United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

White v. United States, 191 U.S. 545 (1903)

White v. United States

No. 76

Argued November 11-12, 1903

Decided December 21, 1903

191 U.S. 545

Syllabus

Retrospective legislation is not favored. Unless the intention that a law is to have a retrospective operation is clearly evidenced in the law and its purposes, the Court will presume that it was enacted for the future, and not for the past.

The provisions of the Navy Personnel Act of March 3, 1899, 30 Stat. 1004, as to crediting officers appointed from civil life with five years' service on the date of appointment for the purpose of computing their pay apply to the pay of officers theretofore appointed from the commencement of the then next fiscal year, when the act, by its terms, went into operation, and such provisions do not apply to readjusting compensation for any period prior thereto, thereby giving increased pay to officers who had reached maximum pay before the passage of the act.

The case is stated in the opinion.

Page 191 U. S. 548