List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 42


This is a list of cases reported in volume 42 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1843.

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.

Benjamin Chew Howard

Starting with the 42nd volume of U.S. Reports, the Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States was Benjamin Chew Howard. Howard was Reporter of Decisions from 1843 to 1860, covering volumes 42 through 65 of United States Reports which correspond to volumes 1 through 24 of his Howard's Reports. As such, the dual form of citation to, for example, Williams v. United States is 42 U.S. 290.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of 42 U.S. (1 How.)

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 42 U.S. were decided the Court comprised these nine justices:
PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
Tenure on Supreme Court
Roger B. TaneyChief JusticeMarylandJohn Marshall


October 12, 1864
Joseph Story
Associate 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
James Moore WayneAssociate JusticeGeorgiaWilliam Johnson


July 5, 1867
John CatronAssociate JusticeTennesseenewly created seat


May 30, 1865
John McKinleyAssociate JusticeAlabamanewly created seat


July 19, 1852
Peter Vivian DanielAssociate JusticeVirginiaPhilip P. Barbour


May 31, 1860

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.
Case NamePage & yearOpinion of the CourtConcurring opinionDissenting opinionLower CourtDisposition
Williams v. AshTaneynonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Hammond's Administrator v. Washington's ExecutorDanielnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
United States v. AcostaCatronnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.affirmed
Smith v. CondryTaneynonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Mercer's Lessee v. SeldenMcLeannonenoneC.C.E.D. Va.affirmed
Buchannon v. UpshawCatronnonenoneC.C.D. Ohioreversed
Strout v. Fosterper curiamnonenoneC.C.E.D. La.affirmed
City of Mobile v. EmanuelMcLeannoneCatronAla.affirmed
United States v. LinnThompsonnoneMcLeanC.C.D. Ill.reversed
Morris v. Nixon's ExecutorWaynenonenoneC.C.E.D. Pa.reversed
Second Bank of the United States. v. BeverlyBaldwinnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Lloyd v. HoughDanielnonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
McKnight v. TaylorTaneynonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Bell v. BruenCatronnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.reversed
Cartwright v. Howeper curiamnonenoneC.C.D.C.dismissed
Bowman v. WathenDanielnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
Ellis v. Jonesper curiamnonenoneC.C.S.D. Ala.affirmed
McClurg v. KingslandBaldwinnonenoneC.C.W.D. Pa.affirmed
Connor v. BradleyDanielnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Jewell's Lessee v. JewellTaneynonenoneC.C.D.S.C.reversed
Bank of the Metropolis v. New England BankTaneynonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
McKenna v. FiskWaynenonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
United States v. IrvingMcLeannonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.certification
Nelson v. CarlandTaneynoneCatronC.C.D. Ky.dismissed
In re Castlemanper curiamnonenoneC.C.D. Ky.certification
Taylor v. SavageTaneynonenoneN.D. Ala.dismissed
Minor v. TillotsonTaneynonenoneC.C.E.D. La.dismissed
Todd v. Daniellper curiamnonenonenot indicatedaffirmed
Williams v. United StatesDanielnonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Duncan v. DarstCatronnonenoneC.C.E.D. Pa.affirmed
Bronson v. KinzieTaneynoneMcLeanC.C.D. Ill.certification