district courts, including the United States district court for Hawaii and the United States district court for Porto Rico, in all cases other than those in which appeals and writs of error may be taken direct to the Supreme Court, as provided in section two hundred and thirtyeight, unless otherwise provided by law; and, except as provided in sections two hundred and thirty-nine and two hundred and forty, the judgments and decrees of the circuit court of appeals shall be final in all cases in which the jurisdiction is dependent entirely upon the opposite parties to the suit or controversy being aliens and citizens of the United States or citizens of different States; also in all cases arising under the patent laws, under the trade-mark laws, under the copyright laws, under the revenue laws, and under the criminal laws, and in admiralty cases." "SEC. 238. Appeals and writs of error may be taken from the district courts, including the United States district court for Hawaii and the United States district court for Porto Rico, direct to the Supreme Court in the following cases: In any case in which the jurisdiction of the court is in issue, in which case the question of jurisdiction alone shall be certified to the Supreme Court from the court below for decision; from the final sentences and decrees in prize causes; in any case that involves the construction or application of the Constitution of the United States; in any case in which the constitutionality of any law of the United States or the validity or construction of any treaty made under its authority is drawn in question; and in any case in which the constitution or law of a State is claimed to be in contravention of the Constitution of the United States." "SEC. 246. Writs of error and appeals from the final judgments and decrees of the Supreme Court of the Territory of Hawaii and of the Supreme Court of Porto Rico may be taken and prosecuted to the Supreme Court of the United States within the same time, in the same manner, under the same regulations, and in the same classes of cases, in which writs of error and appeals from the final judgments and decrees of the highest court of a State in which a decision in the suit could be had, may be taken and prosecuted to the Supreme Court of the United States under the provisions of section two hundred and thirty-seven; and in all other cases, civil or criminal, in the Supreme Court of the Territory of Hawaii or the Supreme Court of Porto Rico, it shall be competent for the Supreme Court of the United States to require by certiorari, upon the petition of any party thereto, that the case be certified to it, after final judgment or decree, for review and determination, with the same power and authority as if taken to that court by appeal or writ of error; but certiorari shall not be allowed in any such tase unless the petition therefor is presented to the Supreme Court of the United States within six months from the date of such judgment or decree." Writs of error and appeals from the final judgments and decrees of the supreme courts of the Territory of Hawaii and of Porto Rico, wherein the amount involved, exclusive of costs, to be ascertained by the oath of either party or of other competent witnesses, exceeds the value of $5,000, may be taken and prosecuted in the circuit courts of appeals. SEC. 3. That section two hundred and forty-four of the Act aforesaid is hereby repealed. SEC. 4. That the judgments and decrees of the circuit courts of appeals in all proceedings and cases arising under the bankruptcy Act and in all controversies arising in such proceedings and cases shall be final, save only that it shall be competent for the Supreme Court to require by certiorari, upon the petition of any party thereto, that the proceeding, case, or controversy be certified to it for review and determination, with the same power and authority as if taken to that court by appeal or writ of error; but certiorari shall not be allowed in any such proceeding, case, or controversy unless the petition. therefor is presented to the Supreme Court within three months from the date of such judgment or decree. SEC. 5. No court of the United States shall have jurisdiction of any action or suit by or against any railroad company upon the ground that said railroad company was incorporated under an Act of Congress. SEC. 6. That this Act shall not affect cases now pending in the Supreme Court of the United States or cases in which writs of error or appeals have been allowed at the date of its approval. And nothing in this Act shall be deemed to repeal, amend, or modify the provisions of an Act entitled "An Act providing for writs of error in certain instances in criminal cases," approved March second, nineteen hundred and seven. Approved, January 28, 1915. AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE REGISTER AND ENROLLMENT OF VESSELS BUILT IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES WHEN SUCH VESSELS HAVE BEEN WRECKED ON THE COASTS OF THE UNITED STATES OR HER POSSESSIONS OR ADJACENT WATERS AND SALVED BY AMERICAN CITIZENS AND REPAIRED IN AMERICAN SHIPYARDS. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section fortyone hundred and thirty-six of the Revised Statutes of the United States be reenacted and revised to read as follows: "SEC. 4136. The Secretary of Commerce may issue a register or enrollment for any vessel wrecked on the coasts of the United States or her possessions or adjacent waters, when purchased by a citizen or citizens of the United States and thereupon repaired in a shipyard in the United States or her possessions, if it shall be proved to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Commerce, if he deems it necessary, through a board of three appraisers appointed by him, that the said repairs put upon such vessels are equal to three times the appraised salved value of the vessel: Provided, That the expense of the appraisal herein provided for shall be borne by the owner of the vessel: Provided further, That if any of the material matters of fact sworn to or represented by the owner, or at his instance, to obtain the register of any vessel are not true, there shall be a forfeiture to the United States of the vessel in respect to which the oath shall have been made, together with tackel, apparel, and furniture thereof.” Approved, February 24, 1915. AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ALLOWANCE OF DRAWBACK OF TAX ON ARTICLES SHIPPED ΤΟ THE ISLAND OF PORTO RICO OR то THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all provisions of existing laws for the allowance of drawback of internal-revenue tax on articles exported from the United States are, so far as applicable, hereby extended to like articles upon which an internal-revenue tax has been paid when shipped from the United States to the Island of Porto Rico or to the Philippine Islands. Approved, March 4, 1915. |