Court Opinion

ID: 9810655
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 21:55:25.973652+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:40:08.078813
License: Public Domain

Clare, C. J.
There were two issues submitted to the jury: (1) “Did the defendant unlawfully and without a license being first delivered to him, as required by law, perform a marriage ceremony between Dock "Wooley and Lucy Barringer?” (2) “Is the plaintiff’s right of action barred by the one-year statute of limitations governing the right to sue for penalty in such case?” The jury responded to the'first issue “Yes,” and to the last issue “No.”
The motion for nonsuit made at the close of plaintiff’s evidence was refused, but the motion was not renewed at the close of all the evidence. The motion for nonsuit at the conclusion of the plaintiff’s evidence was waived by the introduction of evidence by the defendant and the failure to renew motion on all the evidence. C. S., 567. Bordeaux v. R. R., 150 N. C., 530; Smith v. Pritchard, 173 N. C., 722.
It appearing that the summons was issued on 17 January, 1917, and that the illegal act complained of was committed on 22 January, 1916, we see no pertinency in the plea of the statute of limitations, G. S., 443 (2) ; and, indeed, the exception in that regard was abandoned, because not set out in the appellant’s brief. Buie 34 of this Court, 174 N. 0., 837.
The only exception left to be considered is the instruction of the court to the jury that if they believed all the evidence in the case to answer the first issue “Yes.”
C. S., 2499, provides: “Every minister or officer who marries any couple without license being first delivered to him as required by law . . . shall forfeit and pay $200 to any person who sues therefor.”
The defendant testified in his own behalf that one Harris came into his store late Saturday afternoon on 22 January, 1916, bringing Dock Wooley, whom he had arrested in Eichmond County on a criminal charge; that said Dock Wooley wished to settle the matter, and he suggested that the best way was for Dock to marry the girl. Thereupon, he called up over the telephone O. P. Deaton, the register of deeds at Troy, the county-seat, related the circumstances, and Deaton told him *440tbat be would issue tbe license, put it in tbe postoffice, and pbone bim, and tbat after tbe license bad been issued and put into tbe mail be could go ahead and perform tbe marriage ceremony. Later tbat afternoon tbe register of deeds pboned bim tbat tbe license bad been issued and stamped, and was already in tbe postoffice, perfectly all right, and to go ahead and marry tbe parties; tbat this was about 8 or 9 o’clock; tbat be then performed tbe marriage ceremony. He did not receive tbe license until tbe next morning, which was Sunday.
C. S., 2498, emphasizes tbe requirement tbat tbe license must be first delivered to tbe officer before tbe solemnization of tbe marriage: “No minister or officer shall perform a ceremony of marriage between any two persons, or shall declare them to be man and wife, until there is delivered to bim a license for tbe marriage of tbe said persons, signed by tbe register of deeds of tbe county in which tbe marriage is intended to take place, or by bis lawful deputy.” It is true tbat tbe marriage is not invalid because solemnized without a marriage license; Maggett v. Roberts, 112 N. C., 71; S. v. Parker, 106 N. C., 711; S. v. Robbins, 28 N. C., 23—or under an illegal license; Maggett v. Roberts, supra—but it is clear tbat both these sections of tbe statute require tbat tbe license shall be first delivered to tbe officer before tbe marriage is solemnized, else under tbe latter statute be is liable to tbe penalty sued for in this action.
Tbe defendant relies upon tbe well settled principle of law tbat delivery of goods by a vendor to a common carrier is delivery to tbe vendee. Hunter v. Randolph, 128 N. C., 92, and cases there cited. But tbat case rests upon tbe ground tbat tbe carrier is tbe agent of tbe vendee, to whom tbe possession passes from tbe vendor upon tbe delivery of tbe goods to .the carrier. He also relies upon Lynch v. Johnson, 171 N. C., 611, and cases there cited, which bold tbat where tbe bolder of a legal title executes a good and sufficient deed to another for tbe latter’s interest in land and deposits tbe deed in tbe postoffice in an envelope properly addressed, by mailing tbe deed tbe grantor parts with bis authority and control over it, and this passes tbe title in tbe property to bis grantee. But these cases have no bearing upon tbe words of tbe statute, C. S., 2498, which forbids any minister or officer to perform tbe ceremony of marriage “until there is delivered to bim a license,” for such marriage; and C. S., 2499, which imposes this penalty of $200 if tbe minister or officer shall marry a couple “without license being first delivered to bim as required by law.”
These are matters of public policy, and tbe sections above referred to clearly require an actual and not a constructive delivery of tbe license before tbe officer shall perform tbe ceremony. It is needless for us to *441speculate upon the motive of tbe Legislature in making this explicit requirement of the actual delivery of the license. It is sufficient to say “the law is so written.”
It should not pass without some notice that this action, which was instituted in January, 1917, has just reached this Court for decision— a period of nearly 6 years, which argues, together with so many other cases coming up before us similarly delayed, that there is a congestion in the administration of justice which should be remedied.
No error.