Case Name: William M. Gwin v. James W. Breedlove
Court: Supreme Court of the United States
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1844-01
Citations: 2 How. 29
Docket Number: 
Parties: William M. Gwin v. James W. Breedlove.
Judges: 
Reporter: United States Reports
Volume: 43
Pages: 29–42

Head Matter:
William M. Gwin v. James W. Breedlove.
A statute of the state of Mississippi, passed on the 15th of February, 1828, provided that if a sheriff should fail to pay-over to a plaintiff' money collected by execution, the amount collected, with 25 per cent, damages, and 8 per cent interest, might be recovered against such sheriff and his sureties, by motion before the court to which such execution was returnable.
A marshal and his sureties cannot be proceeded against, jointly, in this summary way, but they must be sued as directed by. the act of Congress.
Bui the marshal himself' was always liable, to an attachment, under which he could be compelled to bring the money into court; and by the process act.of Congress, of May, 1828, was also liable, in Mississippi, to have a judgment entered against-himself by motion.
This motion is not a new suit, but an incident of the prior one; .and hence,’ residence of the parties in different states need not be averred in order to give jurisdiction to the court,
Such parts only of the laws of a state as are applicable to the. courts of the. United States are adopted by the-process act of Congress; a penalty is not adopted, and the 25 per cent damages cannot be enforced
A marshal who receives bank-notes in satisfaction of an execution, .when the return has not been set aside at the instance of the plaintiff, or amended by the marshal himself, must account to the plaintiff in gold or silver; the'Constitution of the United States recognising only gold and silver as a legal tender.
This case was brought up by writ of error, from the Circuit Court of the United States for the southern district' of Mississippi', and arose upon the following statement of facts.
At some period prior to the 13th day of February, 1839, James W. Breedlove, the defendant in error, had recovered a judgment in, the Circuit . Court of the United States for the southern district of Mississippi, against certain persons there, for the sum of $12,976, with interest at the rate of 8 per cent, per annum, from the 24th of May, 1838,. until paid; and on the said 13th of February, an execution was issued upon the judgment, and placed in the hands of Gwin, the marshal. The sum of $5000 was collected in. unexcep tionable money, and paid over to the plaintiff; the balaAce was received in notes of the Commercial Bank of Vicksburg, and Planter’s Bank of Mississippi, which the plaintiff refused to receive.
At the November.term, 1839, of the Circuit Court of the United States, Breedlove moved for a judgment against Gwin, the marshal, for the sum of $7976, being the balance.due to the plaintiff on the execution. . This motion was made under a statute passed by the legislature df Mississippi on the 15th day of February, 1828, which had been adopted in-the practice of the Circuit Court by a rule of .that court. Th$statute provided, (Howard and; Hutchinson, 296,) . that* if the sheriff should fail to pay, on demand by the plaintiff, money collected by execution, such sheriff and his sureties should be liable.to pay to the plaintiff the whole amount of money so collected, together with 25 per cent, damages thereon,' with interest at the .rate of 8 percent, per annum, to be recovered by motion before the court to which such execution-is made returnable. The statute further provided .for'a jury, if the-sheriff should deny that-the-money was collected-by him. In case the sheriff failed to return, an execution on the return day thereof, (Howard and Hutchinson, 298,) the plaintiff was allowed to recover judgment against the' sheriff and his sureties, with 5.per cent, damages, by motion before the court. It was also declared to be a misdemeanor for the sheriff to refuse to pay over money which he had collected, and punishable on conviction, by removal from office. Howard-and Hutchinson, 299.
The reasons filed in support of the motion were, that the marshal had made the money and failed, or refused, to pay it over to the plaintiff.
Gwin demurred, to the motion.; but- the .demurrer being overruled, he filed four pleas. In the first two, he denied having received money. In the-last two, he alleged that he had collected and received notes of the Planter’s Bank of the State of Mississippi, and of the Commercial and Rail Road Bank of Vicksburg, due and payable, on demand, when said banks, were paying gold and silver on all their notes payable on demand; which notes, so collected and received, were collected and received without any instructions from the plaintiff or his attorney that gold or silver Would be .required, and at a time • when the bank-notes received were the current circulating .medium; and the same were tendered to the attorney of the plaintiff, before the suspension of specie payménts -by any or either of said banks — all of which said bank-notes said defendant had always been ready and willing, and. was then ready and willing’, to pay over to the plaintiff ■ or his attorney.
■The plaintiff joined issue upon the first two pleas, and replied, specially, to-the last two, that ^ the defendant was, previous to the reception of the notes, instructed, that gold of silver would be required of him. Issue was joined upon the last' two replications. •
Evidence was offered at the trial, that the attorney of the plaintiff, Breedlove, told the marshal frequently, before the money'was collected, that specie would be required; that he had demanded the money of the marshal, who refused to pay him; that the marshal never tendered him any bank-notes, and that the notes of those banks, before their suspension, were .received in the community everywhére as'specie, and by the sheriffs and officers in collection of executions.
The execution was'issued on the I3th of February, and-the banks suspended specie payments on. the 15th or 22d of March, Í839.
The counsel for the .defendant prayed-the court-to instruct the jury as follows:
1. That if the jury believe from the evidence .that bills of- exchange and bank-notes were received by the marshal, and not gold or silver, then the jury will find the issues on'the first and second pleas in favour of the defendant.
2. If the jury believe that the instructions given to the marshal were intended to authorize the marshal to collect, gold or silver, or its equivalent, and he collected bank-notes which were equivalent to gold or silver, then they'should find the issue for the defendant.
3. And that if they find that the marshal received bank-notes or bills of exchange and not money in specie, which the plaintiff refused to receive as money, then they must find the issues.for the defendant, as the issue is, whether he received and collected money or not.
The first and third of which charges, the court refused to give, but gave the second charge to the jury; to which refusal to give the first and third charges, the defendant excepted. •
The jury found for the plaintiff.
Walker, for Gwin, the plaintiff in error.
C. Cox, for the defendant.
Wallcer made the following points:
1. That the statute of Mississippi had not been strictly pursued.
2. That it did not apply to marshals of the United States.
3. That there is a want of jurisdiction, inasmuch as the record does not show, in 'any part of it, that Breedlove was not a citizen of Mississippi.
1. The statute is highly penal in its character; and, therefore, like all other penal statutes, must be construed strictly. It provides (Howard and Hutchinson, 296) two remedies against sheriffs; one for not paying over the money which they may have collected, and the other for neglecting to levy the execution.. The motion below was under the first head, which was an erroneous proceeding, because bank-notes are not money. The return states the collection to have been ift bank-notes; but, if they had been notes of a mercantile firm, it would clearly not have been money. The one is no more money than the other. The statute is so highly penal that a refusal on the part of the sheriff to pay, is declared to be a misdemeanor, (page 299,) ■and punished by removal from office.
The agreement of the sheriff, to receive any thing but money, does not bind the plainfiff. 5 Howard, 246. Where the sheriff returned that he had received bank bills, it was not considered a legal return or binding on the plaintiff, and a new 'execution was awarded. 5 Howard, 621. A sheriff cannot take a negotiable note and return the execution satisfied. 1 Cowen, 46. The payment must be in Cash. 9 Johnson, 263. There feeing no money received, the remedy pursued ought to-have been for omitting to collect the money. How ard and Hutchinson, page 642, sec. 42.
2. The statute does not apply to marshals. It was passed on 16th February, 1828, The process act of Congress was passed on 19th May, 1828-; but no rulé Of court has ever adopted the state law. How came marshals,' then, to be .under the state law ? Their duties are pointed out by acts of Congress, (Gordon’s Digest Laws of the United States,- articles 610 — 611,)' and a party injured may sue on their bond and recover damages legally assessed. But the sheriffs, under the state law, are subject also to a .penally of 25 per cent, in addition: Can the marshals be legislated by a state into this responsibility? The sheriffs are also to be removed from office: Can a state law require the President of the United States to remove a marshal ? If not, where can the line be drawn ?
The words in the act of Congress of 1828 are borrowed from the act of 1792, and direct that the process at common law used in átate courts should be. adopted in the courts of the United States. But the process in the original suit below had been exhausted. The motion against the marshal was a new proceeding, and not a part of the process of the other case.
10 Wheat. 1, 32; 6 Peters, 658; 7 Cranch, 654; 1 Howard, 300.
2 Dallas, 396,
5 Mason, 26,
, 2 Peters, 300
1 attac]jment ¡awof states are not included > .• , \ in the process act. ,
,
The courts of the United States do not adopt state, criminal, or penal laws; 17 Johnson, 1, 4.
3. Breedlove is not shown in the record to have been a citizen of another state. This court has decided that, as the courts of the United States are of limited jurisdiction, it must appear on the face of the record. 10 Wheat. 192; 2 Cranch, 9; 2 Bald. C. C. R. 275; 13 Peters, 45; 4 Wash. C. C. R. 32.
C. Cox, for defendant, argued:.
1. That it was no_ ground of exception to defendant’s motion; that it does not show him to be a citizen of a state other than Mississippi'; in all other respects it is formal.
2. The plaintiff was accountable on his return, and on' the facts established by the verdict, for the amount of $7000 in money,
3. The statute of Mississippi is applicable to the present case.
1. The question of jurisdiction was settled by the original judgment;.'and a ministerial officer of-the court cannot be permitted to raise the objection. After an appearance, the objection cannot be made. 3 Peters, 459 ; 5 Howard, 432 ; 9 Peters, 156.
. 2. Issue was joined below upon the question whether the marshal received notice’ that coin would be required, and decided against him. The plaintiff below was, therefore, entitled to consider the marshal’s return as of money. A tender of bank-notes is good, unless objected to. 10 Wheat. 333.
3. The act of Congress of 1828 was subsequent to the statute of Mississippi. ' Process means the proceedings until the end of the suit, the possession of the fruits of the judgment. 10 Wheat. 1, 51.
The statute, of Mississippi was adopted by rule of court.
The bond of the marshal is a cumulative remedy. All courts have authority over their officers, and the remedy for injury is by motion. There is nothing unusual in the proceeding. All amercements are penal. In 9 Peters, 156, a judgment was entered on motion and refused to be re-opened.
Walker, in reply.
If the return of the marshal was that the execution was satisfied, was it not an end of that suit ?.
No matter who makes .the question of jurisdiction, the court will always notice it. The original judgment does not settle it, because the proceedings there do not make the necessary averment.
The case in 9 Peters does not apply: there is no case where the penal laws of a state have been applied to marshals.

Opinion:
Mr. Justice CATRON
delivered the opinion of the court.
The writ of error in this case is prosecuted by the former marshal to reverse a judgment recovered against him by motion in the Circuit Court of the United States for the district of Mississippi. The proceeding in this form, is founded on a law of that state governing sheriffs ; as will be seen by the statement of the reporter.
The first objection raised on behalf of the plaintiff in error is, that it does not • appear on the record, that Breedlove was a citizen of á different state from the defendant; and therefore it is insisted .the court below had no jurisdiction as'betwéen the parties. As this does not appear, in an, ordinary case jurisdiction would be wanting. On the other hand, it is contended that the motion against the ministerial officer of the court for not performing his duty, was an incident; and part of, the proceeding, in the suit of Breedlove against Marsh and others, in which the execution issued; and that no question of jurisdiction can be raised.
The motion for a judgment being a proceeding according to the statute of Mississippi, it is also'objected that Congress by the act of 1806 (ch. 31,) had provided a complete and exclusive remedy on marshal's bonds by suit; but if it was otherwise; still, the additional remedy furnished by the state law when substituted, must be treated as an independent suit, in like manner as an action on the marshal's bond, and the residence of the parties be such as to give "the federal court jurisdiction.
These propositions are so intimately blended that it is most convenient to consider them together.
. We think it true beyond doubt, that if the bond had been proceeded on against the marshal and his sureties, it could not have been done by motion, according to the state practice prescribed by the statute of Missis°sippi; but the proceeding must have been accord ing to the act of Congress. Yet before the act óf 1806 was passed, and ever since, the common law remedy by attachment has been the • most usual to coerce the marshal to perform his various duties; and among others, to bring into court moneys collected on executions. So in- the state courts, nothing is more common than to proceed by attachment against the sheriff, instead of resorting to a summary motion, for judgment against him by force of a statute, where he withholds moneys collected. The marshal's bond is for twenty thousand dollars;. the sureties are bound to this amount only; and if no other remedy existed save on the bond, after the penalty was exhausted, he might set the court 'at defiance: the marshal could also be sued in assumpsit,' by the plaintiff in the execution. It has therefore never been true, that a suit on his bond, governed by the acts of Congress, furnished the exclusive remedy as against the marshal himself; and we think that Congress intended by the new process act of. 1828, to add the cumulative remedies, then existing by statute-, in the new states, where they could be made to apply, because they were more familiar to the courts and country, and better adapted to the certain and speedy administration , of justice. In our opinion, the act of Mississippi authorizing a judgment by motion, against a sheriff for failing to pay over moneys collected on execution, to the party on demand, or into court at the return day, was adopted by the act of 1828, and' does apply in a case like the present, as a mode of proceeding in the courts of the United States, held in the district of Mississippi; and could be enforced against the marshal in like manner it could be against a sheriff in a state court.
The same facts that justified the judgment against the goods, &c., of the marshal, would have authorized an attachment against his person; operating even more hastily than a capias ad satisfaciendum', founded on a judgment; and therefore no objection to this means of coerción can be. perceived, that did not apply with still more force to-the old mode by attachment. The latter remedy was never-deemed an independent suit, but a means to compel the ministerial officer of the court to perform his duty, so that the plaintiff should have the fruits of his judgmént; and tire same end is attained by the new remedy under the- state law; each, is an incident of the suit between the plaintiff arid defendant to the execution; of which the proceeding against the officer is part; and to that suit the question of jurisdiction must be referred: It follows the officer had no right to raise the question.
The next inquiry is, to what extent does the statute of Mississippi apply to the courts of the United States held there ?
It is contended for the defendant in error, that the act of Congress of 1828, did intend, and could only have -intended, to adopt the state law entire; that when the process' and modes of proceeding were adopted, the provision carried with it the penalties prescribed to enforce their performance; to recognise part as governing the practice of the federal courts,, and reject other parts, as not applicable to them, would bréak up the whole system. That so doing' is a delicate, and difficult duty, experience has taught us; it is impossible, however., to do otherwise in many cases. That of Amis v. Smith, 16 Peters 303, was an instance. It also came np from Mississippi. By the laws of that state, the sheriff is commanded to take a forthcoming bond for the delivery of property oh the day of sale, levied on by virtue of an execution; if the bond is forfeited for not delivering the property, it-operates as a hew judgment against-the defendant to the execution* and also against the 'sureties to the bond; and no writ of érror is afterwards allowed to reverse the original judgment. Pursuant' to the laws of Mississippi a delivery bond had been taken by the marshal; it Was forfeited, and then the defendant prosecuted a writ of error to this ' court .to reverse the judgment on which the execution issued. It was held here, that that part of the state law authorizing the delivery bond to be given, was adopted by the act of 1828, and that a new execution might issue on it; but the part cutting-off the writ of error.must be rejected. An other. instance will be given, which is presented by the' statute of Mississippi, on which the present motion against the marshal was founded. The 27th and '28th sects, enacts, that if the sheriff shall make a false-return on an execution or other process, to him directed, for every such offence he shall pay a fine of $500, one half to the plaintiff, and the other half -to the use of the literary fund, recoverable by motion. -If the fact that the return is false does not appear of record, the court -shall immediately empannel a jury to try such fact, and on its being found, proceed to assess the fine.
The recovery of the penalty, could with quite'as much propriety nave been on conviction by indictment as on a summary motion; and -in neither mode can it be plausibly contended that the courts of the United States could inflict the penalty on its marshal; the motion and assessment of the fine, being distinct from thé process and mode of proceeding in the cause of which 'the execution was part, on which the false return was made. This being an offence against, the state law, the courts of the state alone cptild punish its commission; the courts of the United States having no power to execute the penal laws of the individual states.
A judgment below, for 25 per cent, damages was given against the marshal for felling, to pay over, the- debt collected; the penalty-amounted to $1750. The motion for. judgment was founded on the 25th section of the act; it declares judgment on motion shall be rendered against the marshal, for .the money collected, with legal interest: and also, for 25 per cent..damages qn the amount.
This is just as much the .infliction of a penalty, as if a fine had been imposed under the 27th and 28th sections for a false-return; and for the -same reasons was beyond the competency of the Circuit Court; and for so much the judgment cannot stand.
We next come to the question wUether the marshal is rendered liable by his return, and the proofs, and pleadings.
By.the state statute he was allowed to contest the fact by pleading to the motion, that he had not received the money. . He first demurred to the written grounds of the motion; being in the nature of a declaration. The demurrer was over-ruled, and the defendant had leave given to plead oyer, He pleaded 1st, That he, did not receive or collect on said execution the moneys specified in. the motion, The 2d plea is to the same effect, but for- the larger sum, including a bill of exchange, about which there is no controversy,
3d, That he received and collected the notes of the Commercial and Railroad Batik of Vicksburg, and the Planter's Bank of Mississippi, due and payable at said', banks; and which were paying specie on their notes on demand; that is on the 12th day of March, 1839; which notes were collected and received without-any instructions, from the plaintiff or his attorney that gold or silver would be required ; and at a, time when the bank-notes were the current circulating medium; and that the same on the day aforesaid were tendered to the attorney of the plaintiff before the suspension of spdeie payments by the hanks — ail of which , bank-notes he has always been ready, and is yet ready and willing to pay over to the plaintiff. The 4th plea is the same in substance.
On the first two pleas issues were joined to the country: T<>' thé other two, the plaintiff replied — That previous to the reception of the bank-notes, the defendant was instructed that gold and silver would be required upon the execution; and issues were tendered to. the country; which were joined on the single point, whether the marshal had been instructed that gold or silver would be required.
Two instructions were asked on behalf of Hie marshal and refused' — First,
" If the jury believe from- the evidence that bills of exchange and bank-notes were received by the marshal, and not gold and silver, then the jury will find' the issues on the first and second pleas in favbur of the defendant."
3d. "And that if they find that the marshal received bank-notes or bills of exchange, and not money in specie, which the plaintiff refused to receive as money, then they'must find the issues for the defendant; as the issue is,.whether he received and collected money, or not." ^
The 2d instruction asked was given, and need not be noticed.
The return of the marshal was, that he had received on the execution, bank-notes due on demand and payable in specie — on the two banks, named in the return, amounting to $7000 — the subject of the present motion.
No question is, or can be raised, oil the two last issues; they were found against the defendant on the proof, that he had been instructed, that nothing but gold or silver would be received in satisfaction. The merits of the case therefore turn on the two instructions refused; they are referable to the facts giving rise to the instructions; the facts briefly are, that the marshal wastinstructed to collect specie on the execution; he failed to do so, and took .bank-notes from the debtor to the amount of $7000 in lieu of specie. A few days after the .notes were received, one of the banks at which a part of them were payable suspended specie payments, and its- notes thereby became depreciated in value. The instructions 'raise the question, who shall bear the loss: If the officer's return is treated as a nullify, then it will fall on ftfarsh and others, defendants to the execution; if the marshal's offer to deliver the notes to Breedlove's attorney, and his plea of tender had been good, then the execution creditor must have sustained the loss — but failing in these grounds of defence the officer must bear it himsélf.
By the Constitution of the United ' States (section-ten) gold or silver coin made current by law can only be tendered in payment of debts': Nevertheless, if the debtor pays bank-notes, which are received by the creditor in discharge Of the contract, the payment is .just as valid as if gold or silver had been paid. Had Marsh paid his creditor Breedlove in the manner he did the marshal, then there can be no doubt Breedlove could-not have treated the payment as a nullity,' and on this assumption have issued an execution on his judgmént, and enforced payment again in specie.
By the writ of execution the marshal was- commanded to collect so many dollars.; this meant gold or silver of course: And the court of errors and appeals of Mississippi, in the case of Nutt v. Fulgham,(5 How. R. 621,) ordered the return of a, sheriff, like the one before us, to be struck out, on motion of the plaintiff in the suit. That court says: « The return of the sheriff, that he took the Union bank-notes, is not a legal return; and the plaintiff is not bound by it, unless the plaintiff had agreed to receive that kind .of money .or notes in payment; and no such agreement appears.
In the case before us no motion was made, to strike out the return on part of the plaintiff Breedlove; ,nor did the marshal ask leave to alter his return, stating-he had not made the money: the three parties interested, treated the payment as a valid discharge-of the judgment against Marsh; and we think, for the purposes of this motion, at least, it must be so deemed. Gwin, the marshal, did. receive banknotes in payment, and intendéd they should be taken in .discharge of the execution; the record throughout shows he did so receive them — i-and, that they were received as money: Still, he could only pay into court-gold or silver, if required by the execution creditor to do so; and therefore he rah the risk of converting the notes into specie when he took them; having, incurred the risk, the marshal must bear the loss of depreciation. We apprehend this view of an officer's responsibility who collects bank-notes, is in conformity to the general practice of the courts, and collecting officers, throughout the country.
This court therefore reverses so much of the judgment of. the Circuit Cpurt, as adjudged the plaintiff in error Gwin, to. pay the twenty-five per cent, damages, on the amount recovered against him: — And affirms, the residue of said judgment.