Potter v. Springfield Milling Co.

Mississippi Supreme Court
Potter v. Springfield Milling Co., 75 Miss. 532 (Miss. 1897)
Terral

Potter v. Springfield Milling Co.

Opinion of the Court

Terral, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

We are of the opinion that the plaintiff made out a good cause of action against the defendant, and that the peremptory instruction for the defendant was error. The authority given to Potts by the Springfield Milling Company to sell its flour to all persons wishing to purchase, constituted’him its general agent in that business (Story Agency, sec. 17); and in all cases of general agency the principal is bound by the acts of his agent within the scope of the authority conferred on him, although he violates his instructions limiting or qualifying the exercise of such authority. Story on Agency, sec. 126. Potts, as the salesman of the defendant milling company, had an unquestionable right to give to Potter a sale note of the bargain, and this was proper to be done in this instance, in order to satisfy the statute of frauds, for an authority conferred upon an agent includes all the necessary and usual means of executing it with effect. Story on Agency, sec. 58.

The contract of Potts with plaintiff to sell him the one hundred barrels of flour was binding upon the defendant company, and the reservation by the defendant company of power to reject the orders of Potts was inoperative as to all persons not cognizant of such reserved authority, and whatever loss was sustained by the plaintiff by reason of the neglect of the defendant to fulfill such contract, and which loss could not have been reasonably avoided by the plaintiff, he is entitled to recover in this action.

Reversed, and remanded.

Reference

Full Case Name
J. R. Potter v. Springfield Milling Co.
Cited By
2 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
1. Peincipai, and A&ent. Sales. Agent’s authority. Secret limitation. One having- authority to sell the goods of a manufacturer to all persons within certain territory, desiring to purchase the same, is a general agent for that purpose, and the obligation to deliver arising upon a sale made by him to a purchaser not cognizant of any limitation upon his authority, is not affected by his principal’s reservation of the right to reject all orders taken by him. 2. Same. Acts within scope of agency. Memoranda. A general agent for the sale of goods has the power to do all acts incidental to the business, as signing and giving to a purchaser a note of the bargain made.