JURISDICTION.
3. These courts have exclusive jurisdiction in all admiralty and maritime causes. These relate to maritime contracts, and to crimes against the laws of the United States, committed on the sea and on navigable lakes and rivers. It embraces in this country all contracts respecting vessels and navigation; such as chartering, repairing, and fitting them out, seamen’s wages, &c. They have in some cases concurrent jurisdiction with the Circuit Courts, as in cases of piracy, and exclusive cognizance of cases where seizures are made for a violation of the revenue laws, or laws relating to imports and navigation; and causes against consuls and vice consuls where the amount claimed does not exceed $100. In short, they have concurrent jurisdiction with the Circuit Courts, of all crimes against the laws of the United States, the punishment of which is not capital. The trial of issues of fact in all causes except civil causes of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction, must be by jury.
4. Appeals are taken from these courts to the Circuit Courts. The judges are appointed like those of the Supreme Court, for life, or during good behavior, and receive various amounts as salary, some more and some less, according to the amount of services to be performed in their respective districts.
5. When vessels are captured in time of war, either by the public armed vessels or by private armed ships, the facts and circumstances of the capture must be brought before a United States Circuit or District Court for adjudication; when the vessel and cargo are either condemned as a prize, or restored to their owners. When either of these courts adjudicate such cases, it is called a Prize Court.
We give the number of Judicial Districts in each State as they now exist, and the total number in all the States. They are as follows:
- Alabama, 3.
- Arkansas, 2.
- California, 2.
- Connecticut, 1.
- Mississippi, 2.
- Missouri, 2.
- Nevada, 1.
- New Hampshire, 1.
- Delaware, 1.
- Florida, 2.
- Georgia, 2.
- Illinois, 2.
- Indiana, 1.
- Iowa, 1.
- Kansas, 1.
- Kentucky, 1.
- Louisiana, 2.
- Maine, 1.
- Maryland, 1.
- Massachusetts, 1.
- Michigan, 2.
- Minnesota, 1.
- District of Columbia, 1.
- New Jersey, 1.
- New York, 3.
- North Carolina, 3.
- Nebraska, 1.
- Ohio, 2.
- Oregon, 1.
- Pennsylvania, 2.
- Rhode Island, 1.
- South Carolina, 2.
- Tennessee, 3.
- Texas, 2.
- Vermont, 1.
- Virginia, 1.
- West Virginia, 1.
- Wisconsin, 1.
- Total, 59.
CHAPTER LX.
ADMIRALTY AND MARITIME JURISDICTION.
In ancient times—and long before this government existed—civilized and commercial nations had codes or laws which related especially to transactions upon the sea. Those respecting ships of war and warlike operations at sea were called the laws of Admiralty; those respecting vessels engaged in commercial affairs were called Maritime laws; and the courts empowered with jurisdiction to hear and try causes, or to take any judicial proceedings in those cases, were styled Courts of Admiralty and Maritime Jurisdiction. These laws, in many respects, differed so materially from the laws relating to affairs on land, that the authority and power to take proceedings in and adjudicate upon them was conferred upon a particular class of courts. Hence we see the origin of the names of such tribunals.
In this country the United States District Courts have been designated by the laws as the courts which shall have original and exclusive authority to adjudicate this class of causes; yet an appeal from the District to the Circuit Courts may be taken.