Commonwealth v. Farmers' Bank
Commonwealth v. Farmers' Bank
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered January 27, 1854, by
— This is a motion for leave to issue a writ of quo warranto, on an information thatthe bank has usurped powers and privileges not granted, and forfeited by misuse such as were granted. At the instance of this same relator, we issued a quo warranto against this bank, to December Term, 1852, founded on the same general grounds of complaint; and after hearing the parties fully, on a motion to quash that writ, we held, that under the Act of 14th June, 1836, a stranger, who has no interest in a corporation, except that which is common to every citizen, cannot sue out a writ of quo warranto, to enforce the forfeiture of its charter, but that it must be applied for by some authorized agent of the Commonwealth; and accordingly, on the 4th of April, 1853, we adjudged, that Michael Murphy had no right or title to maintain the information in the name of the Commonwealth, and that his writ must be quashed, and wholly taken for naught. The only interest, beyond that of other citizens, which he alleges in the present information, is the fact, that he is a creditor of the bank, and has an action at law pending for the recovery of his debt; but that is an interest against forfeiture, rather than in favor of it. The creditor does not increase his chance of payment, by putting his debtor out of existence. The relator has all the ordinary remedies for the collection of his debt, but the prerogative writ he asks for is not one of them, and cannot be so used.
It is supposed, that the Act of 17th March, 1853, P. L. 685,
Motion denied.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.