31 N.H. 499 | Superior Court of New Hampshire | 1855
The nonsuit, in this case, was proper, provided the amendment asked for was not allowable. Assumpsit will not lie upon a sealed instrument. Foster v. Allanson, 2 D. & E. 482, Opinion of Buller, J.
Now a declaration in assumpsit is inconsistent with the nature of a declaration in debt. Debt will lie, in many cases, for a cause of action, where assumpsit will not lie. To adopt debt, by way of amendment, for assumpsit, in a case where assumpsit will not lie, is, in effect, to introduce into a declaration and make effective, and to allow a recovery for a cause of action, not before legitimately introduced into the declaration. The grounds of the action requiring the amendment, of course, constituted no cause for which such a form of action as was supposed would afford a remedy. The various forms of action have alwrnys been regarded as substantial and material. A uniform practice has treated them as being so. It would be thought absurd to allow a declaration in assumpsit, either ignorantly or with knowledge and by design, adopted for the recovery of a tract of land, to be changed to a plea of land, upon objection properly taken to the declaration. Yet, if a change in the form of action be allowable, it would be so in that case.
Judgment on the nonsuit.