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Thomas Moore, Executor of Richard Eels, Plaintiff in Error, v. The People of the State of Illinois U.S. 13 (1852)

handle is hein.slavery/ussccases0230 and id is 1 raw text is: DECEMBEIR TERM, 1852.

Moore v. The People of the State of Illinois.
it to reverse its judgnment, in a matter where the law authorized
it to judge. In the case before us, the power of deciding on the
sultieiey of the affidavit, and the amount of bail, is a part of
the judicial power of the court. It has exercised this power,
and passed its judgment.       We do not mean to say that this
judgment is in any respect erroneous.        But, assuming it to be
so, this court cannot, by mnandamuns, command them to reverse
it.  The writ has never been extended so far, nor ever used to
control the discretion and judgment of an inferior court of
record acting within the scope of its judicial authority. There
is no -round, therefore, for the rule under the act of Congress.
The application under the Maryland act of 1715, is equally
untenable. The provision in that act relied on in support of
the motion, was never held in Maryland to apply to any thing
but the bail-bonds to be taken by the sheriff in certain cases,
and never influenced the decision of the courts as -to the amount
of bail to be required when the defendant was brought into
court. But it is unnecessary to speak of that act, or of'the
construction it received in the courts of Maryland; because
the right of the plaintiff in the Circuit Court to demand bail
depends altogether upon the act of Congress.           And if there is
any discrepancy between this act and the act of Assembly of
1715, the act of Congress must govern, and is a repeal pro.tanto
of the Maryland law.
The rule to show cause is therefore refused.
THO.MNAS MOORE, EXECUTOR OF RICHARD EELS, PLAINTIFF IN
ERROR, V. THE PEOPLE O' THE STATE             OF ILLINOIS.
A State, under its general and admitted power to define and punish offences against
its own peace and policy, may repel from its boiders an unacceptable population,
whether paupcr.. criminals, fugitives, or lilberated slaves: and, consequentlv, may
Punish her citizens and othrs who thwart this policy, by harboring, secreAing, or
in any way assi~ting such fugitives.
It is no objection to such lecilation that the offender may be liable to punishment
under the act of Congress tbr the same acts, when injurious to the owner oft the
fugitive slave.
The cace of' Prigg v. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (16 Peters, 539,) presented
the following question% which were decided by the court:
1. That under and in virtue of the Constitution of the United States, the owner of a
slave is clothed with entire authority in every State in the Union, to seize and re-
capture his slave, wherever he can do it without illegal violence or a breach of the
peace.
2. That the government of the United States is clotheo with appropriate authority
and functions to enforce the delivery, on claim of the owner, and has properly ex-
ercised it in the act of Congress of 12th February, 1793.
VOL. XIV.               2

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