Egbert v. Thatcher
Egbert v. Thatcher
Concurring Opinion
I concur in the foregoing opinion, and would add,, that it is a question, whether the Court of Common Pleas have not a discretion in the allowance or refusal of further time to the appellee. The court below have exercised that discretion, and the settled practice of this court, is, not to interfere with the court below in the exercise of that discretion.
Judgment affirmed.
Opinion of the Court
By a state of the case annexed to, and sent up with the certiorari, in this case, it appears, that when the appeal was ordered on for trial, at the term of February, 1832, before the Common Pleas of Warren county, the counsel for the appellees moved to dismiss the appeal, on the ground that the appeal bond had been executed by the appellants only, without any surety, as required by law; that the court overruled the motion, and permitted the appellants to file a new bond; and thereupon the appellees, (who were the plaintiffs below) failing to proceed with the trial of the cause, the court ordered a judgment of non-suit to be entered, with costs. Under the act of Assembly as it originally stood in relation to this matter, this court required a strict compliance with its provisions, and held that the justice had no right to grant; nor the Court of Common Pleas, to take cognizance of an appeal, unless a bond in conformity with the directions of "the act, had been tendered to the justice and returned to the Common Pleas. It was considered as lying at the foundation of the appeal, and that without such bond, the Common Pleas had no jurisdiction in the matter Stevens v. Scudder, 2 South. 503. But the fourth section of the supplement, passed the 23d November, 1821, contains a clause in these words: “And that the said Court of Cominon Pleas may permit the appellant to substitute a new appeal bon(J, in the place of the appeal bond filed and sent up by the justice;
This result is the less to be regretted, because, upon looking into the state of demand, filed before the justice, it is evidently defective, 'and the plaintiffs ought to have been non-suited on the trial before the justice.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- BENJAMIN EGBERT and OTHERS v. STEPHEN and DAVID THATCHER, executors of Thomas Thatcher
- Status
- Published