Chipman v. Hibberd

Jul 1, 1856
Reporters:
Before:
Murray
The opinion of the Court was delivered by Mr. Chief ‍‌​‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍Justice Murray.

Mr. Justice Terry concurred.

The Court erred in laying down the measure of damages. The true rule was ‍‌​‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍not the actual value of the trees for firewood, but the damage done to the land by reason of ‍‌​‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍destroying them. This damage should have been estimated by all the circumstances, and the purposes for which the trees ‍‌​‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍were used or designed, and not according to the “ spe*163culative or fancied ideas” that the jury or plaintiff might ‍‌​‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍have drawn of their worth.

Judgment reversed, and new trial ordered.