Massie v. Spencer
Massie v. Spencer
Opinion of the Court
Opinion of the Court.
THIS writ of error is prosecuted to reverse a judgment recovered by Spencer, in an action of assumpsit, brought by him in the circuit court against Kennedy and Massie. The declaration contains three counts. The two first counts set out several undertakings of Kennedy and Massie, to convey for Spencer, two hogs heads of tobacco to New-Orleans, and there to sell the same for the best price that could be procured, and account therefor to Spencer. The third count is a general indebitatus assumpsit, for money had and received.
The general issue was pleaded, and after Spencer had gone through his evidence, a motion was made by the counsel of Kennedy and Massie, for the court to instruct the jury as in case of a nonsuit; but the motion was overruled, and exceptions taken to the opinion of the court.
In the progress of the trial in the circuit court, a witness was called, and proved that Kennedy, who was plaintiff in that court, and Massie, agreed, by parol, to submit all matters in dispute about the tobacco, to the witness and two others ; and that their award, when delivered, should be final; and that, in pursuance to the submission, the arbitrators heard the statements of the parties, and their evidence, and after deliberating on the subject matter, the witness informed the parties, that the award of the arbitrators was, that the plaintiff, Kennedy, should recover nothing. After this evidence was introduced, and it being also gloved that the award so made by the arbitrators was by parol, the witness, on being interrogated by the plaintiff,
1. In permitting those statements to go in evidence to the jury, we think, the court erred. It is well settled, that in cases like the present, a parol award, made in pursuance to a parol submission, forms an available defence to any action which may be brought on the original cause of action. Where the submission is made to three, without expressly authorising a less number to make an award, there is no doubt all should concur in the award, to give it any legal effect ; but after an award is delivered as the award of all, its legal effect ought never to be overturned by the introduction of parol evidence, to show that the award was made through a misconception of law in the arbitrators ; and the object of the statements of the witness, which were permitted to go in evidence to the jury, was barely to do away the legal effect of the award, by showing it to have been delivered through a misconception of the law.
Judgment reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.