Horace Gray

“ The action was brought upon a contract in writing between the parties, being the joint owners of a patent for an improved rope-reel, by which it was agreed that the defendant should have the exclusive control of the manufacture and sale of the reel, paying to the plaintiff a certain royalty on each reel sold. This was not a case arising under the patent laws of the United States, within the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal courts, (Manufacturing Co. v. Hyatt, ante, 756,) and no suggestion that it was appears by the record to have been made in either of the courts of the state. ”

“ But in allowing a writ of error from this court to the highest court of a state, and in issuing a citation, the chief justice of that court does but exercise an authority vested by congress in him concurrently with each of the Justices of this court. Rev. St. ”