Wooster v. Handy

23 F. 49, 23 Blatchf. 112, 1885 U.S. App. LEXIS 1749
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York
DecidedFebruary 16, 1885
DocketNo. 1; No. 2; No. 3; No. 4; No. 5; No. 6; No. 7; No. 8; No. 9; No. 10
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 23 F. 49 (Wooster v. Handy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wooster v. Handy, 23 F. 49, 23 Blatchf. 112, 1885 U.S. App. LEXIS 1749 (circtsdny 1885).

Opinion

Blatchford,-Justice.

In suits Nos. 1, 9, and 10, hearings were had on pleadings and proofs, and decrees directed for the plaintiff, in April, 1881. Wooster v. Blake, 8 Fed. Rep. 429. Afterwards, on the application of the defendants, those cases were reheard, because of decisions made by the supreme-court in January, 1882, and the bills were dismissed in July, 1884. Wooster v. Handy, 21 Fed. Rep. 51. At the same time, after hearings on pleadings and proofs, the bills were dismissed in the other seven eases. Wooster v. Howe Machine Co. 21 Fed. Rep. 67.

The questions now to be considered arise on appeals by both parties from the taxation by the clerk of the defendants’ bills of costs. The. amounts of the bills in the several cases, as offered for taxation, the amounts disallowed, and the amounts taxed, were as follows:

SUITS. OFFERED. DISALLOWED. TAXED.

No. 1, $1,555 29 $ 486 40 $1,068 89

No. 2, 2,707 46 340 19 2,367 27

No. 3, ' 261 86 24 25 237 61

No. 4, 203 42 89 25 114 17

No. 5, 237 92 25 50 212 42

No. 6, 249 67 27 25 222 42

No. 7, 168 52 122 50 46 02

No.' 8, 157 57 115 00 42 57

No. 9, 190 63 38 74 151 89

No. 10, 160 27 28 35 131 92

$5,892 61 $1,297 43 $4,595 18

[51]*51The questions to be considered arise mainly under the statutory provisions in regard to fees and costs. The fee bill of February 26, 1853, (10 St. at Large, 161,) provided as follows:

Section 1. “In lieu of the compensation now allowed by law to attorneys, solicitors, and proctors in the United States courts, * * * witnesses * * * in the several states, the following and no other compensation shall be taxed and allowed. But this act shall not he construed to prohibit attorneys, solicitors, and proctors from charging to and receiving from their clients, other than the government, such reasonable compensation for their services, in addition to the taxable costs, as may be in accordance with general usage in their respective states, or may ho agreed upon between the parties.
“Fees ok Attorneys, Solicitors, and Proctors. In a trial before a jury in civil and criminal causes, or before referees, or on a final hearing in equity or admiralty, a docket fee of twenty dollars. Provided, that in cases in admiralty and maritime jurisdiction, where the libelant shall recover less than fifty dollars, the docket fee of the proctor shall be but ten dollars; in eases at law, whore judgment is rendered without a jury, ten dollars, and five dollars where a cause is discontinued; for scire facias, and other proceedings in recognizances, five dollars; for each deposition taken and admitted as evidence in the cause, two dollars and fifty cents.”
“See. 3. * * * Witnesses’ Fees. 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 traveling from his place of residence to said place of trial or hearing, and five cents per mile for returning. When a witness is subpoenaed in more than one cause between the same parties in different suits at the same court, but one travel fee and one per diem compensation shall be allowed for attendance, to be taxed in the first ease disposed of, and ‘ per diem ’ only in the other canses, to be taxed from that time in each case, in the order in which they may be disposed of. * * * The bill of fees of clerk, marshal, and attorneys, and the amount paid printers and witnesses, and lawful fees for exemplifications and copies of papers necessarily obtained for use on trial in cases where by law costs are recoverable in favor of the prevailing party, shall be taxed by a judge or clerk of the court, and be included in and form a portion of a judgment or decree against the losing party. * * * That before any bill of costs shall be taxed by any judge or other officer, or allowed by any officer of the treasury, in favor of clerks, marshals, commissioners, or district attorneys, the party claiming such hill shall prove, by his own oath, or some other person having a knowledge of the facts, to be attached to such bill and filed therewith, that the services charged therein have been actually and necessarily performed as therein stated.”

The foregoing provisions appear in the following form in the Revised Statutes:

“Sec. 828. The following, and no oUier, compensation shall be taxed and allowed to attorneys, solicitors, and 'proctors in the courts of the United States, to * * * witnesses * * * in the several'states and territories, except in cases otherwise expressly provided by law. But nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit attorneys, solicitors, and proctors from charging to and receiving from their clients, other than the government, such reasonable compensation for their services, in addition to the taxable costs, as may be in accordance with general usage in their respective states, or may be agreed upon between the parties.
“Fees of Attorneys, Solicitors, and Proctors. See. 824. On a trial before a jury, in civil or criminal causes, or before referees, or on a final hearing in equity or admiralty, a docket fee of twenty dollars: provided, that in [52]*52cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction, where the libelant recovers less than fifty dollars, the docket fee of his proctor shall be but ten dollars. In cases at law, when judgmeiit is rendered without a jury, ten dollars. In cases at law, when the cause is discontinued, five dollars. For scire facias, and other proceedings on recognizances, five dollars. For each deposition taken and admitted in evidence in a cause, two dollars and fifty cents.”
“ Witnesses’ Fees. Sec. 848. For each day’s attendance in court, or before any officer pursuant to law, one dollar and fifty cents, and five, cents a mile for going from his place of residence to the place of trial or hearing, and five cents a mile for returning. When a witness is subpoenaed in more than one cause between the same parties, at the same court, only one travel fee and one per diem compensation shall be allowed for attendance. Both shall be taxed in the case first disposed of, after which the^er diem attendance fee alone shall be taxed in the other cases in the order in which they are disposed of.” '
• “Sec. 983. The bill of fees of the clerk, marshal, and attorney, and the amount paid printers and witnesses, and lawful fees for exemplifications and copies of papers necessarily obtained for use on trials in cases where by law costs are recoverable in favor of the prevailing party, shall be taxed by a judge or clerk of the court, and be included in and form a portion of a judgment or decree against the losing party. ”
“Sec. 984. Before any bill of costs shall be taxed by any judge or other officer, or allowed by any officer of the treasury, in favor of clerks, marshals, commissioners, or district attorneys, the party claiming such bill shall prove, by his own oath, or that of some other person having a knowledge of the facts, to be attached to such bill and filed therewith, that the services charged therein have been actually and necessarily performed as therein stated. ”

The objections taken by the defendants to the disallowance of items which were disallowed will first be considered.

1.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
23 F. 49, 23 Blatchf. 112, 1885 U.S. App. LEXIS 1749, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wooster-v-handy-circtsdny-1885.