Nathan Clifford

“ It has been twice so ruled by this court, and is undoubtedly a valuable rule of practice, and one well calculated to promote regularity and logical order in jury trials; but it is equally well settled by the same authorities that the mode of conducting trials, and the order of introducing evidence, and the time when it is to be introduced, are matters properly belonging very largely to the practice of the court where the matters of fact are tried by a jury. ”

“ New products or articles of importation frequently appear, and hence it is that Congress finds it necessary to impose duties by some general designation, in order that non-enumerated articles may not escape from their just share of the public burden. Non-enumerated articles under the first act in question were subjected to a duty of ten per cent ad valorem, but the act increasing import duties included some of those articles in the enumerated list, and imposed on them a duty of five dollars per ton in addition to the duties previously imposed by the prior act. ”

“ Exception was taken by the plaintiffs to the ruling of the court, and that exception constitutes the basis of the first assignment of error.
Authorities of the highest character show that the established rule of practice in the Federal courts and in most other jurisdictions in this country is that a party has no right to cross-examine a witness, without leave of the court, as to any facts and circumstances not connected with matters stated in his direct examination, subject to two necessary exceptions. ”