Howard v. Astor Mutual Insurance

5 Bosw. 38
CourtThe Superior Court of New York City
DecidedMay 28, 1859
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 5 Bosw. 38 (Howard v. Astor Mutual Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering The Superior Court of New York City primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Howard v. Astor Mutual Insurance, 5 Bosw. 38 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1859).

Opinion

Pierrepont, J.

The policy in this case is an ordinary printed freight policy; the words “ on passage money ” are written in.

Upon well settled rules of construction, the contract must be regarded as relating to “passage money'1'1 only. (1 Arn. on Ins., 79, 80, 210; 2 Cur. U. S. R, 277, 291; 4 East R., 140.)

The policy was issued February 14th, 1850, and the steamship sailed on the 25th of the same month. The plaintiffs sold passage tickets for the voyage from Panama to San Francisco, both before and after the ship left New York. Each ticket contained the number of the berth to which the holder was entitled.

Some of these tickets were for “the month of April;” and some were for “ her first trip ” from “ Panama to the anchorage of San Francisco.” As appeared in evidence this was “ her first trip.”

There was evidence that on a voyage at and from New York to San Francisco, the usual point of embarkation of the passen[48]*48gers was at Panama; and as no contradictory evidence was offered, the usage may, perhaps, be considered as established for the purposes of this case.

If such usage is admitted, the underwritersihust be considered as having contracted with reference thereto. (1 Arn. on Ins., 429, 430, 72, 73; 1 Duer on Ins., 263, § 57, and authorities there cited.)

The plaintiffs contracted with the passengers that the steamer New Orleans should proceed from New York to Panama.and thence to San Francisco; and that each holder of a ticket should have passage on that steamer and be entitled to the berth named in his ticket.

If the plaintiff^ did not perform their contract the holders of the tickets could recover back the passage money paid in advance; the consideration upon which the money was paid having failed. (Brown v. Harris, 2 Gray, 359; Vanderbilt Cases, 19 Barb., 222; 21 id., 26; Lewis v. Marshall, 7 Man. and Grang., 729; Cope v. Dodd, 13 Penn. R., 33.)

The policy being a contract to insure passage money, the question arises, what passage money? Was it merely the passage money of the tickets sold prior to the date of the ship’s departure, or did it embrace all tickets sold for that voyage of the steamship New Orleans? Was it the passage money of those only who .left New York in that ship, or did it include also the passage money of those who might afterwards embark at Panama?

In determining these questions the usage and course of trade, if such usage existed, becomes an important element. By the terms of the policy the ship was allowed “ to use port or ports on the passage.” And as the usage was then established to receive passengers at Panama, the underwriters must be considered as having regard to that usage when they issued the policy; and hence the contract of insurance would cover also the passage money represented by the tickets which entitled the holders to embark at Panama for that voyage..

The ship was retarded but finally performed her voyage. Instead of arriving at Panama in April as was expected, she did not reach there until the 23d of August. She then took some passengers and proceeded to San Francisco. But the passengers [49]*49who had arrived at Panama with tickets for April, and for the first trip of the New Orleans, had been sent forward at the expense of the plaintiffs, or had demanded and received back their passage money.

It is here important to consider whether the plaintiffs were under any legal obligation to forward the holders of the tickets by some other conveyance, or to return them the money which they had paid for their passage.

• If the plaintiffs were under no such legal obligation, then in no aspect of this case are the defendants liable.

Where there is no express agreement to transport within a specified time, a carrier is not responsible for delays occurring without his fault. (Wibert v. N. Y. & Erie R. R. Co., 2 Kern., 245; Conger v. Hudson River R. R. Co., 6 Duer, 375.)

The plaintiffs’ contract with the holders of the April tickets was to forward them by the steamer New Orleans during that month, and these ticket holders had a right to demand that they be so forwarded. (Cobb v. Howard, 10 N. Y. Leg. Obs., 355; see opinion of Judge Nelson.)

But the defendants contend that the holders of those tickets which were sold “ for the first trip ” of the New Orleans, could not have recovered back the passage money paid, even though the ship had been detained at St. Thomas for two years beyond her expected arrival at Panama. I entertain a different view of the law. This line had been established some two years before these tickets were sold. The steamer New Orleans, named in the tickets, had left, or was about to leave New York for Panama ; she was expected to arrive there in April; the tickets were “ for her first trip,” and this voyage was the commencement of “ her first trip.” The passengers were on their way to California; time was to them a consideration of the utmost importance, and this was a matter of general notoriety and well known to the shippers. Under these circumstances the contract of the plaintiffs with the passengers must be regarded as a contract to forward the holders of those tickets in a reasonable time after their arrival at Panama. After waiting at Panama a reasonable time for the arrival of the steamer, these passengers had a right to demand a return of their passage money, or to be forwarded by some other vessel. (Yates v. Duff, 5 Carr. & P., 369; 3 Kent [50]*50Com., 204; Abbott on Ship., 249, 351, 361; Phillips v. Irving, 7 Man. & Grang., 328; Glaholm v. Hayes, 2 id., 267.

But though the passengers might have recovered back their passage money, yet it does not follow that the defendants would therefore be liable to the plaintiffs.

The defendants can be held liable only on the ground of their own contract. That contract is a policy of insurance and imposes upon the underwriters no other obligations than those which flow from the terms of the policy .as interpreted by the law of insurance as it stood when the policy was issued.

It has long been settled law that retardation of the voyage by a peril of the sea is not covered by a policy like this where freight is insured.

The underwriters take upon themselves no risk as to the length of the voyage. But they only undertake that the ship shall not be prevented from performing her voyage by any of the perils insured against, so as to be unable to earn the freight insured; they do not undertake any risk as to the cost or time of the voyage. (Jordan v. Warren Ins. Co., 1 Story C. C. R., 351; Mayo v. Maine Fire Ins. Co., 4 Mass., 374; Everth v. Smith, 2 Maul. &. Sel., 278; 2 Arn. on Ins., §§373, 396; McSwinny v. Royal Ex. Ass. Co., 13 Jurist, 489; Ogden v. The General Mutual, 2 Duer, 220.)

When this policy was issued, the law was well settled as to the construction of its terms as applied to freight; and if the insurance had been upon freight' to be shipped at Panama, the plaintiffs could not have recovered in this action. Is a different construction to be given where passage money instead of freight is the subject of insurance ? Does that change the undertaking on the part of the underwriters where all the other terms of. the policy are the same ?

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Bluebook (online)
5 Bosw. 38, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/howard-v-astor-mutual-insurance-nysuperctnyc-1859.