Inhabitants of Stratford v. Inhabitants of Fairfield
Inhabitants of Stratford v. Inhabitants of Fairfield
Opinion of the Court
The appointment of an overseer, by Strat-ford, over Beach, when residing in the town of Fairfield, was invalid. He was not in the town of Stratford, subject to the inspection of the select-men, and to the appointment by them of an overseer ; (1 Stat. Conn. tit. 88. c. 1. s. 8.) and if it had been duly made, it could not have affected his commorancy in Fairfield. He would have remained sui juris, as to every thing, but the making of contracts.
The refusal of the select-men of Fairfield to support the pauper, and denial of their liability to do it, some time before the commencement of the action, amounted to a waiver of notice and demand; which, otherwise, would have been necessary, on the part of Stratford. The precise time of the waiver is not specified ; but there is nothing on the motion, from which it appears, that it had any other than a retrospective operation. It must be presumed, that the jurisdiction of the court was exercised soundly, except so far as this presumption is repelled.
Evidence was offered to impair the credibility of one Haw-ley, a select-man of Stratford, and a witness, and was rejected ; which is the only point that remains to be considered.
The defendants exhibited testimony conducing to prove, ,»⅜⅝⅛ ihat certain inhabitants of Stratford procured the residence of Beach in Fairfield, with the fraudulent intent of imposing the pauper on that town, and chiefly through Hawley's agency. ⅜' To annul the effect of this evidence, Hawley was adduced as a witness, by Stratford, and denied that he had procured :.⅝|Beach to reside in Fairfield, or furnished him with any supplies while there, or practised any fraud to render him an inhabitant of the latter town. To contradict Hawley, a witness
On the ground of the last objection, I would advise to a new i trial.
New trial to be granted.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The inhabitants of the town of Stratford against The inhabitants of the town of Fairfield
- Status
- Published