Janion v. Fox

1 Haw. 154
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 15, 1855
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 1 Haw. 154 (Janion v. Fox) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Janion v. Fox, 1 Haw. 154 (haw 1855).

Opinion

Chief Justice Lee,

after going over the facts of the case, delivered judgment as follows:

The first question arising in this matter is, that of the jurisdiction of this court. The libellant prays that the court will decree him possession of the cargo, and the learned counsel for the defendant contends that the court has no power or jurisdiction to make such a decree, but can only, in such cases, decree damages for the non-delivery if the master is in fault.

The contract upon which this suit is based is a maritime contract, and this action is in the nature of a libel in rein to recover the possession of certain goods, which libellant alleges the master of the Conrad has agreed to deliver. I am unable to perceive any sound distinction between this action and those brought to recover ships or other property to which a party is entitled by virtue of a maritime right, and which is wrongfully withheld from him. I am of the opinion, therefore, that the court has jurisdiction in cases like this, which is analogous to the action of replevin or detinue at the common law, in which the specific property is recovered instead of damages; and I think the doctrine not only consonant with reason, but with the authorities. (See Benedict’s Admiralty, 275, 276, and Appendix, p. 476.)

The usual practice is, I believe, to bring the suit in rem against the merchandise for possession, and cite the captain to appear and answer, but this is a matter of form that does not go to the merits of the action.

The next and most important question is, whether the captain is entitled to claim freight on the coals, in default of their delivery.

The general rule of maritime law is, that the goods must be delivered at the place of destination, according to the charter party or bill of lading, to entitle the owner of the vessel to demand freight. The conveyance and delivery of the cargo is a condition precedent, and must be fulfilled, and a partial conveyance does not meet the terms of the contract, and consequently gives the ship owner no claim for freight. (3 Kent’s Commentaries, 219.) “ The contract for the conveyance of merchandise,” says Lord Tenterden in his valuable treatise on shipping, (2 Abb. Shipping, Eighth Eng. and Sixth Am. Ed., 406,) “ is in its nature an entire contract, and unless it be completely performed by the delivery of the goods at the place of destination, the merchant will in general derive no benefit from the time and labor expended in a partial conveyance, and consequently be subject to no payment whatever, although the ship may have been hired by the month or week.” (See also Holt on Shipping, p. 435.) That freight is not due, unless the voyage be performed, and the cargo delivered, and that partial performance is not sufficient, is a general rule too well established, and too generally known, to need the citation of any authorities in its support.

But to this general rule there are some exceptions, founded upon principles of equity and justice, as applicable to particular circum[156]*156stances, and now let us see if this case is such a one as comes within the spirit or sense of any of these exceptions.

The doctrine is now firmly established, both upon principle and authority, that the merchant is bound to pay the ship-owner full freight, if the cargo is carried to the port of destination, notwithstanding at its arrival it is, by reason of sea damage, utterly ruined and worthless. If the ship-owner, or his agent the master, has conducted himself with fidelity and vigilance in the course of the voyage, he has.no concern with the diminution of the value of the cargo, (Pothier, Charter Partie, No. 59; 3 Kent’s Com., 225; Griswold vs. N. Y. Ins. Co., 3 Johns. Rep., 521; Jordan vs. Warren Ins. Co., 1 Story’s Rep. 355.)

If casks contain wine, rum, or other liquids, or sugar, and the contents be washed out or wasted, and lost by the perils of the sea, so that the casks arrive empty, no freight is due for them; but the shipowner would still be entitled to his freight; if the casks were well stowed, and their contents were lost by other causes than perils of the sea, such as internal decay, leakage, inherent waste, evaporation, or imperfection of the casks. (3 Kent’s Com., 225; Frith vs. Barker, 2 John. 327.)

When a cargo consists of live stock, and some of the animals die in the course of the voyage, without any fault or negligence of the master or crew, and there be no express agreement, respecting the payment of freight, the general rule is, that freight is to be paid for all that were put on board. But if the agreement was to pay for the transportation of them, then no freight is due for those that die on the voyage, as the contract is not, in that case, performed. (Kent’s Com., 226; Abb. on Shipping, 410.)

But this case obviously does not fall within either of the classes above specified. The goods have not arrived in a worthless state— they have not wasted by any inherent principle-of decay. Still, there is another class of cases, where full freight is due, notwithstanding the goods have not arrived at the port of destination, and there are cases where a pro rata freight is due, notwithstanding the like non-arrival, and with these we have mainly to do in the investigation and settlement of this case.

“The whole of the cases,” says Judge Story, “in which the full freight is, upon the ordinary principles of commercial law, due, notwithstanding the non-arrival of the goods al the port of destination, may be reduced to the single statement, that the non-arrival has been occasioned by no default or inability of the carrier ship, but has been •occasioned by the default or waiver of the merchant-shipper. In the former case, the merchant-shipper cannot avail himself of his own default to escape from the payment of freight ; in the latter case he dispenses with the entire fulfillment of the original contract for his own interests and purposes. Thus, for example, if the goods be seized or detained at an intermediate port, for the illegal conduct, or ■wrongful act of the shipper, or if, at such intermediate port, he voluntarily insists'upon receiving, and does receive his goods, the carrier ship being ready and able to carry them to their destination, there can be no doubt that full freight is due for the whole voyage.” (Ship Nathaniel Hooper, 3 Sumner’s R., 545.)

Let ns consider, now, how these principles apply to the present [157]*157case. The non-arrival of the goods in this case has not been occasioned perhaps by any default of the carrier, but this is not sufficient to establish the claim for freight, for it remains to be shown that it has been occasioned by some default or waiver of the merchant shipper. The coals were discharged in Rio, and when the repairs to the vessel were completed, reshipped; when it was soon discovered that the coals, which were wet in being discharged and reshipped, notwithstanding every care was taken to prevent it, soon began to heat. Thereupon, the captain called a survey on the coals, and the surveyors reported that they were heated, and in their opinion would soon take fire; that it would not be prudent for the ship to proceed on her voyage in the present state of the coals; and recommended that they be discharged and sold for the benefit of whom it might concern. Acting upon this advice and that of the British Consul, the captain sold the coals, and hence their non-arrival. ' Here was no default on the part of the shipper, and none is pretended.

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