31 Miss. 322 | Miss. | 1856
delivered the opinion of the court.
This is an appeal from a decree of the Chancellor of the Middle District of this State, sustaining a demurrer to the complainant’s bill.
The complainant, and the defendant Charles T. Mann, were co-partners in a drug store, at Yazoo city. The complainant sold his interest in the concern to one Heth, who agreed to pay the complainant’s portion of the co-partnership debts. Heth sold his interest thus acquired to Mann, who has applied the assets of the firm of Andrews & Mann to the payment of his individual debts. The object of the bill is to recover such assets, or at least so much as will suffice for the payment of the co-partnership debt.
It may be true, as contended, that Mann, if there had been no sale by the complainant, would have no right to apply the assets of the firm to his individual debts; and that the complainant could, in such case, maintain his bill. But that is not the question in this case. The complainant made an absolute sale to Heth, without retaining a lien upon the assets or articles sold, as a means of compelling Heth to comply with his contract. The complainant, in other words, trusted Heth, without taking from him any security whatever, for the performance of his engagement. By the sale, the old co-partnership was dissolved, and Heth undertook to pay the debts properly chargeable against the retiring partner. He, it seems, has failed to comply with this undertaking. The complainant not having retained a lien upon the articles, or
Decree affirmed.