William Firth Co. v. South Carolina Loan & Trust Co.

122 F. 569, 59 C.C.A. 73, 1903 U.S. App. LEXIS 3905
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
DecidedMay 5, 1903
DocketNo. 481
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 122 F. 569 (William Firth Co. v. South Carolina Loan & Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
William Firth Co. v. South Carolina Loan & Trust Co., 122 F. 569, 59 C.C.A. 73, 1903 U.S. App. LEXIS 3905 (4th Cir. 1903).

Opinion

SIMONTON, Circuit Judge

(after stating the facts). The first assignment of error is that all the money received from the sale of the [573]*573■'bonds was not used for the purchase of machinery or other corporate purposes. Literally this is true. The record shows that no bonds were sold; that an effort was made to make sale of them, but this ■could not be effected, except at a large discount. The plan of borrowing the money on hypothecation was adopted, and all the money so obtained was devoted to paying for machinery contracted for. The bonds not so used were placed as security for other purchases of the same character. There is no suspicion of fraud in this transaction. The wisdom of this course cannot be questioned. Naturally and necessarily the bonds of a manufacturing corporation, just entering business, whose success and credit are not yet established, cannot command a ready sale and cannot be sold except at a large discount. Hypothecation prevents the sacrifice of the bonds, and gives every opportunity to try the future. If this be successful, the bonds can be realized in money without loss. If unsuccessful, the loss will be not greater than such as would occur if the bonds were forced on the market.

The second assignment of error presents the question: Was there such a formal and legal meeting of the stockholders as is required by law to be held before the mortgage could be given? The court below reviewed the testimony on this point, and answered this query in the affirmative. Upon examining the testimony, we fully concur with the court below. Even were there informalities, we would not lay any stress on them. All the formalities required to be used before bonds of corporations are issued are for the protection of stockholders. At every meeting held about this issue of bonds every stockholder was present, voting for and consenting to the issue.

The third assignment of error is that the mortgage was not delivered in the presence of two witnesses, as required by law, and therefore not legally executed. It was signed and sealed in the presence of two witnesses, was then carried to the trustee, who, on its receipt, ■executed its acceptance in the presence of two witnesses, so it was ■certainly delivered to the trustee, and as certainly was recorded. Hanrick v. Neely, 10 Wall. 364, 19 L. Ed. 947. The record also shows that when signed by the corporation it was delivered to an agent to be delivered to the trustee. The law of South Carolina on this point is finally settled. When a grantor parts with a deed at its execution it is a good delivery. A delivery to a trustee of a deed ■conveying property in trust is not necessary to pass the interest to the •cestui que trust. A delivery to a third person for the trustee would be good until he dissent, and he would not be allowed to dissent to the injury of the cestui que trust. Dawson v. Dawson, Rice, Eq. (S. C.) 244; Cloud v. Calhoun, 10 Rich. Eq. (S. C.) 358; Ingram v. Porter, 4 McCord (S. C.) 198. So in Withers v. Jenkins, 6 S. C. 122, quoted by the court below:

“It is not necessary to the valid execution of a deed that there should be -actual delivery either to the grantee in person, or to some one expressly authorized to accept it on his behalf, much less is such a requisition essential where the instrument gives a trust conferring on the trustee a mere naked title, coupled with no interest, that he holds for the mere purpose of protecting and preserving the trust for the beneficiaries who may be entitled to these enjoyments. If the grantor, in the absence of the grantee, and without his ' [574]*574knowledge, has actually consummated the delivery in accordance with the purpose declared on the face of the instrument, the object to be effected by it is as fully accomplished as if there had been an actual transfer of the paper from the hands of the grantor to those of the grantee.”

These assignments of error are not well taken. An objection to the bonds and mortgage was .taken below because they were not executed in the full name of the corporation. This objection is not pressed here; if it had been we would have reached the same conclusion as the court below did on this point, and would not have held it tenable. Morawetz on Corp. § 354.

The other assignments of error present the real questions in this case on the merits. They involve two distinct propositions: First, that the bonds and mortgage are invalid under the provisions of section 10, art. 9, of the Constitution of South Carolina; second, that so much of the mortgage as covers the machinery is null and void as to the unsecured creditors, because the deed was not recorded in the book provided for the recording of chattel mortgages.

Is the use made of these bonds in hypothecating them repugnant to section 10, art. 9, of the Constitution of South Carolina? This is the language of the Constitution:

“Sec. 10. Stocks or bonds shall not be issued by any corporation save for labor done or money or property actually received or subscribed; and all fictitious increase of stock or indebtedness shall be void.”

The section, assumes that a corporation may for lawful purposes and in a lawful way issue bonds. It is besides this settled that a corporation without special authority may dispose of land, goods, and chattels or of any interest in the same as it may deem expedient, and in the course of its legitimate business may make a bond, mortgage, note, or draft. White Water Valley Canal Co. v. Vallette, 21 How. 424, 16 L. Ed. 154; Railroad Co. v. Howard, 7 Wall. 413, 19 L. Ed. 117. The Constitution uses the word “issued.” This term is broad enough to embrace the idea of pledge as well as that of sale. In contemplation of law, bonds pledged by a corporation are just as much issued as when they are sold. Atlantic Trust Co. v. Woodbridge [C. C.] 79 Fed. 842. As corporations issuing bonds may sell them bona fide below par, so in making a loan they may hypothecate bonds greater in nominal value than the amounts borrowed. The mere fact that the bonds were issued for more than the value of the notes thus secured does not of itself indicate fraud or create a fictitious indebtedness. Id. The Constitution of the state of Arkansas has a provision in every respect the same as that in the Constitution of the state of South Carolina, which is now under consideration. The Supreme Court of the United States, considering that provision in Memphis, etc., R. R. v. Dow, 120 U. S. 298, 7 Sup. Ct. 487, 30 L. Ed. 595, says:

“The prohibition against the issuing of stock or bonds, except for money or property actually received, or labor done, and against the fictitious increase of stock or indebtedness, was intended to protect stockholders against spoliation, and to guard the public against securities that were absolutely worthless. One of the mischiefs sought to be remedied is the flooding of the market with stock and bonds that do not represent anything whatever of substantial value. * * * The language of the Arkansas Oonstitution does not neces[575]*575sarily indicate a purpose to make the validity of every issue of stock or bonds by a private corporation to depend upon tbe inquiry whether the money, property, or labor actually received therefor was of equal value in the market with the stock or bonds so issued.

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Bluebook (online)
122 F. 569, 59 C.C.A. 73, 1903 U.S. App. LEXIS 3905, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/william-firth-co-v-south-carolina-loan-trust-co-ca4-1903.