Spaulding v. Tucker

22 F. Cas. 899, 2 Sawy. 50, 4 Fish. Pat. Cas. 633, 4 Am. Law T. Rep. U.S. Cts. 208, 1871 U.S. App. LEXIS 1774
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of California
DecidedAugust 19, 1871
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 22 F. Cas. 899 (Spaulding v. Tucker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Spaulding v. Tucker, 22 F. Cas. 899, 2 Sawy. 50, 4 Fish. Pat. Cas. 633, 4 Am. Law T. Rep. U.S. Cts. 208, 1871 U.S. App. LEXIS 1774 (circtdca 1871).

Opinion

SAWYER, Circuit Judge.

The defendant objects to three classes of items included in complainant’s bill of costs. Firstly, an item of three hundred and sixty dollars for printing evidence. Secondly, sundry items of travelling fees of witnesses, who reside out of the district of California, and more than one hundred miles from the place of hearing, and who, voluntarily, attended and testified at the hearing. Thirdly, the traveling fees of a large number of witnesses, who, at complainant’s request, voluntarily went from their respective places of abode in different states to the city of New York, and were examined before a commissioner in the presence of the parties and their counsel.

1. The act of congress relating to costs makes no allowance for printing testimony. It is, no doubt, very convenient to have it printed. But, however convenient, it is not properly chargeable against the losing party as an item of costs.

There are, doubtless, many cases wherein the printing of the testimony would contribute so largely to a ready and full comprehension of the ease by the judge, as to justify the parties in incurring that extra expense. But the law does not require it, and if printed it must be done voluntarily by the party desiring it, and at his own expense. Troy Iron & Nail Factory v. Corning [Case No. 14,197]. This item must be rejected.

2. Several witnesses came from the Eastern states to testify in court upon the hearing, and there are items of charge for a single witness, including travel, both ways, for over five thousand miles travel.

I do not find the question, as to the right of the prevailing party to tax against his opponent, the travelling fees of witnesses, who. thus voluntarily attend, when residing far beyond the reach of a subpoena, settled by any decision of the supreme court.

There are some decisions upon the point, on the circuit, reported. In Whipple v. Cumberland Cotton Co. [Case No. 17,515], the court allowed the travelling fees of a witness, who resided in Lowell, Massachusetts, and who attended at the trial in Portland, Maine, which is presumed to be over one hundred miles distant In Prouty v. Draper [Id. 11,447], it does not appear whether the witness resided out of the district, or not. The inference, perhaps, is that he did not. At all events, this question was not raised or discussed. In Hathaway v. Roach [Id. 6,213], Mr. Justice Woodbury followed the practice of his predecessor, as determined in Whipple v. Cumberland Cotton Co. [supra].

These are the only cases in the national courts brought to my notice, in which fees for travel have been allowed witnesses, who came from a point beyond the reach of a subpoena, if such was the case in these instances. On the other hand, in Dreskill v. Parrish [Case No. 4,676], the court held that [900]*900fees of a witness who attended voluntarily could not be charged against the losing party. The court say: “The compensation to a witness summoned is allowed. If he attends voluntarily, or without summons, his fees cannot be charged against the losing party. The attendance of a witness is voluntary, if he be not summoned.”

Those witnesses living more than one hundred miles from the place of holding court, whose fees were allowed in that case, were evidently within the district, and, therefore, amenable to the process of subpoena. Witnesses in civil cases, who live out of the district, and more than one hundred miles from the place of holding court, cannot be compelled to attend. Dreskill v. Parrish [Case No. 4,076], and 1 Stat. 335. They cannot be lawfully summoned, and, since they cannot be required to attend, their attendance is necessarily voluntary, even if a subpoena is in fact served. This authority, therefore, seems to be in point. These cases arose under the act of 1799, which provided, that “witnesses summoned in any court of the United States,” shall receive five cents per mile travelling fees, “from their respective places of abode.” 1 Stat. 626, § 6.

A similar decision was also made by the same court, in another action, between the same parties. Dreskill v. Parrish [supra]. Costs in cases at law are now controlled by the act of 1853, which provides, that “For each day’s attendance in court, or before any officer, pursuant to law, one dollar and fifty cents, and five cents per mile for travelling from his place of residence to said place of trial or hearing, and five cents per mile for returning.” 10 Stat. 167. [And section 1 provides that “The following, and no other, compensation shall be taxed and allowed.” Id.. 161. Thus, under this provision, no costs can be taxed and allowed for any attendance otherwise than pursuant to law.] 2

The same question arose under this act, in Woodruff v. Barney [Case No. 17,986], and after elaborate examination, Leavitt. J.. held, that, “pursuant to law,” means upon service of process, and not voluntarily, upon the request of the party, without process; and, in this view, I fully concur. The learned judge, however, endeavors to distinguish the case from Whipple v. Cumberland Cotton Co. [supra], on the ground that, in that case, the party was in fact served, although it does not appear whether within or without the reach of the subpoena. If it is. intended-to intimate that a service beyond the jurisdiction affords a good ground of distinction, with due deference to so learned a judge, I am unable to recognize it; for, in my judgment, to.be summoned, within the meaning of the statute, is to be served with a process, which the law recognizes, and which the party is bound to obey. • The law knows no other summons. At a.11 events., I think, under the existing statute, to attend, “pursuant to law,” is to attend under the obligatory requirements of the law. The party may request, but the law knows no request. It commands, or is silent; and a party who attends “pursuant to law,” attends pursuant, or in obedience to, the commands of the law.

But it is probable that, since the contrary does not appear, it was only intended to intimate that, in the case cited, it must be presumed that the service was within, although the party resided beyond, the reach of the subpoena. Upon this hypothesis, there is no inconsistency between the later and earlier decisions. However this may be, I think, the decisions in Dreskill v. Parrish and Woodruff v. Barney [supra], on this-point, entirely sound.

The principle involved in Parker v. Bigler [Case No. 10,726], is precisely the same as that here maintained. In that case, the-marshal of the district of Pennsylvania, serv-' ed a subpoena upon a party living in the state of Ohio. The marshal travelled by the-usual route of travel, one hundred and sixty miles, to make the service. Objection to allowing the marshal’s travelling fees was-made, on the ground that he was not authorized by law to serve a subpoena that distance from the place of trial, without the-boundaries of the district. The objection was sought to be obviated, by showing that the party lived within one hundred miles by an air-line. Mr. Justice Grier refused to-allow costs for more than one hundred miles, on the ground that he could not assume an air-line for jurisdiction, and a ziz-zag for mileage. Thus, he recognized the validity of the objection, that the marshal is not entitled to fees for serving process upon a party, who is under no obligation to obey, or without the jurisdiction to which the process extends.

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22 F. Cas. 899, 2 Sawy. 50, 4 Fish. Pat. Cas. 633, 4 Am. Law T. Rep. U.S. Cts. 208, 1871 U.S. App. LEXIS 1774, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/spaulding-v-tucker-circtdca-1871.