Adams v. Power

48 Miss. 450
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedApril 15, 1873
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 48 Miss. 450 (Adams v. Power) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adams v. Power, 48 Miss. 450 (Mich. 1873).

Opinions

Peyton, C. J.:

Isabella A. Adams instituted an action of assumpsit in the circuit court of Hinds county, against J. L. Power, on a promissory note for $3,750, made by the [452]*452said J. L. Power and B. F. Jones, on the 11th day of February, 1867, payable to Asa It. Carter and John H. Cook, on the 1st day of January, 1869, and by them transferred by indorsement to the plaintiff, without recourse to them as indorsers thereof, on the 24th day of April, 1867.

To this action the defendant pleaded the general issue, and a special plea in bar, setting up a contemporaneous agreement in writing, under seal, executed by Jas. J. Shannon, and the said B. F. Jones and J. L. Power, by which the said Shannon covenants as agent for said Carter and Cook, to canvass and act as agent for the “ Clarion ” newspaper, conducted by said Power and Jones, and use his best efforts to procure advertisements and 'subscriptions for said paper, and agrees, on behalf of said Carter and Cook, to procure subscriptions and advertisements, unless prevented by death or sickness, to pay the note sued on and to collect the bills for advertisements and subscriptions thus procured, and pay the debt. And the said Power and Jones covenant to supply the subscribers to and publish the advertisements in said newspaper, that may be procured by the said Shannon as aforesaid. And the plea avers that the defendant has always been ready and willing, and offered to perform his part of the agreement, but that the said Shannon, although not prevented by either of the casualties mentioned in the agreement, has wholly failed to perform the covenants made by him as aforesaid, as agent and attorney for said Carter and Cook, nor have they performed their part of said agreement, and concludes with a verification.

To this special plea the plaintiff demurred, and the demurrer was overruled by the court. And upon a replication in short by consent to this plea, traversing the same, the cause was submitted to a jury, who found a verdict for the defendant. And thereupon the [453]*453plaintiff made her motion to set aside the verdict, and for a new trial, on the following grounds:

1. The jury found contrary to law.

2. The jury found contrary to the evidence.

3. The court erred in giving the instructions asked by the defendant.

4. The court erred in refusing the instructions asked by the plaintiff.

5. The court erred in admitting in evidence the written contract as to advertising, made between J. J. Shannon and defendant.

The motion was overruled by the court, and judgment rendered on the verdict, from which the plaintiff brings the case here for the revision of this court, and makes the following assignments of error:

• 1. The court below erred in overruling the plaintiff’s demurrer to the special plea of defendant.

2. The court below erred in overruling the plaintiff’s motion for a new trial.

3. The court below erred in admitting as evidence in this case, the written agreement relative to procuring subscriptions and advertisements for the daily “Clarion” newspaper, made between J. J. Shannon and Power and Jones.

4. The court below erred in refusing the second instruction asked by the plaintiff.

5. The court erred in refusing the fourth instruction asked by the plaintiff.

6. The court below erred in refusing the fifth instruction asked by the plaintiff.

7. The court below erred in refusing the sixth instruction asked by the plaintiff.

8. The court below erred in giving the instructions asked by the defendant.

In the determination of this case, we deem it necessary to consider only the second and ’third assignments of [454]*454error, as the disposition of these will be decisive of all the questions presented by this record for adjudication.

This case, although new in the instance here, is yet believed to be governed by well settled principles of 'law, as laid down by elementary writers upon contracts when treating of the doctrine of novation.

In the civil law there are three kinds of novation. 1. Where the debtor and creditor remain the same, but a new debt takes the place of the old one. 2. Where the debt remains the same, but a new debtor is substituted for the old one. This transaction is called delegation. Domat lays down the essential distinction between delegation and any other novation, thus: that the former demands the consent of all three parties, but the latter that only of the two parties to the new debt. 3. Where the debt remains the same, but a new creditor is substituted for the old one. This is also called delegation, for the reason above given, to wit: that all three parties must assent to the new bargain.

Delegation is the change of one debtor for nother, when he who is indebted substitutes a third person who obligates himself in his stead to the creditor; so that the first debtor is acquitted and his obligation extinguished, and the creditor contents himself with the obligation of the second debtor. 1 Domat, 919, § 2318. And in section 2319 the same author says: “ Delegation is not made but by the consent both of the debtor who delegates another in his place of the person who is delegated, and of the creditor who accepts the delegation, and who contents himself with the new debtor.”

The common law doctrine of novation mainly agrees with that of the civil law, but in some parts differs from it. Tallock v. Harris, 3 T. R. 180, is a leading case of novation at the common law. In that case, it was ruled that, “if A. owes B. ¿elOO, and B. owes C. ,£100, and the three meet and it is agreed between them that A. shall [455]*455pay to C. ¿100, B.’s debt is extinguished, and C. may recover that sum against A.”

There must always be a debt once existing, and now canceled, to serve as a consideration for the new liability. The action in all cases is brought on the new agreement. But in order to give the right of action, there must be an extinguishment of the original debt. 4 B. & C. 163; 1 Mees. & W. 124; 14 Ill. 34; 4 La. Ann. 281; 15 N. H. 129. A good novation is an accord executed. 5 Barn. & Ad. 925; 3 Nott & McCord, 171; 24 Conn. 621.

In that kind of novation, called in the civil law delegation, no new creditor could be substituted without the debtor’s consent. This rule is observed in the common law. Hence, without this consent and promise to pay, a new creditor can have no action against the debtor, because there is no privity of contract between them. To establish such privity, there must be a new promise founded on sufficient consideration. And the extinction of the prior debt is a sufficient consideration in such case. 14 East, 582; 5 Wheat. 277; 12 Ga. 406; 7 Harris & Johns. 213, 219; 21 Me. 484.

When assent or consideration is wanting, the novation operates only as a species of collateral security. This assent on the part of the debtor is said to be essential, for the reason that he may have an account with his assignor; and he shall not be barred of his right to a set-off, or any defense he may have. Still, if anything like an assent on his part can be inferred, he will be considered as the debtor. 4 Esp. 203; 6 Tex. 163.

It is laid down by Parsons on Contracts, as a principle deducible from the cases upon this subject, that , if A.

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48 Miss. 450, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adams-v-power-miss-1873.