At the very beginning we encounter a question of jurisdiction. Are the orders of which the appellants complain appealable? The orders direct the appellants respectively to appear before Robert F. Taylor, special examiner in the case, at the time and place to be designated, and directs each of them to "answer each and every question put to them respectively by the counsel for the complainant, the United States of America," and to produce before such commissioner certain books, papers, records, documents, reports and contracts, "for the purpose of their respective examination in said cause, and for use in evidence of the complaint of the United States of America in said examination." And it is ordered that the complainant's counsel shall have the right to inspect the said books, etc., and to introduce them or any of them in evidence; but, except as necessary for such purposes, the books, etc., to remain in the custody of the appellants.
A brief statement of the proceedings is all that is necessary. The United States by its proper officers brought suit in the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of Minnesota against the General Paper Company and twenty-three other corporations, defendants, under and pursuant to the provisions of the act of Congress of July 2, 1890, entitled "An act to protect trade and commerce against unlawful restraints and monopolies." It is alleged in the bill that the defendants, other than the General Paper Company and the Manufacturers' Paper Company, were engaged in the manufacture of manilla and fibre papers in active competition with one another, and that they entered into an agreement, combination and conspiracy to control, regulate and monopolize, not only the manufacture of news print, manilla, fibre and other papers, but also the distribution and shipment thereof among and throughout the Middle, Southern and Western States. The General Paper Company was the means employed to execute the combination and conspiracy. That company is a corporation organized, the bill alleges, by
The Manufacturers' Paper Company, it is alleged, is a New York corporation, with its principal place of business in Chicago, and from about the year 1897 to 1902, acted as the sales agent of various manufacturers of paper for the sale of newsprint and other papers; that in 1902 it became a party to the combination and conspiracy alleged in the bill and agreed with the General Paper Company not to compete with it in certain territories.
It is admitted that, prior to the formation of the General Paper Company, the other defendants except the Manufacturers' Paper Company, were in active competition. The formation of the General Paper Company is also admitted and that it became, by contract with the defendants who manufacture paper, their selling agent. The defendants deny, however, a purpose to violate the act of July 2, 1890. The violation of that law is the issue in the case, and the bill prays an injunction against the defendants and their officers from doing the acts or executing the purpose charged against them.
In trial of the issue thus made the Circuit Court appointed Robert S. Taylor special examiner, with authority to hear and take testimony within and without the District of Minnesota, and made an order fixing the time to take the testimony for the United States the sixteenth day May, 1905, at the city of Milwaukee,
The answers may be regarded for our present purpose as identical. They allege the immateriality of the evidence and that its materiality should be established as a condition precedent to its production; that they are officers of the companies, and as such officers, the custodians of the books, papers and documents, and that the same are of interest and value to the company in its business, and the company forbids their production; that the United States seeks evidence to convict the company and the individual appellants of violations of the act of July 2, 1890, to annul the contracts and agreements of the company, and subject it and the other appellants to the penalties prescribed in that act, and to compel the company and the other appellants to furnish evidence against themselves, contrary to the provisions of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which provides that no person shall be a witness against himself; also contrary to the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, which provides that the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated. It is also said that the alleged acts of the
As we have said, the court entered orders requiring the appellants to answer the questions put to them and to produce the books, papers and documents requested. Appeals were allowed to this court. To justify the appeals, appellants contend that the orders of the Circuit Court constitute practically independent proceedings and amount to final judgments. To sustain the contention, Interstate Commerce Commission v. Brimson, 154 U.S. 447, and Interstate Commerce Commission v. Baird, 194 U.S. 25, are cited.
Those cases rested on statutory provisions which do not apply to the proceedings at bar, and, while there may be resemblances to the latter, there are also differences. In a certain sense finality can be asserted of the orders under review, so, in a certain sense, finality can be asserted of any order of a court. And such an order may coerce a witness, leaving to him no alternative but to obey or be punished. It may have the effect and the same characteristic of finality as the orders under review, but from such a ruling it will not be contended there is an appeal. Let the court go further and punish the witness for contempt of its order, then arrives a right of review, and this is adequate for his protection without unduly impeding the progress of the case. Why should greater rights be given a witness to justify his contumacy when summoned before an examiner than when summoned before a court? Testimony, at times, must be taken out of court. In instances like those in the case at bar the officer who takes the testimony, having no power to
"I am of opinion that the mere direction of the court to the witnesses to answer the questions put to them and to produce the written evidence in their possession is not a final decision; that it more appropriately is an interlocutory ruling or order in the principal suit, and that if the witnesses refuse to comply with it and the court then exercises its authority either to punish them or to coerce them into compliance that will give rise to another case or cases to which the witnesses will be parties on the one hand and the Government, as a sovereign vindicating the dignity and authority of one of its courts, will be a party on the other hand. I have no doubt that a judgment adverse to the witnesses in that proceeding or case will be a final decision and will be subject to review by writ of error, but not by appeal. My opinion is also that the parties to the principal suit cannot appeal or obtain a writ of error from that decision."
See also Logan v. Penn. R.R. Co., 132 Pa. St. 403, 410.
This court having no jurisdiction, the appeals must be dismissed, and
It is so ordered.
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