Fraser v. Livingston
Fraser v. Livingston
Opinion of the Court
delivered the following opinion :
This case comes before this Court, upon a motion made by the counsel for the appellee to dismiss it, on the following general grounds: First, that the appeal sought to be prosecuted here from the order in this case in the Court below, was not obtained according to law : and, secondly, that no appeal lies from said order, whether by the rules of common law, or in virtue of the statutes of Florida, giving the right and regulating the mode of suing out writs of error and prosecuting appeals.
It appears from the record in this case, that a rule nisi was granted by the Judge of the Circuit Court for the Eastern Circuit, for the County of Duval, conformably to the prayer of a petition which had been filed by the appellee before said Judge, by which rule it was ordered that appellant show cause before said Circuit Court, at the then next ensuing term thereof for said county, or so soon thereafter as counsel could be heard, why an ex parte order formerly made by the same Judge, giving said appellant leave to withdraw a certain “ written paper ” from the files of said Court, should not be revoked and rescinded: and why he, the appellant, ought not to return the said “ written paper ” to the files of the same Court; copies of which
We deem it unnecessary, in order to a decision of this motion, to determine the points arising upon the first ground taken by the counsel for the appellee. It may, however, be proper to remark, that the acts of a Judge of a Circuit Court, in relation to any application for an appeal to which a party may be entitled in virtue of the provisions of the Acts in question, are to be regarded a,s simply ministerial in their character and effect.
With regard to the other ground assumed by counsel for appellee, we are of the opinion, that clearly no appeal from an order of the tenor and effect of that which'has been brought in question before this Court, will lie; either at common law, or in virtue of the several Acts of the Legislature of Florida giving the right and regulating the mode of suing out writs of error and prosecuting appeals, or eith-erof them.
That this appeal does not lie at common law, is. sufficiently apparent from a consideration of the nature, form and objects, of the common law processes, by means of which the judgments of inferior tribunals may be reviewed. These are writs of error, prohibition, cer-tiorari and mandamus. Any other mode is unknown in a Court proceeding as a Court of common law jurisdiction, unless expressly giv. en by statute ; and where the latter limits tlie operation of appellate power to specific subjects, or classes of cases, this Court has no power to transcend the limits so assigned. Murdock, appellant, 7 Pickering, 820. At common law, as is well expressed and held in 1 Chitty’s Arch. Prac., 346, “ a writ of error lies, when a person is
But again, at common law, the appellate power extends to matters of record only ; and here it may be remarked, that a matter of proceeding, spread upon the record or minutes of the Court, not being properly a record matter or proceeding in legal regard, does not thereby become such ; nor can it be therefore made a subject upon which to exercise appellate power and jurisdiction. Are, then, rules of the legal character of that now under consideration in this case, properly matters of record in legal contemplation? We think not. In England it is held that rules are not records, but mere remembrances not entered on the rolls of the Court. 9 Bing., 125. Tidd’s Prae., 490 ; and the cases there cited in 1 Wills., '40, and 2 Barn. & Aid., 61. In the correctness of this doctrine we fully concur, and consider it applicable to similar proceedings of the Courts of this State, embracing the case now before us. Moreover, it is held in English practice, “ that if a cause be moved in Court in the presence of the counsel for both parties, and the Court shall thereupon make an order, no person shall afterwards cause the same to be moved contrary to such rule or orderand that “ a rule made in the Bail Court is not more liable to be re-opened and argued in full Court after the term in which it was made, although the Judge who heard the case sanctioned the application to the full Court.” 2 Chitty’s Arch. Prac., 1194. The principles involved in this authority well apply to the case of which a review is now sought at the hands of this Court; and we deem it superfluous to add anything further in order to illustrate and sustain the opinion, that at common law, this Court has no appellate power or jurisdiction over this case.
But it is contended by the appellant, that the right of appeal in question, is conferred by statute; and he refers to the Act of the Legislative Council of the late Territory of Florida, now in force, on this subject, contained in Duval’s Compilation, p. 108, sections 1 & 2,
The appellant again contended that the Act just mentioned, if other • wise inapplicable to the case before us, is nevertheless made so by construction to be derived from the terms of the second section of the Act last above mentioned, passed subsequently to the former. We are unhesitatingly of a contrary opinion. The 2d section referred to provides, “ that in all cases in which a rule of Court, or other sum
Pertotam Curiam,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Philip Fraser v. Felix Livingston, Solicitor, &c.
- Status
- Published