Perkins v. Hill

19 F. Cas. 250
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Massachusetts
DecidedOctober 15, 1846
StatusPublished

This text of 19 F. Cas. 250 (Perkins v. Hill) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Perkins v. Hill, 19 F. Cas. 250 (circtdma 1846).

Opinion

WOODBURY, Circuit Justice.

There can be little doubt in this case as to the original intent of these parties. Green had hired the whole of the schooner for a voyage out to Havana and back; and was to make no payment for the price agreed on in the charter-party till three days after the return of the vessel. Hill, a creditor of Green, after the latter had loaded the schooner out, purchased of him a part of the cargo, and agreed to- have it carried by Green for him to Havana, and there delivered to Hill’s consignee; and a bill of lading was taken of it from the master to show that this portion of the property belonged to Hill, and was to be forwarded and delivered to his consignee, in order that the latter might sell the cargo for him at Havana. There is no doubt that Green had a right to make such a contract with Hill for carrying the property sold to the latter. Abb. Shipp. 167, 246; Poth. Mar. Cont p. 14, § 20. Green had acquired the authority to load the whole vessel with goods, either his own or belonging to other people; and neither the master nor owners had a right to take goods on board of others and charge freight without his permission, or unless in his behalf. Nor had they any right, by the charter-party, to demand freight for the use of the vessel, except as stipulated in the charter-party from Green himself, and that not till three days after the return voyage ended. Again, Hill, in point of fact, made no contract with Perkins to pay him freight; and Perkins was entitled to none on the cargo out till after the return of the vessel home, and then from Green alone. It also deserves special notice, that there is a memorandum at the bottom of the charter-party just referred to, in which Green agreed with Perkins that the latter might collect and apply the freights home towards what Green would owe, after her arrival here, for her whole voyage out and back. This memorandum is not only evidence that, without it. Green was understood between them as entitled to receive from others all the freights both ways, where he did not load the vessel entirely himself; but that they intended to except nothing from that general understanding but the freights home, mentioned in the memorandum.

In most cases, in charter-parties like these, the cargo is expressly made bound or liable for the freight due on the charter-party, and with no such memorandum as is before referred to, then the cargo may be under a lien for the freight to the owners. But here the existence of such a provision, and the insertion of a memorandum qualifying it, such as has been recited, leads to the opposite conclusion, as to all the cargo and freights on it, belonging to third persons on the voyage out And it is very questionable whether the cargo belonging to third persons is ever held by that customary clause in the charter-party, but merely the cargo belonging to the charterer. Such was the [252]*252cargo in The Volunteer [Case No. 16,901]. It may be held in aid of tbe freight to the charterer, but not in aid to the owner. His own cargo the charterer might well pledge, to secure the freight due to the owners, but not so well the cargo, which belonged to third persons, and the freight for which was to be paid by agreement to himself, and not the owners of the ship. Hill then not only made his bargain with Green, but Perkins had no right to make one with him, unless as agent for Green, for freight outwards, and to which Green, and not he in his own right, would be entitled. For these reasons, also, Hill could be liable to nobody for the freight different from his express bargain with Green, unless he made a new and express arrangement with Perkins, assented to or authorized by Green. See eases of that kind collected in The Volunteer [supra].

The only pretence set up for such a new arrangement here, which is plausible on the evidence, is the bill of lading taken of Perkins, and arguing that this constitutes a new and express agreement to pay freight to the master. But this bill was taken and given not to create any new contract as to freight, as is inferred from some cases, such as The Rebecca [Case No. 11,619], and from 3 Kent, Comm. 21S. It promises to pay freight to no person by name. It specifies no new amount, or, indeed, any amount except as by the charter-party. That expression must mean at the rate in the charter-party, according to his quantity of goods, and at the time mentioned therein, or it was a form in this case used without much meaning of any kind. Under the circumstances, and being so general, it could not be presumed as intending to depart from what had before been arranged with Green, and who had the exclusive right to make or permit such arrangement with Hill binding the freight. In truth, the bill of lading was probably given in this, as in most other cases, as an acknowledgment that the property, named in it, was on board and belonged to the person to whom the bill ran, the libelleo in this case, and not as an obligation from the shipper to pay freight to the master, when it was not so expressed, and when the master had no right to demand it by the charter-party. If taken as security for the freight, the obligation should run to the captain, and not from the captain, or the bill should expressly provide for the delivery of the goods only on the payment of freight to him. But being given here, diverso intuito, and not to secure freight, it would be a perversion of its use and design to treat it as a contract for the payment of freight, and to a different person from the charterer of the whole vessel, and with whom an express arrangement had been made for carrying the articles contained in it. Next, should there be an implication raised here to pay freight to persons different from those named in the express agreement? I think not in this instance.

The cases where an implication is raised in favor of the master for freight, aré gen-eraliy those where no express agreement was made with any owner or charterer, and undoubtedly it then arises. Moore v. Wilson, 1 Durn. & E. [1 Term R.] 609; Robinson v. Marine Ins. Co., 2 Johns. 323. So the cases-where the goods are at times liable for freight, or a lien exists on them for it, this-is in aid of such an implication, when no express contract is made (4 Adol. & E. 260), or, if made, is not opposed to the implication. Abb. Shipp. 376. Or it is in aid of the express contract, and to secure its fulfilment to the same person. Barker v. Havens, 17 Johns. 234; Shepard v. De Bernales, 13 East, 565; 2 Maule & S. 303; Gracie v. Palmer, 8 Wheat [21 U. S.] 605. Certain Logs of Mahogany [Case No. 2559]. Or it is where the master retains or reserves a part of the vessel when chartered. He might of course use that, or collect freight for that, without conflicting with these principles. The Volunteer [supra]. So retaining a part, and having the whole goods on board, bound to pay the freight to the owner, may be some evidence of a right to receive profits remaining in him, or intrusted to him by the charterer himself. [Talbot v. Seeman] 1 Cranch [5 U. S.] 24; [Gracie v. Palmer] 8 Wheat. [21 U. S.] 605; [Marcardier v. Chesapeake Ins. Co.] 8 Cranch [12 U. S.] 39; 1 Clark & F. 283. But even this evidence may be rebutted or superseded by an express contract with a partícula r freighter.

On a like principle rests the claim against the consignee. It is either in support of one of those implied or express liabilities, and not for the former against the latter, or it is on account of the lien generally possessed on the goods, and which the master, when It exists, can enforce or not, at his pleasure. Abb. Shipp. 286; Clarkson v. Edes, 4 Cow. 470; 3 Bing. 283; 13 East, 399; Small v. Moates, 9 Bing. 574; Faith v. East India Co., 4 Barn. & Ald. 630.

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Related

Clarkson v. Edes
4 Cow. 470 (New York Supreme Court, 1825)
Emans v. Turnbull
2 Johns. 314 (New York Supreme Court, 1807)
Barker v. Havens
17 Johns. 234 (New York Supreme Court, 1819)

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Bluebook (online)
19 F. Cas. 250, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perkins-v-hill-circtdma-1846.