List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 33


This is a list of cases reported in volume 33 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1834.

Nominative reports

In 1874, the U.S. government created the United States Reports, and retroactively numbered older privately-published case reports as part of the new series. As a result, cases appearing in volumes 1–90 of U.S. Reports have dual citation forms; one for the volume number of U.S. Reports, and one for the volume number of the reports named for the relevant reporter of decisions.

Richard Peters, Jr.

Starting with the 26th volume of U.S. Reports, the Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States was Richard Peters, Jr. Peters was Reporter of Decisions from 1828 to 1843, covering volumes 26 through 41 of United States Reports which correspond to volumes 1 through 16 of his Peters's Reports. As such, the dual form of citation to, for example, Holt v. Rogers is 33 U.S. 420.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of 33 U.S. (8 Pet.)

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 33 U.S. were decided, the Court comprised these seven justices:
PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
Tenure on Supreme Court
John MarshallChief JusticeVirginiaOliver Ellsworth


July 6, 1835
William JohnsonAssociate JusticeSouth CarolinaAlfred Moore


August 4, 1834
Gabriel DuvallAssociate JusticeMarylandSamuel Chase


January 12, 1835
Joseph StoryAssociate JusticeMassachusettsWilliam Cushing


September 10, 1845
Smith ThompsonAssociate JusticeNew YorkHenry Brockholst Livingston


December 18, 1843
John McLeanAssociate JusticeOhioRobert Trimble


April 4, 1861
Henry BaldwinAssociate JusticePennsylvaniaBushrod Washington


April 21, 1844

Notable Case in 33 U.S. (8 Pet.)

''Wheaton v. Peters''

Wheaton v. Peters, , was the first United States Supreme Court ruling on copyright. The Court upheld the power of Congress to make a grant of copyright protection subject to conditions, and rejected the doctrine of a common law copyright in published works. The Court also held that there could be no copyright in the Court's own written opinions.

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. 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.
Case NamePage & yearOpinion of the CourtConcurring opinionDissenting opinionLower CourtDisposition
Dunn v. ClarkeMcLeannonenoneC.C.D. Ohiocertification
Stratton v. JarvisStorynonenoneC.C.D. Md.dismissed
Bank of the Metropolis v. JonesMcLeannonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Erwin v. BlakeStorynonenoneC.C.D.W. Tenn.multiple
Dick v. BalchMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Byrne v. MissouriMarshallnonenoneMo.reversed
Lee v. LeeThompsonnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Armstrong v. Lear StorynonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Garnett v. JenkinsMcLeannonenoneC.C.D. Ky.affirmed
Watson v. MercerStorynonenonePa.affirmed
Brown v. KeeneMarshallnonenoneE.D. La.reversed
Briscoe v. Bank of Ky.MarshallnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.certification
Yeaton v. LenoxMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Bank of the U.S. v. Ritchie MarshallnonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Jackson v. AshtonMarshallnonenoneC.C.E.D. Pa.reversed
United States v. RinggoldThompsonnonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Lutz v. LinthicumStorynonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Robinson v. Noble's Adm'rsMcLeannonenoneW.D. Pa.reversed
Binney v. Chesapeake & O. Canal Co.ThompsonnonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Binney's Lessee v. Chesapeake & O. Canal Co.MarshallnonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
M'Cutchen v. MarshallThompsonnonenoneC.C.D.W. Tenn.affirmed
Gregg v. Sayre's LesseeMcLeannonenoneW.D. Pa.reversed
Mandeville v. Burt MarshallnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Chesapeake & O. Canal Co. v. Union BankMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.C.dismissed
Bank of the U.S. v. WhiteStorynonenoneC.C.D. Ohioreversed
United States v. HackThompsonnonenoneC.C.D. Md.affirmed
United States v. 112 Casks of SugarThompsonnonenoneE.D. La.affirmed
Mumma v. Potomac Co.StorynonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
United States v. RandenbushMarshallnonenoneC.C.D. Pa.certification
Life & F. Ins. Co. v. Wilson's HeirsMcLeannonenoneE.D. La.mandamus granted
Life & F. Ins. Co. v. AdamsMcLeannonenoneE.D. La.mandamus granted
Mitchell v. United StatesMarshallnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.irregular procedure
Keene v. McDonoughThompsonnonenoneE.D. La.affirmed
Davis v. PackardMarshallnonenoneN.Y.affirmed
King v. Mitchell StorynonenoneW.D. Va.affirmed
Withers v. WithersThompsonnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Bank of the U.S. v. DonnallyStorynonenoneW.D. Va.affirmed
United States v. Jones IMcLeannonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
United States v. Jones IIMcLeannonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
United States v. Jones IIIStorynonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Holt v. RogersStorynonenoneC.C.D. Ky.affirmed
Brown v. SwannMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.C.continued
United States v. ClarkeMarshallnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.multiple
United States v. RichardMarshallnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.multiple
United States v. Huertas IMarshallnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.affirmed
United States v. GomezMarshallnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.affirmed
United States v. Fleming's HeirsMarshallnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.affirmed
United States v. LeviMarshallnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.multiple
United States v. YoungeMarshallnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.affirmed
United States v. HernandezMarshallnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.affirmed
United States v. Huertas IIMarshallnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.multiple
United States v. Fatio's HeirsMarshallnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.affirmed
United States v. GibsonMarshallnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.affirmed
Carrington v. Merchants' Ins. Co.StorynonenoneC.C.D. Mass.certification
Deneale v. Archer IMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.C.dismissed
Deneale v. Archer IIMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Boon's Heirs v. ChilesMarshallnonenoneC.C.D. Ky.certification
The Ship VirginStorynonenoneC.C.D. Md.reversed
Hazard's Adm'r v. New E.M. Ins. Co.McLeannonenoneC.C.D. Mass.multiple
Ex parte BradstreetMarshallnonenoneN.D.N.Y.mandamus denied
Wheaton v. PetersMcLeannoneThompson; BaldwinC.C.E.D. Pa.certification
United States v. PhelpsMarshallnonenoneS.D.N.Y.mandamus denied