Court Opinion

ID: 6235412
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-02-17 20:31:23.54612+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:58:02.133250
License: Public Domain

The judgment of the Supreme Court was entered November 24th 1876,
Per Curiam.
The warrant of attorney in this case was treated as joint by the plaintiff, and judgment entered against the two survivors. The obligation, however, was joint and several, and the warrant of attorney a part of it and a mere continuation of the instrument before the signatures. It would scarcely be a departure from its true intent to construe the warrant to be several as well as joint. But treating it as joint, as the plaintiff did, we are not disposed to follow the English case of Gee v. Lane, 15 East 592. The theory of judgments according to the English law has been so greatly changed in Pennsylvania by legislation, it will not do to follow English precedents too implicitly. The Act of 21st March 1872 required the 'day of the month and year, to be noted by the person signing judgments, and gave them effect only from that time, contrary to the custom by which they related to the first day of the term. By the Act of 6th April 1830, judgments against one of several joint obligors, copartners, promising, &c., shall not bar suits against those not served, nor those amicably confessing bar. By the Act of August 2d 1842, § 6., judgments against defendants at different times are made valid, and a scire facias may be issued to revive them as of the day of the last entry. And by the Act of 11th April 1848, § 5, a judgment recovered against one of several co-partners, joint and several obligors, &c., without a plea in abatement, shall not bar a subsequent suit against others not parties; and by the 3d section the death of one of the defendants shall not discharge his estate. Looking then to the wide departure of our law from the English rules affecting judgments, and also to the fact that the prothonotaries may, under the Act of 1806, enter judgment on a bond and warrant of attorney, and without the intervention of an attorney and confession of judgment, we must treat this case as *196one to be governed by tbe intent of the warrant, rather than by English decisions.
Judgment affirmed.