Case Name: Baker v. Mix, Garnishee of Buckley & Co.
Court: United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1826-12
Citations: 3 Cranch 1
Docket Number: 
Parties: Baker v. Mix, Garnishee of Buckley & Co.
Judges: 
Reporter: Reports of cases argued and determined in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia (District of Columbia - reported by Mackey)
Volume: 3
Pages: 1–2

Head Matter:
Baker v. Mix, Garnishee of Buckley & Co.
An assignment of the debt by the defendant to a third person, with notice to the garnishee, before service of the attachment, cannot be given in evidence upon trial of the issue of nulla bona, but must be pleaded specially.
contended that it was good evidence for the garnishee on the plea of nulla bona.
UndeR the plea of nulla bona by the garnishee, he offered in evidence a deed of assignment by Buckley, as surviving partner of Buckley & Co. to one Thomas Pryer, of all the effects of that firm, including the debt due to them by the garnishee, with notice thereof to the garnishee before the service of the plaintiff’s attachment.
Mr. Redin, for the plaintiff,
objected to the evidence, and contended that the assignment could not be given in evidence upon the issue of nulla bona, but should have been specially pleaded, and cited 2 Har. Ent. 308, and Sergeant on Attachments, 91,93, that a garnishee.may plead an assignment.
Mr. Marbury, contra,

Opinion:
But the Court, (Cranch, C. J. contra) rejected the evidence on the issue of nulla bona.
Mr. Marbury, moved for a new trial on the ground that the Court erred in rejecting the evidence, and the motion came on to be argued at December term, 1826.
Mr. Marbury for the garnishee. Infancy may be given in evidence upon the general issue; so may coverture; yet in one case the plaintiff may reply, necessaries; and, in the other, special matter avoiding the marriage; so a parol release, or payment, and most matters in discharge of the action. 1 Chitty's Pleadings, 471; Miller v. Aris, 3 Esp. 234; Sullivan v. Montague, Douglass, 106; Sergeant's Law of Attachments, 93; Wood v. Roach, 2 Dallas, 180; Stewart v. West, Garnishee of Jenners, 1 Har. & John. 538; Harding v. Hull & Tyson, 5 Har. & John. 478; United States v. Vaughan, 3 Binney, 400.
Mr. Reddin, contra. The plea of nulla bona, goes only to the existence of the debt; an assignment does not show the debt is not due, and therefore should be pleaded specially. It admits the debt to be due at law, and is only a kind of equitable defence, which the plaintiff, who had no notice of the assignment, did not come prepared to answer upon the issue of nulla bona. 1 Chitty, 408.
In the case from 3 Binney, 400, there was no question as to the form of the plea. In the case from 1 Har. & John. 536, the note was negotiable so that there was no debt to the defendant after his indorsement; and in the case from 5 Har. & John. 478, the assignment transferred the legal title, as well as the equitable.
The plaintiff claims equal equity with that of the assignee, and has a legal remedy against a legal debtor of his debtor. A lien must be pleaded. Clark v. Hougham, 9 Serg. & Lowber, 42; 2 Esp.N. P. 536.
Mr. Marbury, in reply. In Pennsylvania a common promissory note, payable to order, is not negotiable. United States v. Vaughan, 3 Binney, 394. An assignment need not be a transfer of the legal right of action to enable the garnishee to plead nulla bona.
The Court (Cranch, C. J., contra,) refused to grant a new trial.