Samuel Blatchford

“ Section 914 prescribes a conformity to the practice in the courts of the state only 'as near as may be,' and only 'in like causes.' It is a proper construction of this section to hold that, while the provisions of the Code of Kentucky in regard to pleadings in civil suits in personam apply to like causes in the federal courts in Kentucky, they do not apply to suits in rem by the United States for the forfeiture of property, after its seizure, for the violation of a revenue law, because there are no 'like causes' known to the laws of Kentucky. ”

“ The practice as to the pleadings in suits in rem like the present having been well settled prior to the passage of the act of June 1, 1872, the question is whether is was changed by that act. In Union Ins. Co. v. U.S., 6 Wall, 759, 764, where land was seized and proceeded against as forfeited to the United States under a confiscation act, it was held that while either party had a right to demand a trial by jury, the proceedings were to be 'in general conformity to the course in admiralty.' A like ruling was made, in a like case, in Armstrong's Foundry, 6 Wall. ”