Conwell v. Hill
Conwell v. Hill
Opinion of the Court
The appellee, who was the plaintiff, brought three several actions in said Court against Comoell, as president of the Bank of Connersville. These actions were, at the March term, 1856, of that Court, consolidated, and, as one suit, proceeded to trial and final judgment.
The complaints allege substantially these facls: The Bank of Connersville was organized and went into operation under and by virtue of an act entitled “ an act to authorize the business of general banking,” approved May 28, 1852; and the plaintiff, being the holder and owner of the circulating notes of said bank to the aggregate amount of 11,344 dollars, on the -day of-, in the year 1855, presented the same at her place of business for redemption and payment, which was then and there refused; whereupon he caused said notes to be -protested for nonpayment. A copy of the original certificate of protest was
Defendant demurred to the complaint, but his demurrer was overruled, and thereupon he answered. His answer contains a general denial, and seven special defenses. Demurrers were sustained to all the special defenses, excepting the sixth, to which there was a reply by a general denial.
The Court tried the issues and found for the plaintiff 1,474 dollars, and, having refused a new trial, rendered judgment, &c.
In support of the demurrer to the complaint, it is argued that the act under which the bank was organized does not contemplate the proceeding instituted in this case in the Circuit Court; but intends, in case of a bank failure, and a deficiency of funds from the sale of the securities held by the state to redeem her circulating notes in full, that other steps necessary to recover of the bank the balance due the note-holders should be taken by the state auditor. This position is, in our opinion, untenable. The issuing of the note and the receiving of it by the holder as money is, in effect, a contract between him and the bank that she
But we are referred to § 8 of the same act, as sustaining the position assumed in favor of the demurrer. That section provides, in effect, that in case the makers of any such circulating notes shall, at any time, on lawful demand, fail to redeem such note, the holder thereof may cause the same to be protested for non-payment. And the auditor, on receiving and filing in his office such protest, shall forthwith give notice to the makers to pay the same; and if they shall omit to do so for thirty days after such notice, he shall immediately give notice in a newspaper published at Indianapolis, that all the circulating notes issued by such banking association, will be redeemed out of the stocks held by him for that purpose; and it shall be lawful for the auditor to apply the trust funds belonging to the makers of such protested notes, to the payment of such notes, with costs of protest, and to adopt such measures for the payment of all the circulating notes put in circulation by the makers of such protested notes, as will, in his opinion, i most effectually prevent loss to the holders thereof. 1 It. S. p. 154. This provision, the trust funds having been exhausted, confers no power on the auditor to sue the bank for a balance due the note-holder. He is, it is true, required to adopt such measures as will, in his opinion, most effectually prevent loss to the holders of the notes; but these measures must be such as are consistent with his duties as prescribed by the act, and must relate to the management of the stocks transferred to him by the bank.
But it is said the complaint fails to allege a final dividend of the proceeds of the stock to all the note-holders, and is therefore defective. It does allege that the auditor having apportioned such proceeds, in the proportion they bore to the circulating notes of the bank, ascertained that the same amounted to and would pay only 87 per cent, on such notes, and that the plaintiff, on the notes which he deposited with the auditor, received of him the same per cent. These allegations seem to be sufficient. The auditor having apportioned the funds as alleged in the complaint, we think it became his duty to pay on the protested notes the portion to which they were entitled. There is, indeed, nothing in the letter or spirit of the act that required the auditor to delay payment on the plaintiff’s demand until all the notes issued by the bank had been deposited in his office. At all events, the question whether the auditor has or has not done his duty in the application of the trust funds, cannot properly arise in this case. It is enough to sustain the purpose of the present suit, if the plaintiff has shown the amount paid on the notes which he deposited in the auditor’s office.
As another ground of demurrer, it is assumed that the notes, or copies of them, should have been filed with the complaint. The code says the complaint shall contain a statement of the facts constituting the cause of action, in plain, concise language; and “ when any pleading is founded on a written instrument, or on account, the original, or a copy thereof, must be filed with the pleading.” 2 R. S. pp. 37, 38, 44, §§ 49, 78. In view of these rules of prac
Various questions relative to the special defenses to which demurrers were sustained, are raised by the appellant; but the questions thus raised are, in effect, the same as those which have been disposed of, and will not, therefore, be further noticed.
We perceive no error in the record, save that which relates to the failure to file with the complaint the notes sued on, or copies of them. For that error the judgment must be reversed.
The judgment is reversed with costs. Cause remanded, &c.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.