United States v. Wallace

by Stanley Matthews

United States Supreme Court

116 U.S. 398

United States  v.  Wallace

 Argued: January 18, 1886. ---

The judgment appealed from in the case was rendered in favor of the appellee, who was plaintiff below, for the sum of $1,032, upon the following finding of facts reported by the court of claims: '(1) The claimant, John H. Wallace, was a commissioner of the circuit court of the United States for the Southern district of Alabama from January 16, 1882, to November 22, 1883. (2) October 4, 1881, the circuit court of the United States for said district, in compliance with a request by the attorney general, made an order requiring, among other things, that each of the commissioners of said court should keep a docket, in which he should enter, on the day the transaction should occur, the issuance of each warrant, the name of the person upon whose complaint and request the same was issued, the nature of the offense, and the name of the officer to whom the warrant was delivered for service, together with the proceedings had under said warrant; that there should also be entered therein the names of the witnesses present and examined, and their fees, the name of the guard, if any, and his fees, and also the marshal's and deputy marshal's fees, together with the mileage and expenses allowed by law, and the said order was continued of force. (3) From the said January 16, 1882, to November 22, 1883, petitioner, as such commissioner, issued warrants in three hundred and seventy-six cases, in three hundred and twenty-eight of which issue was joined and testimony taken; and in forty-eight of which issue was not joined, the defendant was discharged, and no testimony taken; and he duly made his docket entries in each and in all of said cases as required by said order. (4) His accounts for fees for keeping said docket were duly verified by oath, and presented to the said court, in presence of the district attorney, and approved by the court, and an order approving the same, as being in accordance to law and just, duly entered upon the records of the said court. In said accounts, as approved by the court, he was allowed a fee of $3 in each case where issue was joined and test mony taken, and $1 where issue was not joined and the defendant was discharged. (5) His accounts therefor were duly presented for payment to the accounting officers of the treasury, together with the order of court approving the same, and payment thereof was refused by them.'

Sol. Gen. Goode, for appellant.

Chas. C. Lancaster and Chas. E. Mayer, for appellee.

MATTHEWS, J.

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