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Isabella L. Mackay, Executrix of James Mackay, Zeno Mackay, George Anthony Mackay, James Bennett Mackay, Reuben-Coleman and Eliza Lucy, his Wife, William Coleman and Amelia Ann, his Wife, Louis Guyon and Mary Catherine, his Wife, David Bowles and Julia Ja U.S. 421 (1846)

handle is hein.slavery/ussccases0296 and id is 1 raw text is: JANUARY       TERM, 1846.                   421
Mackay et al. v. Dillon.
ISABELLA L. M.&cxAY, ExEcunrix or JAms MA.cy, ZENo MAcHAY,
GEORGE ANTHONY MACKLY, 3Imis BENNETT MACHAY, REUBEN-COLE-
-AN AND ErazA Lucy, His WI E, WILLAX .COLEDIAN AND AmELIA
ANN, His wirg,Louis GuPoN AND MARy CATHERINE, HIS WIFE,
DAVID BowLEs ArD Juri     JANE, HIs wIPE, AND ISABE.L   LoUisA
MACHAY BY IsABELI. L. MACHAY uER GUARDIAN, v. PATRICK M.
DILLON.
The jurisdiction of this court, when a case is brought up from a State court
under the twenty-fifth section of the judiciary act, does not extend to questions
of evidence ruled by that court, unless it is soqght to give such evidence effect
for other purposes over which this court has jurisdiction.
Under the act of 1805, providing for the appointment of cqmmissioners to examine
and decide on certain claims to land, and the act of 1812, confirming those claims,.
Congress did not intend to adopt the boundary-lines of the claims according to the
surveys which had been. laid before the commissioners; nor'adopt, for any pur-
pose, the evidence which had been presented to the board.
A decision of the court below, cutting off all proof of the correctness or incorrect-
ness of such surveys, was thereforb erroneous.
A survey, made at the instance of the inhabitants of St Louis, for the purpose of
presenting their claim' to commons, in due form, to the board 6f commissioners,
was in its nature a private survey, not binding on the United States, and having
no binding influence on the title' of subsequent litigants.
By what description of surveys the United States are bound, and those claiming
under them governed, reference is made to a preceding case in this volume, of
Jourdan andTLadry v. Barrett (ante, p.169), and for the effect of a legal survey
of the commons ofSt. Lcfis, to the succeeding case of Les Bois v. Bramell.
Tuis case was brought up from the Supreme Court of the
State of Missouri, by a writ of error, issued under the twenty-fifth
section of the judiciary act.
The suit was originally brought in the Circuit Court (State
court) for the county of St. Louis, but the venue changed to the
county of St. Charles.
It was an ejectment, brought by the heirs of Mackay against
Dillon, to recover a tract or parcel of land in the county of St.
Louis, containing two hundred arpents or more, bounded on the
north by land formerly belonging to Auguste Chouteau, called the
Mill tract; on the south by'aand formerly belonging to Anthony
Soulard, deceased ; on the east by the road leading from the city
of St. Louis to the village of Carondelet ; on the west by land for-
merly of the royal domain.
As the instruction asked by the defendant, and granted by the
court, referred to the copy of the claim   given in evidence, it is
necessary to set forth the whole of this evidence upon which the
claim of the defendant rested ; and also to state the title of the
plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs showed title as follows.
1st. Mackay's will, the production of which was afterwards ren-
dered unnecessary, by the admission of the defendant, that the
laintiffs were the wife and children and sons-in-law of James
ackay deceased.
VOL. IV.                                        33

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