United States Circuit Courts, 1880

Nickerson v. Atchison, T. & S. F. R.

Nickerson v. Atchison, T. & S. F. R.
United States Circuit Courts · Decided June 15, 1880 · Foster, McCeary
30 F. 85
Nickerson v. Atchison, T. & S. F. R.

Opinion of the Court

McCeaRY, J.

A stipulation has been filed, signed by the parties to this controversy, sotting forth an agreed statement of facts, and oonsent-*86ing that the court may take jurisdiction, hear, try, and determine the case, and render decree without pleadings. Section 918 of the Revised Statutes of the United States provides that β€œthe forms and modes of proceeding in suits of equity, * * * in the circuit and district courts, shall be according to the principles, rules, and usages which belong to courts of equity, * * * except when otherwise provided by statute or by rules of court, made in pursuance thereof.” . It is well settled that' this statute adopts the equity practice as it existed in England at the time of the passage of the judiciary act. I am not aware of anything in that practice that would authorize the institution of a proceeding in equity, by the filing in court of such a stipulation as that now before me. I take it to be well settled that the practice in a court of equity is regulated by law or rule and cannot be varied by the agreement of the parties. This court cannot be constituted a board of arbitration, in the absence of a law of the United States to authorize such a proceeding. We are referred to a statute of Kansas, which seems to authorize such a proceeding in the courts of that state, (Comp. Laws Kan. c. 80;) but it is clear that the jurisdiction and practice of this court as a court of equity is not affected by that statute. Boyle v. Zacharie, 6 Pet. 658; U. S. v. Howland, 4 Wheat. 115; Neves v. Scott, 13 How. 271; Noonan v. Lee, 2 Black, 507; Robinson v. Campbell, 3 Wheat. 323.

The application is overruled.

Foster, J,, concurs.

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