Phelps v. The Stelvio
Phelps v. The Stelvio
Opinion of the Court
I am under the impression that the clause in the charter-party providing that the cargo should he discharged by a stevedore named by the charter, at current rates, did not authorize the ship, because not informed of the rates which the stevedore named by the charterer intended to claim to be the rates current, to refuse to discharge the cargo at the appointed lime. The cargo was green fruit, as to the discharge and sale of which the custom is peculiar; and when a competent stevedore had been duly named by the charterer, and the time for the discharge of the fruit had been fixed, and tlio trade was-in attendance to examine the fruit according to custom, the refusal of the ship to proceed with the discharge of the cargo because the stevedore declined to assent to certain rates as current was a breach of the charter, and rendered the ship liable for the damages caused to the libelant by such refusal.
But, if I am wrong in this, it is plain that after the master of the ship had accepted the charterer’s guaranty that the stevedore would charge no more than current rates, and had permitted the stevedore to set up his tackle in order that the discharge might be made at the appointed time, it was then too late for him to insist upon an agreement as to what rates were current, and refuse to discharge because an agreement as to the rates was not made. The libelant is therefore entitled to recover the damages sustained by him by reason of the refusal of the ship to discharge the fruit at the time appointed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The Stelvio. Phelps and others v. The Stelvio
- Status
- Published