Case Name: G. & C. Lindenberger v. Henry Rosseau
Court: Constitutional Court of South Carolina
Jurisdiction: South Carolina
Decision Date: 1815-11
Citations: 3 Brev. 543
Docket Number: 
Parties: G. & C. Lindenberger v. Henry Rosseau.
Judges: Grimke, Smith, Bay, and Brevard, Js., concurred.
Reporter: South Carolina Law Reports
Volume: 5
Pages: 543–544

Head Matter:
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT, COLUMBIA,
NOV., 1815.
G. & C. Lindenberger v. Henry Rosseau.
In debt on judgment an exemplification of the judgment against the principal, and against defendant, his bail, was produced; but the certificate of the clerk stated the same to be a correct transcript of the judgment against A. the principal, without mentioning the defendant. On plea of nul tiel record, held, that the exemplification was not admissible; and plaintiff was nonsuited.
Debt on judgment from Virginia. Pleas, nul tiel record and nil debet. Motion to set aside the decision of the court on the first plea, and to reinstate the cause, so as to try by it the issue of the second.
This was an action on a judgment obtained in the county court of Loudon, against the defendant, the bail of one Jones. An exemplification, duly certified under„the act of congress, was produced by the plaintiffs. The defendant in support of the plea of nul tiel record, objected to the certificate of the clerk of the court, because it therein expressed only that the annexed proceedings contained a judgment against Jones, and not a judgment against the present defendant. To this the plaintiff answered that it was not necessary, as the expression of the judgment against the principal was sufficient, inasmuch as the judgment against the bail was incidentally consequent, and itself detailed at full length in the exemplification, together with six continued executions against him, all duly returned unexecuted, which fully cured any supposed omission in the certificate of the clerk. The court, however, supported tho objection, and gave judgment on the plea in favor of the defendant. From which the plaintiffs appealed.
Goodwin, for motion. Stark, contra.

Opinion:
Nott, J.
Whether the proceedings in this case were regular, according to the laws and practice of the courts of Virginia, was for their courts to determine, and not for this court. But whether the certificate accompanying them is such as to entitle them to be given in evidence in our courts, is for us to determine. I am of °P'n'on >fc *s not- For, however intimately connected the parties may appear to be, we must consider this record either embracing two cases, one against Moore and the other against Rosseau ; or ive must consider it as one case against Jones and Rosseau, and not against Jones alone. In either case the certificate is defective, for it does not reach the proceedings against Rosseau at all: it barely states that the " foregoing is a true and correct transcript of the record and proceedings had in the suit wherein G. & C. Lindenberger are plaintiffs, and J. Jones, defendant." The true construction of which is, that as far as the transcript relates to Jones, it is true ; but so far as the transcript relates to Rosseau, who is the only defendant in this court, it is unsupported, by any evidence. The motion, therefore, must be refused.
Grimke, Smith, Bay, and Brevard, Js., concurred.
ColcocK, J.
I cannot conceive that it is proper to nonsuit the plaintiff in this case ; for it is clear, that the judgment was obtained against the defendant, Rosseau, as well as Jones, and the omission of the clerk to call it a judgment against Rosseau, does not alter the judgment: perhaps it may be customary, for the clerks of the Virginia courts to certify in this way. As the suit appears to be carried on against both in the same proceedings, it might lead to this mode of expression. At all events, the exemplification is, in my opinion, in conformity with the requisites of the act of Congress. I am, therefore, in favor of the motion.