The Schooner Sally. United States v. The Schooner Sally

*The Schooner Sally. United States v. The Schooner Sally. Admiralty jurisdiction. The question of forfeiture of a vessel, under the act of congress against the slave trade, is of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction. This was a libel in the District Court of the United States for Maryland district, against the schooner Sally, of Norfolk, and cargo, Elias De Butts, claimant, seized by the collector of the port of Nottingham, as forfeited under the act of congress prohibiting the slave trade. (1 U. S. Stat. 347.) In the district court, the vessel and cargo were acquitted on the merits, which decree was, on appeal, affirmed in the circuit court; whereupon, the United States sued out the present writ of error. The error assigned was, that the cause was of common-law, and not of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction. But— [MAJORITY — The Court,] The Court, upon the authority of the case of the United States v. La Vengeance, 3 Dall. 297, without argument, affirmed the decree.