (1872) Davis none none original mandamus denied Stockwell v. United States531 (1872) Strong none Field, Miller C. C. D. Me. affirmed Twenty Per Cent Cases568 (1872) Clifford none none Ct. Cl. affirmed (all cases) Blyew v. United States581 (1872) Strong none Bradley C. C. D. Ky. reversed Mason v. Rollins602 (1872) Chase none none C. C. N. D. Ill. affirmed Insurance Company v. Barton603 (1872) Swayne none none C. C. D. Mo. affirmed Dooley v. Smith604 (1872) Miller none Field Ky. reversed Paige v. Banks608 (1872) Davis none none C. C. S. D. N. Y. affirmed Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company v. Bailey616 (1872) Clifford none none Sup. Ct. D. C. affirmed United States v. Russell623 (1872) Clifford none none Ct. Cl. affirmed Pugh v. United States633 (1872) Chase none none Ct. Cl. affirmed United States v. Kimbal636 (1872) Swayne none none Ct. Cl. reversed White v. Hart646 (1872) Swayne none none Ga. reversed Osborn v. Nicholson654 (1872) Swayne none Chase C. C. D. Ark. reversed Ex parte Russell664 (1872) Bradley none Chase Ct. Cl. mandamus denied Great Western Insurance Company v. Thwing672 (1872) Bradley none Clifford C. C. D. Mass. reversed Watson v. Jones679 (1872) Miller none Clifford C. C. D. Ky. affirmed The Mabey738 (1872) Clifford none none C. C. D. N. Y. commission denied