Memphis Machine Works v. City of Aberdeen

Mississippi Supreme Court
Memphis Machine Works v. City of Aberdeen, 77 Miss. 420 (Miss. 1899)
Terral

Memphis Machine Works v. City of Aberdeen

Opinion of the Court

Terral, T.,

delivered tbe opinion of tbe court.

Tbe appellant, tbe plaintiff below, was entitled to a verdict for $48.05, a part of tbe sum sued for. There was no denial of the claim of this sum as-made in the declaration, and tbe plaintiff was entitled, at least, to a recovery of that sum. His request for an instruction to the jury to that effect should have -been granted.

It is argued here that § 713, annotated code, is in the way of a recovery of said sum, but the. only effect of that section of tbe code is to impose upon tbe plaintiff the payment of tbe costs of .the case if he fails to recover a verdict for more than the sum tendered.

It was not the purpose of the legislature by § 713 to deprive the plaintiff of a sum of money admitted by the pleadings to be due him, nor could such purpose, if contemplated, have been effected, while sec. 14 of the constitution is in force, which declares that “no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property except by due process of law.” The legislature cannot acquit another of á debt, without some default of the creditor; and it could be no default of the plaintiff that he declined to take $48.05 in full satisfaction of his claim of $398.05.

The plea of tender, in so far as it is pleaded in bar of the recovery of the $48.05, is manifestly bad and frivolous.

Reversed and remanded.

Reference

Cited By
2 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
1. Pleading. Tender. Code 1893, g713. Account. If a defendant sued upon an open account fail to plead to a part of the items sued for and make a tender into court, under code 1892, § 713 authorizing such a proceeding, of the sum not denied, the plaintiff is entitled to a judgment for the 'items not put in issue, without acceptance of the same in satisfaction of his suit, even if he goes to trial and loses on the other items.. 2. Same. Effect of the statute. The only effect of. the statute, code 1892, $ 713, authorizing a tender of a sum of money into court in satisfaction of a plaintiff’s demand, is to impose costs upon the plaintiff if he fail to recover a sum in excess of the tender. 3. Constitutional Law. Constitution 1890, sec. 14. The legislature is without power, under constitution of 1890, sec. 14, providing that “no person shall he deprived of life, liberty •or property except by due process of law,” to deprive a plaintiff of a sum of money admitted to be due him.