McCutchen v. Dougherty
McCutchen v. Dougherty
Opinion of the Court
The preliminary question is, whether the writ of error is barred by the statute of limitations.
The judgment was rendered on the-day of November, A. D. 1865. The writ of error was issued the 26th day of March, A. D. 1870. The act of the 31st of December, A. D. 1862 suspended the statutes of limitations until twelve months after the close of the then existing war. Included in the suspension, was the act for prosecuting writs or error. Griffin v. Mills, 40 Miss., 614. The courts of the United States, as well as of this state, have fixed as the time of the close of the war, the 2d of April, 1866, the date of the president’s proclamation, declaratory of the fact.
As against the right to prosecute' this writ of error, the statute began to run on the 2d of April, 1867, so that the bar would not attach until the 2d of April, 1870. It follows then, that this writ was sued out in proper time.
2d. The return of the sheriff, on the summons, is a sub-' stantial, if not a literal compliance with the law. Surely, the execution of the writ, “ by delivering a true copy to the defendant in person,” is a personal service within the terms of the statute, so as to warrant a judgment by default final.
3d. The last objection made by the assignment of errors is, that whereas, the statute allows the judgment to bear the same rate of interest as the cause of action which is merged into it, this suit was founded oh two causes of action — a promissory note for $1,088 44, at 10 per cent, interest per annum, from date; and the balance on an open account of $270 00, at interest of 6 per cent, per annum. And the judgment does not separate these two amounts, and make each
Let the judgment be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- John H. McCutchen v. P. M. Dougherty
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Statute oj? limitations — Consteuotion.—The act of December 31st, 1862, suspending statutes of limitation, included writs of error. Griffin v. Mills, 40 Miss., fill. The courts of the United States and of this state, have determined that the war closed April 2d, 1866, the date of the president’s proclamation declaratory of that fact. Our statute of limitation commenced running again on the 2d of April, 1867. 2. Retuen oeekooess. — The return of the sheriff that he had “ executed this writ by delivering a true copy to the defendant in person,” is a sufficient personal sorvlce within the statute to warrant a judgment by default final. 3. Judgment — Rate of intekest. — The action was founded on a note for $1,088 44, bearing interest at ten per cent, por annum, and an account of $270, at interest at six per cent. Judgment by default was for $1,683 92 in the aggregate, without specifying the particular rate of interest. This is not an error of which the defendant can complain.