Files v. Davis

118 F. 465, 1902 U.S. App. LEXIS 5202
U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Eastern Arkansas·Decided November 12, 1902·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinion

TRIEBER, District Judge.

There being no diversity of citizenship alleged in the complaint, the jurisdiction of this court can only be maintained upon the ground that the issues involve a federal question, or that this action is merely ancillary to the original attachment suit.

i. Does an action on an attachment bond executed in a suit pending in a national court present a federal question, within the meaning of [466] the judiciary act? Section. 6 of the act of congress of June I, 1872 (17 Stat. 197; section 915, Rev. St. U. S.),1 is as follows:

“In common-law causes in the circuit and district courts the plaintiff shall be entitled to similar remedies, by attachment or other process, against the property of the defendant, which are now provided by the laws of the state in which such court is held for the courts thereof; and such circuit or district courts may, from time to time, by general rules, adopt such state laws as may be in force in the states where they are held in relation to attachments and other process: provided, that similar preliminary affidavits or proofs, and similar security, as required by such state laws, shall be first furnished by the party seeking such attachment or other remedy.”

If the effect of this act is to make the statutes of the state regulating the affidávit and bond in attachment proceedings laws of the United States for the national courts within such state, then the jurisdiction of this court is beyond question, for plaintiff’s cause of action would then be arising under the laws of the United States. Upon this ground it is now well settled that suits on bonds of the United States marshals and other federal officers are actions arising under the national laws and within the jurisdiction of the national courts. Feibelman v. Packard, 109 U. S. 421, 3 Sup. Ct. 421, 27 L. Ed. 984; Backrack v. Norton, 132 U. S. 337, 10 Sup. Ct. 106, 33 L. Ed. 377; Bock v. Perkins, 139 U. S. 628, 11 Sup. Ct. 677, 35 L. Ed. 314. An action by an internal revenue collector on the bond of his deputy may be maintained in the national courts, upon the ground that it is an action arising under the laws of the United States. Orner v. Saunders, 3 Dill. 284, Fed. Cas. No. 10,584. So it is also the settled law that actions by or against corporations created by an act of congress may be maintained in the national courts solely upon that ground, which it is held makes the suit one arising under the constitution and laws of the United States. Railway Co. v. Cox, 145 U. S. 593, 12 Sup. Ct. 905, 36 L. Ed. 829; Supreme Lodge K. P. v. England, 36 C. C. A. 298, 94 Fed. 369.

Congress has frequently adopted by reference the statutes of the states as national laws,' or as laws for a territory for which congress legislated directly. The act of May 17, 1884 (23 Stat. 24), providing for a civil government for Alaska, adopted the laws of the state of Oregon as the laws of that territory. The various acts establishing the national courts for the Indian Territory (25 Stat. 783, 26 Stat. 81, and 28 Stat. 693) adopted certain laws of the state of Arkansas as laws for that territory. The conformity act of June 1, 1872 (17 Stat. 197), the act prescribing the competency of witnesses in civil actions pending in the national courts (13 Stat. 351; section 858, Rev. St. U. S.),2 the national election laws (Acts May 31, 1870, 16 Stat. 145), and numerous other acts adopt certain laws of the states as national laws, and they have uniformly been sustained as a valid exercise of the constitutional powers of congress, and enforceable in the national courts as laws of the United States.

Perhaps the most important case on that subject is Ex parte Siebold, 100 U. S. 371, 25 L. Ed. 717, a case arising under the national election laws. It was there urged that, while congress had the power [467] to assume the entire regulation of the election of representatives to congress, it had no constitutional power to make partial regulations intended to be carried out with regulations made by the states. But this contention was overruled by the court, the court saying:

“The objection that the laws and regulations, the violation of which is made punishable by the acts of congress, are state laws, and have not been adopted by congress, is no sufficient answer to the power of congress to impose punishment. It is true that congress has not deemed it necessary to interfere with the duties of the ordinary officers of election, but has been content to leave them as prescribed by state laws. It has only created additional sanctions for their performance, and provided means of supervision in order more effectually to secure such performance. The imposition of punishment implies a prohibition of the act punished. The state laws which congress sees no occasion to alter, but which it allows to stand, are, in effect, adopted by congress. It simply demands their fulfillment. Content to leave the laws as they are, it is not content with the means provided for tlieir enforcement. It provides additional means for that purpose, and we think it is entirely within its constitutional power to do so. It is simply the exercise of the power to make additional regulations.” 100 U. S. 388, 25 L. Ed. 717.

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Files v. Davis, 118 F. 465, 1902 U.S. App. LEXIS 5202 (circtedar 1902).

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