Midland Railroad v. Hitchcock
Midland Railroad v. Hitchcock
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by.
I agree with the chancellor in the view which he takes of the merits of this case as the same are stated in the bill.
My only difficulty has been with respect to the equitable foundation of the proceeding. The facts are detailed in the opinion of the chancellor. The bill is clearly defective, as it leaves it greatly in doubt whether or not the bond which the complainant claims the right to have issued to her by the company is a bond that is to be secured by a mortgage. If this, in point of fact, be the case, then it is plain that on this ground the matter in dispute is one for equitable cognizance. But if, on the other hand, the obligation on the part of the railroad company is to deliver a naked bond, unsecured in any way, to the complainant, in consideration of the bond surrendered to it by her, then it seems plain to me that a suit at law would be the only remedy. In such latter instance, an actual breach of the implied contract would afford the complainant plenary redress. But although this bill is thus deficient in this particular, nevertheless there is an indication in it that the bond in question is a mortgage bond, for in the charging part it charges that the complainant is entitled to “ a mortgage bond of the said Midland company,” in lieu of the one surrendered by her. Yet, such a charge standing isolated in the bill, without being supported or justified by any precedent statement, would not sufficiently exhibit the existence of a jurisdictional fact. I am not able to see how the cognizance of equity over the case can be sustained on this ground.
However, I have come to the conclusion that it was proper to
Deoree unanimously affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.