Case Name: Wm. White, plaintiff in error, vs. John R. Hart et al., defendant in error
Court: Supreme Court of Georgia
Jurisdiction: Georgia
Decision Date: 1869-06
Citations: 39 Ga. 306
Docket Number: 
Parties: Wm. White, plaintiff in error, vs. John R. Hart et al., defendant in error.
Judges: McCay, J., concurred in this judgment, but furnished no opinion.
Reporter: Georgia Reports
Volume: 39
Pages: 306–310

Head Matter:
Wm. White, plaintiff in error, vs. John R. Hart et al., defendant in error.
The Courts of Georgia, organized under the Constitution of 1868, have no jurisdiction or authority to try, or give judgment on, or enforce any debt, the consideration of which was a slave or slaves, or the hire thereof. Warner, J., dissenting.
Jurisdiction. Slave note. Before Judge Parrott. Chattooga Superior Court. March Term, 1869.
Hart and W. D. Davis, his security, in 1859, gave to White, their promissory note, due the 1st of March, 1860, and White sued them on the same. At March Term, 1869, the defendants plead that the consideration of said note was a slave, and insisted that, for that reason, the Court could not try the cause. Plaintiff’s counsel objected to said plea, upon the ground that, being dilatory, it came too late. This objection was overruled. They then demurred to the plea. The Court overruled the demurrer, and, it not being denied that said note was given for a slave, dismissed the cause for want of jurisdiction. Plaintiff’s counsel say that the Court erred in allowing said plea filed at said term, in overruling said demurrer, and in dismissing said cause.
E. N. Broyles, A. R. Wright, E. A. Kirby, for plaintiff in error,
as to the time of filing said plea, cited Irwin’s Code, sections 3412, 3404, 3406; 27 Ga. R., 172 20th; 382, 28th, 546-7, 26th, 170; as to jurisdiction, Par. 1, Section 10, Art. 1, Constitution U. S.; 37 Ga. R., 513, 532; How. R., 311, 315 to 318 ; 6th, 301,12th, 1,15th, 304,18th, 370; 2 Wal. R., 23,4th, 535 ; 41 Miss. R., 119 (3), 130,131; Sedg Stat. and Const. L., 643, 653, 658-9, 663; 37 Ga. R., 127-9, 193, 137, 139 to 155; Menge vs. Gilmore, 1 Car. L. Repos., 34; Nevada St. R., 327 ; 8th Wheat. R., 76,12th, 347, 350 ; 28th Ga. R., 351; 4th Wheat. R., 197, 8th 17, 75, 76 ; 15 Howard, 306, 310, 311, 319; 3d, 707, 717; 4th Wal. R., 550; 7th Cranch R., 43; 2 Story on-Const., section 1381.
T. W. Alexander, Harvey and Scott, for defendant.

Opinion:
Brown, C. J.
We are of opinion that the Court did not err under our very liberal, and I may say, rather loose system of pleading, and under the new Constitution of this State, in permitting the defendants in the Court below to file their plea to the jurisdiction at the time it was"' offered.
Upon the main point in this case we affirm the judgment of the Court below for the reasons given in the case of Alfred Shorter, vs. J. L. Cobb et al., ante.
McCay, J., concurred in this judgment, but furnished no opinion.