14 Tex. 305 | Tex. | 1855
The grounds mainly relied on for a reversal of the judgment are, 1st. That there was not sufficient evidence of the forfeiture of the bond; 2nd. That it does not appear that the Justice of the Peace, whose judgment is relied on to establish the forfeiture, had jurisdiction to try and determine the right of property. The bond was conditioned for the delivery of the property, in the event that it should be found sub
Upon the remaining ground, we are of opinion, the judgment must be reversed. There has been considerable diversity of opinion upon the question, whether the judgments of Justices of the Peace come within the provision of the Constitution and Act of Congress, in relation to the credit and effect which the judgments of one State shall be entitled to in another; and the mode of their authentication. In some of the States it has been decided that the judgment of .a Justice of the Peace of another State cannot be authenticated according to the law of Congress, and it is, therefore, to be regarded as standing upon the same footing with a foreign judgment. (4 N. Hamp. R.
But the judgment of a neighboring State, being dependent for its effect mainly upon the law of the place where it was rendered, it becomes a question of much practical moment, as to the mode in which the local law shall be ascertained. This question was considered by the Supreme Court of New York, in the case of Thomas v. Robinson, cited by counsel for the appellant. (3 Wend. R. 267.) That was an action of debt upon a judgment rendered by a Justice of the Peace in the State of Pennsylvania. The Court reviewed the decisions upon the subject in that State, maintaining that “ Courts of Justices of “the Peace are not Courts of record. They do not proceed “ according to the course of the Common Law. They are con- “ fined strictly to the authority given them by Statute, and can “ take nothing by implication; but must show their authority “ in every instance, and must comply with the forms prescribed ‘‘ by the Statute creating them. A Court of general jurisdic- “ tion is presumed to have acted, in such particular case, by
Reversed and remanded.