Macon v. Crump

5 Va. 500, 1 Call 575, 1799 Va. LEXIS 24
CourtCourt of Appeals of Virginia
DecidedMay 15, 1799
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 5 Va. 500 (Macon v. Crump) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Macon v. Crump, 5 Va. 500, 1 Call 575, 1799 Va. LEXIS 24 (Va. Ct. App. 1799).

Opinion

ROANE, Judge.

This is an action of covenant founded on an agreement under a penalty, conditioned to abide by an award, and upon an award made in pursuance thereof. The declaration states a profert. of the agreement; but does not state a profert of the award; which is equally necessary, with the deed, to make out the cause of action.

Oyer was prayed and granted, both of the agreement and the award; which being set out, the defendant demurred to the declaration; because the declaration and award, and the matter therein contained, are not sufficient in law to maintain the plaintiff’s action, and assigned the causes of demurrer according to the directions of the statute. Upon a joinder to the demurrer, the judgment of the County Court was in favor of the plaintiff, and on an appeal taken to the District Court, that judgment was' affirmed.

It is admitted, that if there is a profert made of the deed, and upon oyer the deed is set out, it is competent to the adverse party to shew a variance between the deed produced, and that stated in the declaration. But, it is contended, that this rule does not extend to cases where no profert is made, although, in fact oyer has been granted. I think, however, that this rale is not so restricted. I consider that this competency of exception for a variance equally exists in cases where no profert is made; but where in fact oyer has been granted. This doctrine seems admitted in the case of Jeffery v. White, Dougl. 476, which was trespass for taking cattle. Plea, that thev were taken damage feasant. Replication, stating a light of common; Rejoinder, stating part of a private act of parliament, for enclosing the common, and an allotment fey ihe commissioners of the locus in quo to the deferida) and traversing the right of common. Oyer was pray 'd of this act, and granted; the whole case set out and iban a demurrer to the rejoinder, and the cause assign[506]*506ed, was, that it was not shewn by the rejoinder, that the allotment was made according to the directions of the act set forth. On a joinder to this demurrer, the Court gave judgment for the plaintiff, although it was argued for the defendant, that a party is not entitled to oyer of acts of Parliament; and that it could not be granted, because it was n°t in the power of the Court: And for a similar reason, the party who relies on them cannot make at proferí, because he has them not to produce. That, therefore, the Court ought to consider the oyer and recital of the act as a mere nullity, and that upon what appeared in the defendant’s rejoinder the allotment was regular. In this case then, the act of Parliament being set out upon oyer, (although oyer might not have been properly demandable,) was held to destroy the defence set up in the rejoinder; which, but for the act thus set out, would have been sustainable. It is true, a silent judgment only appears to have been given in the case by the Court; but it is founded upon, and I think, fully supported by the case of Smith v. Yeomans, 1 Saund. 316, which it is unnecessary to state.

These cases also shew, (as well as those cited,) that a demurrer is a proper mode to take advantage of a variance, between the case stated in the declaration, and the deed which may be set out upon oyer.

The first variance which occurs in the present case, is this; the declaration states, that in the disputo between Macon and Crump, executor of Clopton, them;1! of 231. with interest, from September, 1783, and the cost: of suit, were awarded to the plaintiff; and the award exhibited upon oyer is of the said sum, and costs to Crump and Parkeson, executors of Clopton. The answer to this objection is, that the declaration need not be according to the letter of the award, but according to the operation of the law thereupon.

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Bluebook (online)
5 Va. 500, 1 Call 575, 1799 Va. LEXIS 24, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/macon-v-crump-vactapp-1799.