Burr v. Des Moines Railroad & Navigation Co.
Burr v. Des Moines Railroad & Navigation Co.
Opinion of the Court
after stating the case, delivered the opinion of the court:
It is very clear that a paper not signed by counsel, nor entered on the record of the court, nor made part of the record of the case by bill of exceptions, or in any other manner, cannot be considered by this court as the foundation on which it is to affirm or reverse the case. It is probable, from the language of the closing paragraph, that the parties considered it as an agreed statement of facts, on which the court
But in order to bring such a case properly before this court, two things are essential, which are wanting in the present case.
Cases of a character nearly allied to this have been frequently before this court, and although the opinions delivered are not always reconcilable in every respect, it is believed that they speak but one language as to the two propositions here laid down.
The paper which we have been considering being rejected, there is nothing before the court by which it can determine whether the judgment of the court below is right or wrong.
The legal presumption is in favor of the correctness of that judgment, hut as the parties here have all considered the case as turning on the evidence which we have refused to consider, and have so argued it, and as it was, no doubt, prepared with a view to obtaining the opinion of this court on the case there stated, we have determined to dismiss the writ of error, thus leaving the parties at liberty, if they can do so by a proper agreement in the court below, to remove the difficulties which now prevent this court from reviewing the case.
Case dismissed with costs.
16 Peters, 291.
See also Graham v. Bayne, 18 Howard, 60.
Graham v. Bayne, 18 Howard, 62.
Pennock v. Dialogue, 2 Peters, 1; The United States v. Eliason, 16 Id., 300; The United States v. King et al., 7 Howard, 844; Bond v. Brown, 12 Id., 256; Weems v. George, 13 Id., 190; Arthurs v. Hart, 17 Id., 7; Graham v. Bayne, 18 Id., 60.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Burr v. The Des Moines Railroad and Navigation Company
- Cited By
- 3 cases
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- Syllabus
- 1. Although this court will give judgment, on error, upon an agreed statement of facts or case stated, if it he signed by counsel and spread upon the record at large, as part thereof, yet it will not do so, except upon that which is professionally and properly known as a case stated; that is to say, upon a ease which .states facts simply; not one which presents, instead of facts, eyidence from which facts may or may not be inferred. i. Legal presumption being in fayor of a judgment regularly rendered, the court, where it does not reverse, nor dismiss for want of jurisdiction, might, in regard to a case which it refused to consider on evidence Adduced, affirm simply. However, a case being before it, and having been argued on its merits, where counsel on both sides erroneously supposed that they had brought up a case stated, when in fact they brought up nothing but a mass of evidence, and where they erroneously supposed, also, that they would obtain an opinion and judgment of this court on the case as, by common consent, they presented it, — the court benignantly “ dismissed” it only; so leaving the parties at liberty to put the case, if they could, by agreement below, in a shape where it could be here reviewed:. But the dismission was with costs.