Sharp v. Gutcher

74 Ind. 357
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1881
DocketNo. 7976
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 74 Ind. 357 (Sharp v. Gutcher) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sharp v. Gutcher, 74 Ind. 357 (Ind. 1881).

Opinion

Franklin, C.

Appellee commenced a suit, with attachment and garnishment proceedings, against appellants, in the Whitley Circuit Court, at the April term, 1877. One of the garnishees tiled an answer at that term.

The defendants appeared at the September term of the court and tiled separate demurrers to each paragraph of the ■complaint, which were overruled and excepted to. Defendants then filed an answer and a cross complaint; cross complaint demurred to, overruled and excepted to. Reply filed, and cause continued by agreement.

At the next November term of the court the defendants moved for a change of venue ; venue changed to Miami Circuit Court. At the December term of the Miami Circuit Court the cause was continued by operation of law. At the April term, 1878, the cause was continued on the motion and affidavit of defendants. At the June term, 1878, the petition and bond were filed, and motion made, for the removal of the cause to the United States Circuit Court. Over ^objections and exceptions of defendants, the plaintiff filed. [358]*358an answer to the petition for removal; and the motion for-removal was overruled by the court, and excepted to by defendants. At the October term of the court defendants-filed an additional fourth paragraph to their answer, setting up the proceedings for a removal of the cause as a defencein that court to the action. The plaintiff demurred; demurrer sustained, and excepted to.

A trial by jury was had at the December term, 1878, and a verdict for the plaintiff for $1,249.84. Motions for a new trial and in arrest of judgment were made, overruled and excepted to, and judgment rendered on the verdict.

In the reasons for a new trial, there were twenty-one causes stated ; and in this court eight errors have been assigned.

The first, second, third, and fourth errors assigned embrace the subject of the proceedings to remove the cause to the United States Circuit Court, and may all be properly considered together. The same question is attempted to be presented in the record in four different ways :

1st. The overruling of the motion on the petition, etc.

2d. The sustaining of the demurrer to the fourth paragraph of answer.

3d. The overruling of the motion for a new trial.

4th. The overruling of the motion in arrest of judgment.

Neither in this court nor in the court below have there been any objections raised to the form or substance of the petition and bond in the removal proceedings. The only objection made, and upon which the record shows that the court below decided, was, “The application was made too-late.” The record requires this court to determine whether the application was made in time for the defendants to jDrocure a removal of the cause to the Federal court.

We have had various acts of Congress upon this subject of the removal of causes from the State courts to the Federal courts. Some of them, hi relation to special persons and classes of cases, need not be noticed. Those of a more-[359]*359general character were passed in 1789, 1866, 1867, E. S. 1873-4, act of 1875, and the second revised edition of the statutes of the United States, provided for in March, 1877, and certified to in February, 1878.

Upon the subject of the time in which the petition should be filed, the act of 1789 ¡provided that it should be done “at the time of entering his appearance.” The act of 1867 provided that it should be done “at any time before the final hearing or trial of the suit.” The same provision is in the act of 1866.

The Eevised Statutes of 1873-4, p. 113, section 639, as to citizenship, provided that the petition should be filed in the state court “at the time of entering his appearance;” and when the additional cause for removal, of prejudice or local influence, as provided for in the act of 1867, was alleged by affidavit, the petition might be filed “at anytime before the trial or final hearing of the cause.”

The act of 1875 provided that, on account of citizenship, the petition might be filed “ before or at the time at which said cause could be first tried, and before the trial thereof.” The revision of 1877-8, upon this question, was the same as the revision of 1873-4.

It is insisted, in this case, that the act of 1875, by implication, repealed all former acts upon this subject. And, in the case of Osgood v. Chicago, etc., R. R. Co., 6 Bissell, 332, Judge Drummond, in the opinion, does make such an intimation. But we do not understand him to have so decided ; for upon a petition for a rehearing, afterward filed in the same cause, he uses the following language : “These acts were, it is presumed, all repealed by the revised statutes of the United States, which, however, incorporated their substantial provisions in section 639.” This decision was made in 1875, and could only have referred to the revision of 1873-4.

In the case of United States v. Tynen, 11 Wallace, 88, [360]*360we have the following rule of construction in relation to the repeal of statutes by implication, to wit:

“ When there are two acts on the same subject the rule is to give effect to both if possible. But if the two are repugnant in any of their provisions, the latter act, without any repealing clause, operates to the extent of the repugnancy as a repeal of the first; and even where two acts are not in express terms repugnant, yet if the latter act covers 'the whole subject of the first, and embraces new provisions, plainly showing that it was intended as a substitute for the first act, it will operate as a repeal of the act.”

While the act of 1875 was, in some respects, more comprehensive than either of the former acts, yet it did not embrace the additional cause for removal on account of prejudice or local influence, which was embraced in the acts of 1867, and the revision of 1873-4. This provision in the former acts, not being embraced in,'nor repugnant to, any of the provisions of the act of 1875, is not thereby repealed.

The provision in regard to time, of the act of 1789, was re-enacted by the revision of 1873-4. But, by implication, was repealed again by the act of 1875, and the time somewhat extended. Where the cause for removal was citizenship alone, instead of the petition having to accompany the appearance, as was required by the act of 1789, and the revision of 1873-4, it had to be filed according to the act of 1875, “before or at the term at which said cause could be first tiled, and before the trial thereof.”

This was again attempted to be changed by the revision of 1877-8, and to re-enact the provision of the revision of 1873-4; because the second edition or revision of 1877-8, upon this subject, is a literal copy of the revision of 1873-4. But a very serious question arises, as to whether the second edition or revision of 1877-8 is in force and to be regarded as the law. If it is to be regarded as the law, the difficulty in regard to this question of time is to a very large extent [361]*361removed, because it makes certain that which the act of 1875 leaves uncertain.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Combs v. Nelson
91 Ind. 123 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1883)
Continental Life Insurance v. Kessler
84 Ind. 310 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1882)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
74 Ind. 357, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sharp-v-gutcher-ind-1881.