List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 126


This is a list of cases reported in volume 126 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1888.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of volume 126 U.S.

The Supreme Court is established by Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States, which says: "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court...". The size of the Court is not specified; the Constitution leaves it to Congress to set the number of justices. Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 Congress originally fixed the number of justices at six. Since 1789 Congress has varied the size of the Court from six to seven, nine, ten, and back to nine justices.
When the cases in volume 126 U.S. were decided the Court comprised the following eight members :
PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
Tenure on Supreme Court
Morrison WaiteChief JusticeOhioSalmon P. Chase

–
March 23, 1888
Samuel Freeman MillerAssociate JusticeIowaPeter Vivian Daniel

–
October 13, 1890
Stephen Johnson FieldAssociate JusticeCalifornianewly created seat

–
December 1, 1897
Joseph P. BradleyAssociate JusticeNew Jerseynewly created seat

–
January 22, 1892
John Marshall HarlanAssociate JusticeKentuckyDavid Davis

–
October 14, 1911
Stanley MatthewsAssociate JusticeOhioNoah Haynes Swayne

–
March 22, 1889
Horace GrayAssociate JusticeMassachusettsNathan Clifford

–
September 15, 1902
Samuel BlatchfordAssociate JusticeNew YorkWard Hunt

–
July 7, 1893

Citation style

Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 the federal court structure at the time comprised District Courts, which had general trial jurisdiction; Circuit Courts, which had mixed trial and appellate jurisdiction; and the United States Supreme Court, which had appellate jurisdiction over the federal District and Circuit courts—and for certain issues over state courts. The Supreme Court also had limited original jurisdiction. There were one or more federal District Courts and/or Circuit Courts in each state, territory, or other geographical region.
Bluebook citation style is used for case names, citations, and jurisdictions.

List of cases in volume 126 U.S.

In volume 126, unique for the United States Reports, an entire volume comprises reports of one set of related cases: The Telephone Cases. They are six cases appealed from various lower courts. The cases all relate to the invention of the telephone. In The Telephone Cases the Supreme Court upheld the priority of patents belonging to Alexander Graham Bell, which were used by the American Bell Telephone Company and the Bell System. The decisions were announced on 19 March 1888, four days before the author of the opinions, Chief Justice Morrison Waite, died unexpectedly of pneumonia.
Case NamePage & yearOpinion of the CourtConcurring opinionDissenting opinionLower CourtDisposition
Dolbear v. American Bell Telephone CompanyWaitenoneBradleyC.C.D. Mass.affirmed
Molecular Telephone Company v. American Bell Telephone CompanyWaitenoneBradleyC.C.S.D.N.Y.reversed
American Bell Telephone Company v. Molecular Telephone CompanyWaitenoneBradleyC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Clay Commercial Telephone Company v. American Bell Telephone CompanyWaitenoneBradleyC.C.E.D. Pa.affirmed
People's Telephone Company v. American Bell Telephone CompanyWaitenoneBradleyC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Overland Telephone Company v. American Bell Telephone CompanyWaitenoneBradleyC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed