Payne v. Barnet
Payne v. Barnet
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
This was an action of covenant brought by Payne for the failure of Barnet in not delivering three hundred gal
Barnett pleaded, 1st, covenants performed; 2d, that before any breach of covenant, to wit: on the day of it was agreed between him, Barnet and Payne, that the whisky mentioned in the covenant should be delivered in Bowling-Green on a day subsequent to the day for delivery mentioned in the covenant, to wit: on the day of and avers that according to said agreement, he did deliver said whisky, &c. 3d, that subsequent to the day of delivery mentioned in the covenant, to wit: on the day of , he the said Barnett delivered the whisky in the town of Bowling-Green, and it was then and there agreed between him Barnet and Payne, that Payne should accept and receive the same, which was accordingly done; the said Barnet agreeing to be responsible for all leakages that might happen for the space of the then next two months, and to warrant the barrels to contain the quantity due upon the covenant at the expiration of the said term of two months, and avers the barrels did at the expiration of the term, contain the quantity, &c. And 4th pleaded, that subsequent to the day mentioned in the covenant for the delivery of the whisky, to wit on the day of , he did deliver the whisky in barrels, in the town of Bowling-Green and it was then and there agreed by and between him, Barnet and Payne that the said whisky in barrels, as aforesaid, should remain at in the said town, for two months, that Barnet should be responsible for all leakages that might happen during that time, and warrant said barrels to contain the quantity of gallons at the expiration of said term, and that if Barnet would suffer said whisky so to remain and there should be the aforesaid quantity in said barrels at the end of the two months, the same was to be taken and received by Payne, as there deposited, in discharge of the said covenant, and avers that Barnet did suffer the whisky to remain in Bowling-Green for the time aforesaid, and that at the end of the two months, the barrels did contain the proper quantity, &c.
To each of these pleas, issues were made up by Payne, traversing their several allegations.
A jury being called to try the issues, a verdict was found for Barnet, whereupon the counsel for Payne, moved the court for a new trial, on the ground of the verdict being against evidence, but the motion was overruled and judgment rendered according to the verdict.
To reverse that judgment, Payne has prosecuted this writ of error.
The assignment of errors, questions the sufficiency of the 2d, 3d and 4th pleas, as well as the decision of the court, in overruling the motion for a new trial.
Were the decision of the court correct in refusing a new trial we should not deem it necessary to go into an enquiry as to the sufficiency of those pleas, to which exceptions are taken by the assignment of errors. For admitting those pleas insufficient, still there would be a verdict upon the plea of covenants performed; and it is an established principle that a repleader will not be awarded after a general verdict, if there be one material issue to which the verdict may respond. But as we suppose the verdict should have been set aside on the application for a new trial, it will be proper to notice the objections to the pleas.
It will be perceived that the second plea purports to set up in avoidance of the covenant an agreement made before any breach of the covenant took place; but as that agreement is not alledged to have been in writing, it must be intended to have been by parol, and consequently forms no legal defence to an action brought upon the original covenant, as was held in the case of Hadley against Moorman, 4 Bibb, 1.
The other two pleas, however, exhibit a different aspect; they rely, it is true upon an agreement made subsequent to the date of the covenant; but as the agreement is alledged to have been made after a breach of the covenant, if executed, it may no doubt, form the basis of a good plea of accord and satisfaction. To be sufficient as a plea of that character it must, however, appear that there was not only an agreement to deliver the whisky, but it must moreover appear that the whisky was actually received in satisfaction of the damages occasioned by the breach of covenant. This, we think is substantially averred in each of the foregoing pleas. The third plea expressly alledges the receipt of the whisky, and although by the terms of the a
The judgment must be reversed with costs, the cause remanded to the court below, and further proceedings had, not inconsistent with this opinion.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.