Melville Fuller

“ The question of jurisdiction was not argued, and no reference was made to the act of March 3, 1885, regulating appeals from the supreme court of the District, (23 St. P. 443,) and providing that no appeal or writ of error should be allowed from its judgments or decrees unless the matter in dispute, exclusive of costs, should exceed the sum of $5,000, except in cases involving the validity of any patent or copyright, or in which the validity of a treaty or statute of, or an authority exercised under, the United States, was drawn in question. ”

“ And such adoption has always been considered as referring to the law existing at the time of adoption, and no subsequent legislation has ever been supposed to affect it; and such must necessarily be the effect and operation of such adoption. ”