61 considered, irrespective of their nominal attitude, as plaintiffs or defendants, and such classification should determine the fact of a removable or non-removable controversy.60 A., of Wisconsin, sued in equity in the State court B. of Wisconsin and C. of New York. C. filed a counter-claim, which raised a separable controversy between him and A. Held, that the suit was not removable to the Federal court, the Federal court practice not recognizing a counter-claim, but only a cross-bill. In suit by city to vacate franchise granted by it, a mortgagee of the franchise asked to be admitted as a party, he being a resident of another State. On his subsequent application for removal, it was held that there was no separable controversy which was removable. 62 Attempt by divorced woman to enforce alimony out of land of her husband's heirs, presents no separable, and therefore removable, controversy, as between her and any one of the heirs. 63 Where contractors are made parties to a suit brought by subcontractors to enforce the mechanics' lien, it does not make it a separable controversy within the Act of 1887.6 Where a party claiming a first lien makes other lienors parties defendant, one of whom files a cross-bill and makes the other a party, presents a controversy involving only the question of priority of liens, and is not a separable controversy. 65 An action on a partnership obligation is not separable. 66 Where the whole case depends on the question of title between citizens of New York and citizens of other States, and the case as to the other defendants is a mere adjunct of the principal dispute, it is not removable. 67 1 Blake v. McKim, 103 U. S. 336; Bybee v. Hackett, 5 Fed. Rep. 1; Carraher v. Brennan, 7 Biss. 497; Arapahoe Co. v. Kansas Pac. R. Co., 4 Dill. 277; Burch v. Davenport etc. R. Co., 46 Iowa, 449. 2 Karns v. Atlantic & Ohio R. Co., 10 Fed. Rep. 303; Chicago v. Gage, 6 Biss. 457; Blake v. McKim, 103 U. S. 3.6. 3 Donahue v. Mariposa L. & M. Co., 5 Sawy. 133. See Burch v. Davenport & St. P. R. Co., 46 Iowa, 419. 4 Miller v. Finn, 1 Neb. 254; Ryan v. Young, 11 Ch. L. N. 353. 5 First Nat. Bank v. King W. I. Co., 2 Cent. L. J. 505. 6 Ayers v. Chicago, 101 U. S. 184. 7 Price v. Foreman, 12 Fed. Rep. 641. 8 Tyler v. Hagerty, 10 Ch. L. N. 100. 9 Taylor v. Rockefeller, 35 Leg. Int. 284. 10 Patterson v. Chapman, 13 Blatchf. 555. DESTY REMOVAL.-23. 48 Mitchell v. Tillotson, 11 Biss. C. Ct. 325. 49 Langdon v. Fogg, 18 Fed. Rep. 5. 50 Fidelity Ins. Co. v. Huntington, 117 U. S. 280. 51 Pollok v. Louchheim, 19 Fed. Rep. 465. 52 Plymouth M. Co. v. Amador Canal Co., 118 U. S. 264. 53 Freidler v. Chotard, 19 Fed. Rep. 227. 54 Flynn v. Des Moines & St. Louis Ry. Co., 63 Iowa, 490. 55 Blum v. Thomas, 60 Tex. 158. 56 O'Kelly v. Richmond & Danville R. Co., 89 N. C. 58. 57 Lyddy v. Gano, 26 Fed. Rep. 177; Contest of Will, Reed v. Reed, 31 Fed. Rep. 49. 58 Tuedt v. Carson, 4 McCrary C. Ct. 426. 59 Winnemans v. Edgington, 27 Fed. Rep. 34. 60 Sayer v. La Salle & Peru Gas Light Co., 11 Fed. Rep. 69. 61 Brande v. Gilchrist, 18 Fed. Rep. 465. 62 Galesburg v. Galesburg W. Co., 27 Fed. Rep. 321. 63 Chapman v. Chapman, 28 Fed. Rep. 1. 64 Ames v. Chicago etc. R. Co., 39 Fed. Rep. 881. 65 Bissell v. Canada etc. R. Co., 39 Fed. Rep. 225. 66 Woodrum v. Clay, 33 Fed. Rep. 897. 67 Corbin v. Van Brunt, 105 U. S. 576. 1 - § 96 u. Joint action not separable. Where there is a joint cause of action against several defendants there is no separable controversy. So an action on a bond against principal and sureties is a single controversy.2 If plaintiff has a joint cause of action, or if joint and several is declared on jointly, defendant cannot by tendering separate issues, create separate controversies, so as to authorize a removal.3 Where parties having several and distinct interests elect to join in a single cause of action to enforce an obligation common to all, the case in respect to removal on the ground of citizenship is the same as if they had been compelled to unite. So an action against heirs to subject lands to payment of alimony, is but a single controversy.5 In an action by separate judgment creditors to set aside the assignment, the only issue being fraud, no separable controversy is presented. In cases of accounting by trustee, all the beneficiaries are joint expectants and there can be no separable controversy, and consequently one cannot remove the cause.' But where the bill demands a joint and several accounting the rule is otherwise. Where all the defendants are directly interested in the relief sought it cannot be severed as to one." 6 troduced into the case by separate defenses to the same cause of action.1 Separate defenses do not create separate controversies, within the meaning of the Removal Act.2 So, in a suit against joint contractors or joint trespassers, one cannot remove the cause merely because he alleges in his defense that he is not jointly interested. A creditor's bill to obtain distribution among lien-holders, although the defenses are separate, presents but a single controversy.1 1 Louisville & N. R. Co. v. Ide, 114 U. S. 52; Hyde v. Ruble, 104 U. S. 407; Ayres v. Wiswall, 112 U. S. 187; Putnam v. Ingraham, 114 U. S. 57; St. Louis & S. F. R. Co. v. Wilson, 114 U. S. 60; Pirie v. Tvedt, 115 U. S. 41; Starin v. New York, 115 U. S. 243; Fletcher v. Hamlet, 116 U. S. 408; Fidelity Ins. T. & S. D. Co. v. Huntington, 117 U. S. 280; Sloane v. Anderson, 117 U. S. 275; Core v. Vinal, 117 U. S. 317; Hax v. Caspar, 31 Fed. Rep. 500. 2 Graves v. Corbin, 132 U. S. 571; Little v. Giles, 118 U. S. 596; Re San Antonio & A. P. R. Co., 44 Fed. Rep. 145; Ames v. Chicago, S. F. & C. R. Co., 39 Fed. Rep. 881. 3 Little v. Giles, 118 U. S. 596. 4 Fidelity Ins. Co. v. Huntington, 117 U. S. 280. § 96 x. Ancillary proceedings.-A suit brought to enjoin a suit at law is only ancillary; so proceedings in garnishment are ancillary.2 Proceedings in garnishment process are ancillary, and garnishees are not parties to the suit.3 The rights of applying creditors are merely incidental to the action, and the court will exercise jurisdiction over them. If supplementary proceedings are inseparably connected with the original judgment or decree, they cannot be removed; but it is otherwise where they are a mere mode of procedure or relief, involving an independent controversy with new or different parties. Where judgment was obtained against three defendants jointly, one of whom was a resident, to show cause why they should not be bound by the judgment, it is not a new action, but further proceedings in an old one. If a per son has only an incidental interest growing out of the litigation, he cannot remove." Where the whole case is between citizens of the same State it is not removable for diversity of citizenship of the parties to an auxiliary of the main dispute;s and by a parity of reasoning, when the defendant, the real party in interest, is a citizen of another State, the right of removal may not be denied on the ground that another defendant, a mere garnishee, |