1. The words "final disposition" in the 2d section of the Act of
June 25, 1868, allowing the Court of Claims
"at any time while any suit or claim is pending before or on
appeal from the said court, or within two years next after the
final disposition of any such suit or claim, on motion on behalf of
the United States, to grant a new trial in any such suit or
claim,"
mean the final determination of the suit on appeal (if an appeal
is taken), or if none is taken, then its final determination in the
Court of Claims. The Court of Claims has accordingly power to grant
a new trial if the same be done within two years next after the
final disposition, although the case may have been decided on
appeal in this Court and its mandate have been issued.
2. When the Court of Claims, on a motion for a new trial under
the 2d section of the Act of June 25, 1868, above referred to, has
not reached the consideration of the motion on its merits, but has
dismissed it under an assumption that they had no jurisdiction to
grant it, mandamus directing the court to proceed with the motion
is the proper remedy. Appeal is not a proper one.
3. But if the Court of Claims have granted an appeal, mandamus
will not lie to cause them simply to vacate the allowance of
it.
Page 80 U. S. 665
4.
Semble, however, that it might lie to do so
and
to proceed to the hearing of the motion for a new trial.
5. The proper course in a case where the Court of Claims
improperly (from supposed want of jurisdiction) refused to grant to
the United States a motion for a new trial, made under the act of
1868, above referred to, and the United States
appealed,
stated to be for one or the other party to move to dismiss the
appeal, and then for the United States to ask for a distinct
mandamus on the Court of Claims to proceed, this Court stating that
the motion to dismiss might be made at any time when the court was
in session, and that it was not necessary to await the arrival of
the term to which the record ought to be returned.
The second section of an Act of June 25, 1868, relating to the
Court of Claims, thus enacts:
"That the said Court of Claims, at any time while any suit or
claim is pending before or on appeal from said court, or within two
years next after the
final disposition of any suit or
claim may, on motion on behalf of the United States, grant a new
trial in any such suit or claim and stay the payment of any
judgment therein upon such evidence (although the same may be
cumulative or other) as shall reasonably satisfy said court that
any fraud, wrong, or injustice in the premises has been done to the
United States; but until an order is made staying the payment of a
judgment, the same shall be payable and paid as now provided by
law."
It now appeared from the affidavit and exhibits on which this
motion was based that in October, 1867, Russell filed a petition in
the Court of Claims to recover from the United States compensation
for the use of certain steamboats, and that he obtained a judgment
for $41,355 on the 6th of December, 1869, that afterwards an appeal
was taken to this Court on behalf of the United States, and the
judgment of the Court of Claims was affirmed on the 20th of
November, 1871,
* that, pending the
appeal, the counsel for the United States applied to the Court of
Claims for a new trial, but the
Page 80 U. S. 666
motion was not argued until after the decision of the case here
on the appeal, though it was argued before the mandate was issued;
that the motion for a new trial failed by an equal division of the
court; that the mandate from this Court was filed in the Court of
Claims on the 12th day of December, 1871, and on the next day that
court ordered a rehearing of the motion for a new trial; and that,
on the 29th of January, 1872, the Court of Claims dismissed the
motion for a new trial as for want of jurisdiction on the ground
that, after it was made, the mandate of the Supreme Court had been
filed affirming the judgment, and also on the ground that the
motion had failed on the prior hearing by an equal division of the
court. From this last decision the counsel for the United States
appealed to this Court, and the appeal was allowed by the Court of
Claims. Thereupon the claimant moved that court to vacate the
allowance of the appeal, but the court refused to do so. He now
moves this Court for a mandamus to compel the Court of Claims to
vacate its order allowing the appeal. The grounds on which the
application was made were:
First, that an appeal does not lie from an order refusing a new
trial, because it is not a final judgment.
Secondly, that the granting of a new trial rests in the
discretion of the court.
Thirdly, that the allowance of the appeal was a violation of the
mandate of this Court.
Page 80 U. S. 668
MR. JUSTICE BRADLEY delivered the opinion of the Court.
We think that the Court of Claims erred in dismissing the motion
for a new trial as for want of jurisdiction, that the counsel for
the United States mistook their remedy in appealing from that
decision, and that the claimant has equally mistaken his remedy in
applying for a mandamus to vacate the allowance of the appeal.
The difficulty has arisen out of the anomalous provisions of the
2d section of the Act of June 25, 1868. The policy of this act was
undoubtedly dictated by the fact that the government agents are at
a great disadvantage in defending suits in the Court of Claims on
account of their personal ignorance of the facts and of the
witnesses and evidence necessary to rebut the petitioner's case,
for all which they have to depend on distant and uninterested
parties, or parties whose sympathies and perhaps whose interests,
are with the claimants, whilst the claimants have had years to
prepare and get up their cases and to select the most favorable
proofs to sustain them. From these causes, no doubt, the government
is often greatly defrauded, and claims are proved and adjudged
against it which have really no just grounds, or which have long
since been settled and paid. But whatever reason Congress may have
had for passing the act, of its right to pass it there is no
question. The erection of the Court of Claims itself, and the
giving to parties the privilege of suing the government therein,
though dictated by a sense of justice and good faith, were purely
voluntary on the part of Congress, and it has the right to impose
such conditions and regulations in reference to the proceedings in
that court as it sees fit.
The section in question was undoubtedly intended to give the
government an advantage, which, in respect to its form, is quite
unusual, if not unprecedented, but which Congress undoubtedly saw
sufficient reason to confer. It authorizes the Court of Claims, on
behalf of the United States, at any time while a suit is pending
before or on appeal from said court, or within two years next after
the final disposition of such suit, to grant a new trial upon such
evidence as shall
Page 80 U. S. 669
satisfy the court that the government has been defrauded or
wronged. The question is what is meant by the final disposition of
the suit from which the two years of limitation is to date. And it
seems to us there is hardly room for a doubt. Looking at the words
in their collocation with the previous words, it seems evident that
the final determination of the suit has reference to its final
determination on appeal (if an appeal is taken), or, if none is
taken, then to its final determination in the Court of Claims. The
natural meaning of the words leads to the same conclusion. The
final determination of a suit is the end of litigation therein.
This cannot be said to have arrived as long as an appeal is
pending. Neither the existence nor the determination of the appeal
interferes with the right, on the part of the government, to apply
for a new trial, and of course the mandate from this Court cannot
affect it.
It has been objected that the granting of a new trial after a
decision by this Court is, in effect, an appeal from the decision
of this Court. This would be so if it were granted upon the same
case presented to us. But it is not. A new case must be made -- a
case involving fraud or other wrong practiced upon the government.
It is analogous to the case of a bill of review in chancery to set
aside a former decree, or a bill impeaching a decree for fraud.
We are of opinion, therefore, that the Court of Claims had
jurisdiction to grant a new trial notwithstanding the filing of the
mandate of this Court.
The other ground on which the court dismissed the motion --
namely that on the first hearing the court was equally divided --
was no valid reason for not proceeding after an order for a
rehearing had been made.
The next question is as to the proper remedy of the counsel for
the United States upon the dismissal of their motion. To us it
seems clear that they should have applied to this Court for a
mandamus. An appeal was not the proper remedy. The Court of Claims
did not reach the consideration of the motion for a new trial on
its merits, but stopped
Page 80 U. S. 670
short of that point by reaching the conclusion that, under the
circumstances, they had no jurisdiction to entertain the motion,
and therefore they dismissed it. The only proper remedy, therefore,
which was left to the United States was to move for a mandamus to
direct the court to proceed with the motion. Where a court declines
to hear a case or motion, alleging its own incompetency to do so or
that of the party to be heard, mandamus is the proper remedy. A
writ of error or appeal does not lie, for what has the appellate
court to review where the inferior court has not decided the case,
but has refused to hear it? Where a final judgment or decree to
which a writ of error or an appeal can be taken is based on a
supposed want of jurisdiction, that question, as well as other
questions, may be examined by the appellate court. But that, as we
have shown, is not the case here.
If this view as to the proper course of proceeding is correct,
it follows that the appeal taken by the counsel for the government
was not well taken, and that this Court would dismiss it upon
proper application here.
But we cannot grant a mandamus to the Court of Claims to cause
them to vacate their allowance of the appeal. That would be to use
the writ for the purpose of compelling the inferior court to decide
a case or question in a particular manner. If we should grant a
mandamus in the case at all, it would be adverse to the claimants
-- namely a mandamus to vacate the allowance of the appeal and to
proceed with the hearing of the motion for a new trial. Perhaps, on
the principle of going back to the first error, we might do this,
especially as by their appeal, the defendants, though not in the
proper mode, have asked us to do substantially the same thing by
reversing the order dismissing their motion for new trial.
However, since the appeal has been actually allowed and the
court below has thus lost possession of the case, and as it is now
within the control of this Court, we think the more orderly and
proper course would be for one or the other party to move to
dismiss the appeal, and for the counsel of the United States, if
they see fit, to move for a distinct
Page 80 U. S. 671
mandamus to require the Court of Claims to proceed. A motion to
dismiss the appeal where it has been improperly allowed is an
adequate remedy, and this is an additional reason why a mandamus
commanding the court below to vacate the allowance thereof should
not be granted.
It is suggested that a party wishing to move the dismissal of an
appeal is obliged to await the arrival of the term to which the
record ought to be returned, which occasions great delay. But as
the case is virtually in the possession and subject to the control
of this Court as soon as the appeal is effectively taken, we see no
reason why the appellee should not at any time when the court is in
session apply to have the appeal dismissed, provided the question
can be properly presented to the court. Of course the court would
not hear the motion without having the record before it, but that
could be procured and presented by the appellee as is done where
the appellant has failed to have the record filed in due time. In
many cases the court might decline to hear the motion until the
record were printed, but that could also be done by the appellee if
he desired to have a speedy hearing of the matter. Unless some
unforeseen inconvenience should arise from the practice, we shall
not refuse to hear a motion to dismiss before the term to which, in
regular course, the record ought to be returned. It would be likely
to prevent great delays and expense, and further the ends of
justice.
The motion for mandamus must be
Denied.
If the counsel for the United States desire to dismiss their
appeal and ask for a mandamus to the Court of Claims to proceed
with the motion for a new trial, it will be granted. But probably
counsel will be able, in view of the suggestions now made, to come
to some mutual arrangement by which further process or delay may be
avoided.
THE CHIEF JUSTICE, with whom concurred CLIFFORD, J., dissented
from the opinion of the Court because
Page 80 U. S. 672
they thought that the act of Congress did not warrant the
granting of a new trial on a petition filed subsequent to an appeal
and the return of the mandate from the court.
*
See the report of the case,
supra, p.
80 U. S. 623. The
case was decided at the close of the last term.
