Rodney v. Jones
Rodney v. Jones
Opinion of the Court
The Court having taken time to consider, their opinion was delivered by Read, C. J. The first reason assigned in arrest of judgment is that the bond is not given to the State and could not be taken by the Judge of the Admiralty in his own name. It is contended that the case is within the Act of Assembly which directs public bonds to be taken in the name of the State. Whether it be within that Act or not does not appear to us material; because though it ought regularly to have been given to the State, yet we consider it, as it is taken, a good bond at common law. There is no principle at common law which avoids the bond, and, as the voluntary deed of the party, it must bind him. A recognizance directed by a statute, if taken in a manner not pursuant to the statute, yet may be good at common law, Salk. 564, 2 Ld. Raym. 756, 2 Hawk.P.C. 414, c. 27, s. 53.
There is little mention made of a Court of Admiralty in the laws of our state.
The Twelfth Section of the late Constitution directs the appointment of a Judge of Admiralty, and the Act of Assembly of 22nd of February, 1777, provides for his pay and emoluments. The court existing, necessary incidents must be attributed to it, though not expressly provided by law. A necessary incident was an officer to execute its process; and it followed of course that the court had the power of appointing a marshal for that purpose, 1 RolLAbr. 526, 2 Com.Dig. 610 (P4).
It is not necessary to go far in deciding the point before us. The cause of action is not legally speaking a consequence of the capture as prize. A legal consequence of capture as prize is always something which may lead to and involve the question of prize; and because the courts of common law cannot decide the question of prize, therefore can they take no cognizance of such consequences as may lead to the principal question. If they were to take cognizance of such matters the principal question might be indirectly drawn ad aliud examen. In the present case there could be no question of prize. That had been decided, and the decision of the Court of Admiralty would be conclusive with us. This suit, so far from drawing the question of prize from the Court of Admiralty, is grounded upon the final decision of the question by that court. We do not go upon the ground of this being a suit upon an instrument under seal, for we agree with what is said by Buller, J., 1 Term 269-70, that the question whether the admiralty has jurisdiction depends on the subject matter, and where there is from the subject matter jurisdiction, the circumstance of an instrument under seal will not oust the jurisdiction.
The motion is therefore overruled, and the plaintiff must have judgment.
The reference is to the Dublin edition of 1785.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.