Supreme Court Decision

The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the United States to review cáviJ cases is limited to thosc ia whicla the value of the míitter iu dispute exceeds 5,000. Beujamin F. Bntler sned Alexander A. Thonipson in the United States Circuit Conrt ia Massnahnsetts, and obtained a verdict for $5, 060.17. Bef ore entering jndgmcnt the plaiutiiï reinitted $66.17, so that the judgnient as cntored was for preeisely 5,000. The defendant then sued out a writ of error to have the case reviewed by the Supremo Court at Washington. There he was met by a motion to iliKtnisi the writ for wint of jarisdiction, beoanse the amoiint or valne invol ved did i ot oxceed 85,000. The opinion of tlie c; act, delivered by the Ohief Justice, sustains this objection, and the writ of error has been dismissed. It is held that the triol court has the power to permit a pHiutiiï to reduce a verdict in nis own fav-r, as was done here, nnd pretiimably no sueh reduotion will be allowed if the object is to deprive the defendant of au appeal in a meritorious case. Whethor this caae was meritorinus or not, it looks very muoh as if the redustion were made solely fo prevent an exarumation of it by tlie Supreme Court. In dismissiug the appeal the court holds that the fact that the judgmf?nt was for $6,000 "in em" niakos no dilTireuce. "Oi.tr jurisdictiou,' says Chief .Tustice Waite, "is to be determined by the amount of nioney to be pnid, and not the kind."