Nathan Clifford

“ The sole purpose of the proceedings in Louisiana was to enforce the decree made in Alabama, and the proceedings in Louisiana are merely in the nature of an execution against the vessel. If the vessel or its claimants could not appeal from the decree of the Circuit Court in Alabama, no appeal from proceedings to execute that decree will lie from the decree of the Circuit Court in Louisiana, although the vessel may have been removed from one jurisdiction to another, or have changed owners. The removal or change of ownership cannot affect the jurisdiction of the court. ”

“ Indeed, having filed their libel in the form in which they have consented to do, they could not be heard to say that they were joint and several libellants for a part of their claim and joint libellants only for another part.
In so far as the appellant is concerned, it is a matter of indifference how the whole amount claimed is distributed. That is a matter to be settled between the material-men (the appellees) themselves. At present, in the libel in Louisiana, the decree on which alone it is that there is an appeal, they claim jointly. ”

“ The eighth rule of court requires that the clerk of the lower court shall make and transmit a true copy of the record and of all proceedings in the cause; this has not been done in the present case, but on the contrary, portions of the record, important to show the character of the seizure and condemnation of the Rio Grande in the several suits of the libellants, have by order of the claimants' proctor been excluded from the transcript. ”