Samuel Blatchford

“ The suit is really one for the specific performance of the contracts, to enforce them, to realize the fruits of the rights secured by them to the purchasers, and to reinstate the plaintiff in the position which he is entitled to occupy under the contracts as assignee thereof, notwithstanding any acts done by the county or its officers in impairment of the rights acquired by the contracts. Such a suit must be regarded as one to recover the contents of the contracts. ”

“ In case of failure to make any of the payments aforesaid punctually as stipulated, all previous payments shall be considered forfeited, and the land subject to be sold by the school-fund commissioner, or the payment of the money enforced according to law, at the option of said commissioner. ”

“ The first point taken by the appellees is, that the appeal ought to be dismissed for want of jurisdiction in this court, on the ground that the matter in dispute does not exceed the sum or value of $5,000, exclusive of costs. ”