21 Wend. 354 | N.Y. Sup. Ct. | 1839
By the Court,
When the judge’s charge is not confined to a brief statement of the points of law, but extends to a review of the whole case, any particular remark which may be deemed exceptionable should be pointed out at the time. The judge will thus have the opportunity of explaining, qualifying or correcting what he has said; and if he refuse to do so, the party will then have a pointed
These remarks will dispose of many of the objections which have been urged against this judgment. The single, general exception which was taken to the charge by the defendants below, cannot authorize a critical review of every particular remark which fell from the judge; nor will it warrant us in reversing the judgment because we may think that something was omitted, which might very properly have been included in the instructions to the jury. The most we can do on such an exception, is, to examine the general bearing of the charge, and if that is not plainly injurious to the party in some matter of law, the judgment must be affirmed.
I. But if the particular objections which have, been urged in the argument had been taken on the trial, I should not think it necessary to inquire whether every part of the charge is in harmony with all the rest, and with the law of the land. This case does not call for such a review ; for on the facts proved, and about which there was no controversy on the trial, the plaintiff below was, I think, clearly entitled to the judgment which has. been rendered in his favor. Should it be conceded that the charge was in some points erroneous, still, if in any legal mode of putting the matter the verdict must necessarily have been the same, the judgment ought not to be reversed.
The notice which the defendants had given that they would not be answerable for baggage, was of no legal im
The case was tried before we had formally refused to engraft upon our code the modern English innovation of allowing the carrier to limit his common law liability, by a notice brought home to the employer. Following the rule which for a time prevailed in Westminster Hall, the learn.
Judgment affirmed.^