Colorado Coal & Iron Co. v. United States
Supreme Court of the United States
In equity. The bill was filed in the name of the United States by the attorney general on January 22, 1880, the object and prayer of which were to declare void and cancel sixty-one patents for as many distinct pieces of land, situated at different places in Las Animas County, in the State of Colorado, amounting in the aggregate to acres.
Read the full summary
In equity. The bill was filed in the name of the United States by the attorney general on January 22, 1880, the object and prayer of which were to declare void and cancel sixty-one patents for as many distinct pieces of land, situated at different places in Las Animas County, in the State of Colorado, amounting in the aggregate to acres. To the original bill the Southern Colorado Coal and Town Company, a corporation organized under the law's of Colorado, v'as the sole defendant. The patents in question w'ere issued at different times betv'een October, 1873, and October, 1S74, upon preemption…
1Opinion of the CourtJustice Matthews
It is fully established by the evidence that there were in fact no actual settlements and improvements oh any of the lands as falsely set out in the affidavits in support of the preemption claims and in the certificates issued thereon. This undoubtedly constituted a fraud upon the United States sufficient in equity as against the parties perpetrating it, or those claiming under them with notice of it, to justify the cancellation of the patents issued to them. But it is not such a fraud as prevents the passing of the legal title by the patents. It follows that to a bill in equity to cancel the…
2Cases cited12 opinions
- Maxwell Land-Grant CaseSupreme Court of the United States · 1887
- Polk's Lessee v. WendalSupreme Court of the United States · 1815
- Deffeback v. HawkeSupreme Court of the United States · 1885
- United States v. MinorSupreme Court of the United States · 1885
- Moffat v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1884
7 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by119 opinions
- Herman & MacLean v. HuddlestonSupreme Court of the United States · 1983
- United States v. San Jacinto Tin Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1888
- United States v. American Bell Telephone Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1897
- Burke v. Southern Pacific RailroadSupreme Court of the United States · 1914
- United States v. American Bell Telephone Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1888
114 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.