Case ID: scl_8/html/0349-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "Johnson, J.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Smith, Administrator of Watson, against John M. Ehrick.
    Charleston,
    May, 1817.
    negroes to a merchant here, who sells them, together with other bi4“N,S¿ groes, to W. (with ™k'es^!\aal°u““ house in which “”tte coSgnee, secure him-i»nd for u^gegigee“tSei mortgage he as-SeaconSiZ% i'V"hat,theNni and mortgage baa cú“Tdew giually due for ^ecsrasjf^t^, síS™ between the defendant and the' original consign-er, on which to ground an action for money had and s™e uofdtheynegroes under the mortgage- and the ground an action
    This case was tried before Mr. Justice Grimlcé, at Charleston, in January Term, 1814.
    In 1807 or 1808, Watson, the plaintiff’s tate, consigned to the house of Christian Sr De Wolf, a cargo of Africans, 14 of whom they sold to John Whalley, at 8280 dollars, with whom they ti • Tilti l i i naa a running account, and to whom they also sold 10 other negroes, of a consignment from another .. . person. They took no bond or other security for tin amount of those sales, but debited him with them in an account current. Whalley failed In England; and Christian Sr De Wolf, to secure themselves and to prevent his creditors in England from gating possession of the funds here, took a bond Nr 8333 dollars 5 cents, the balance X 5 of the account\urrent due them, and a,mortgage • A-on the twenty-kpr negroes sold him. The defendant had endorsed for the house of Christian _ . _ - % , , \ ' ' demmfy him, Christian, of the firm of Christian Sr De Wolf, who was authorized to close the con- * . ' ' cerns of the firm, assigned to him the bond and mortgage above mentioned, under his hand and seal. The defendant sold 14 or 15 negroes to foreclose this mortgage; but the plaintiff was unable to designate more than four as belonging Sr De Wolf, for 430! dollars, and had actually vanced on that account 2900 dollars; and, to into the consignment of his intestate to Christian Sr DeWolf. Aftertheassignmentofthebondandmortsrasfe, the delendant had made further advances account to the house of Christian Sr DeWolf the precise amount of which did not appear; nor did it appear that the defendant ever knew that the bond and mortgage had been taken to secure the amount of the sales of the negroes consigned by the plaintiff’s intestate to the house of Christian Sr De Wolf. This action was brought to recover the amount of the sales of these negroes, as so much money had and received by the defendant, to the use of the plaintiff’s intestate; and heoblained a verdict: and a motion was made for '/new trial.
   Johnson, J.

delivered the opinion of ¿he Court.

Several grounds have been urged h support of the motion for a new trial in this <ase; but the only one which the Court have tiought proper to consider, is that which relate? to the want of privity of contract between theparties to this action, as from the result of thor delibei'ations on that question, the whole object of the motion will be attained.

In all actions founded on contract, there must be some connexion or privity, as to the subject matter of the action, between the parties to it, or the action cannot be maintained. It is not always necessary that there should be directly such a relationship, if I may so express it, for it is sufficient if they are united by legal implication, and this implication is extended sufficiently * ■ , T far to answer all the purposes of justice. It remains, therefore, to be inquired, whether there is, or is not, such a direct or implied connexion or privity between the parties to this action as is sufficient to charge the defendant. That there is no direct privity between them is obvious, so much so', - that it has not been pretended, and I will give the plaintiff the benefit of that most comprehensive rule, that if the defendant has received money which, ex equo et bono, he ought to pay. over to the plaintiff &c. and inquire if he comes within it.

The plaintiff’s intestate consigned to Christian & De Wolf 14 negroes, which they sold to Whatley, without taking security, and merely charged him with the amount in their account current, and at the expiration of one or two years after, on the final settlement of along account between them, they take a bond and a mortgage of 24 negroes, for the balance then due them. In this transaction alone, it appears to me, that the chain which connects the plaintiff with the negroes which were consigned to Christian & De Wolf, is broken off; for if Whalley had paid for the negroes, the plaintiff would have lost his lien upon them, and this particular contract is so amalgamated in the other dealings of the parties, that the traces of it are almost lost, and if you pursue it one step further, it wholly disappears. The defendant, without notice that this bond and mortgage had any connexion with the dealings between the plaintiff’s intestate and Christian & De it in payment of a debt which they owed him, and in effect purchased and paid for the negroes. But it is insisted that the transfer of the bond and mortgage, being by deed, was void, as coming within that rule of law which prohibits one partner from making a deed to bind his co-partner; or, in other words, that the assignment was void, because one partner cannot bind another by deed, and this seems to be the rule; but I apprehend it can only apply to the partners themselves, and not to strangers. The partner here is not the person complaining, but it is a stranger who complains that Christian has done an act to the prejudice of De Wolf, his co-partner, and I think it is time enough to hear him when he does complain.

Prioleau and Simons, for the motion.

Drayton, contra.

I am of opinion that the motion for a new trial ought to be granted.

The other Judges concurred.