Mr. Chief Justice Vinson
delivered the opinion of the Court.
This litigation has a rather involved history. In 1946, while in the employ of respondent railroad, petitioner was seriously injured in an accident at Big Spring, Texas. Petitioner promptly brought suit under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. That court dismissed the action on the ground that the railroad could not properly be served in that district. 72 F. Supp. 635 (1947).. Petitioner appealed from this dismissal;, and, some days after taking the appeal, instituted an action in the District Court for the Northern District of Texas.’ An answer was filed in the latter action and a number of depositions were taken.
In March, 1948, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that the railroad was subject to service in New York. 166 F. 2d 788. Thereupon petitioner moved to dismiss his Texas action.. When the district court refused to dismiss, petitioner appealed and also applied for a writ of prohibition to the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. That court declined to issue the writ. 167 F. 2d 471 (1948). In No. 275, petitioner fequests this Court to issue a writ of certiorari to review the Court of Appeals action. And in No. 119 Misc., we are. asked to issue a writ, of prohibition directing the District Court for the Northern District-of Texas not to proceed with the trial.. We are advised that counsel have arranged that further, progress of the Texas trial shall be held in a-beyance pending our decision. We are this day denying those petitions. See post, p. 912.
■ When the New York cause was returned to the district court, after we had denied the railroad’s petition for eertiorani to review the Court of Appeals’ determination that it might be sued there; 335 U. S. 814 (1948), petitioner moved for a preference in the order of trial. The court below, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, denied this motion. Respondent filed a cross-motion for an order transferring the action to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. This motion was granted. The order of transfer relies on the .authority of 28 U. S. C. § 1404 (a), and cites Hayes v. Chicago, R. I. & P. R. Co., 79 F. Supp. 821 (1948), and Nunn v. Chicago, M., St. P. & P. R. Co., 80 F. Supp. 745 (1948). To nullify this order, petitioner moved this Court for leave to file a petition for a writ of certiorari or a writ of mandamus or any appropriate relief. We assigned the casé for hearing on the motion for leave to file. 335 U. S. 897 (1948).
In support of his motion, petitioner urges that the general purposes of the 1948 revision of Title 28 by the Congress indicate no intention to “emasculate” the right to choose venue afforded under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act; that “any civil action,” as used in .§ 1404 (a) of the Code, refers only toJcivil actions-specified in the Venue Chapter of Title 28 (§§ 1391-1406, inclusive); and that the court below “ignored the known temper of legislative opinion” as revealed chiefly by Congressional action on the Jennings Bill.
We fail to see anything in these contentions which can distinguish this case from Ex parte"Collett, decided this day, ante, p. 55. In that opinion we have demonstrated that the venue provisions of § 6 of the' Federal Employers’ Liability Act are one thing and the transfer provisions of § 1404 (a) of the present Judicial Code another; that “any civil action” means what it says; and that Congress was fully informed as to the significance of § 1404 (a). For these reasons, we conclude that the District Court for the Southern District of New York acted within its statutory authority. The motion must be
Denied.
' [For opinion of Mr. Justice Rutledge concurring in the result, see ante, p. 72.]
Mr. Justice Black and Mr. Justice Douglas dissent for the reasons stated in the dissenting opinion of Mr. Justice Douglas in United States v. National City Lines, post, p. 84.
35 Stat. .65, as amended by 36 Stat. 291, and 53 Stat. 1404, 45 U.'S. C. §§ 51-59. •.
“For the convenience of parties and witnesses, in the interest of justice, a district court may transfer any civil action to any other district or division where it might have been brought.” This provision became effective Sept. 1 1948. Act of June 25, 1948, 62 Stat. 869,992, §38.
What follows is an opinion from the Supreme Court of the United States. Your task is to determine whether the decision of the court whose decision the Supreme Court reviewed was itself liberal or conservative. In the context of issues pertaining to criminal procedure, civil rights, First Amendment, due process, privacy, and attorneys, consider liberal to be pro-person accused or convicted of crime, or denied a jury trial, pro-civil liberties or civil rights claimant, especially those exercising less protected civil rights (e.g., homosexuality), pro-child or juvenile, pro-indigent pro-Indian, pro-affirmative action, pro-neutrality in establishment clause cases, pro-female in abortion, pro-underdog, anti-slavery, incorporation of foreign territories anti-government in the context of due process, except for takings clause cases where a pro-government, anti-owner vote is considered liberal except in criminal forfeiture cases or those where the taking is pro-business violation of due process by exercising jurisdiction over nonresident, pro-attorney or governmental official in non-liability cases, pro-accountability and/or anti-corruption in campaign spending pro-privacy vis-a-vis the 1st Amendment where the privacy invaded is that of mental incompetents, pro-disclosure in Freedom of Information Act issues except for employment and student records. In the context of issues pertaining to unions and economic activity, consider liberal to be pro-union except in union antitrust where liberal = pro-competition, pro-government, anti-business anti-employer, pro-competition, pro-injured person, pro-indigent, pro-small business vis-a-vis large business pro-state/anti-business in state tax cases, pro-debtor, pro-bankrupt, pro-Indian, pro-environmental protection, pro-economic underdog pro-consumer, pro-accountability in governmental corruption, pro-original grantee, purchaser, or occupant in state and territorial land claims anti-union member or employee vis-a-vis union, anti-union in union antitrust, anti-union in union or closed shop, pro-trial in arbitration. In the context of issues pertaining to judicial power, consider liberal to be pro-exercise of judicial power, pro-judicial "activism", pro-judicial review of administrative action. In the context of issues pertaining to federalism, consider liberal to be pro-federal power, pro-executive power in executive/congressional disputes, anti-state. In the context of issues pertaining to federal taxation, consider liberal to be pro-United States and conservative pro-taxpayer. In miscellaneous, consider conservative the incorporation of foreign territories and executive authority vis-a-vis congress or the states or judcial authority vis-a-vis state or federal legislative authority, and consider liberal legislative veto. The lower court's decision direction is unspecifiable if the manner in which the Supreme Court took jurisdiction is original or certification; or if the direction of the Supreme Court's decision is unspecifiable and the main issue pertains to private law or interstate relations