138 P. 1078 | Or. | 1914
Lead Opinion
Opinion by
“Q. 14. A letter was introduced by the counsel for the defendant, showing that you made a demand on them for the payment of $300. I think it was in June, 1911, probably. Why was not that $300, or all of it, included in the complaint that was finally filed against the Eansome-Crummey Company?
“A. I submitted that to you, to my attorney, Mr. Stone, and Mr. Stone advised me that he would not put that in the complaint from the fact that the money was expended in entertaining the councilmen at Med-ford, such as perhaps theater tickets and saloon bills, and also the money expended in the same way in Klamath Palls, and Mr. Stone refused to put it on the complaint, and for that reason I made a demand on them; otherwise I would have to stand for it myself, because that money was paid out of my own pocket, or from my personal account.
“Q. 15. Was all that money expended in that way?
“A. All but $86.70. We scratched that out, and $86.70 is the balance over and above the expense account that we allege in our complaint.
“Q. 16. What did they tell you with reference to this expense question when you were employed by them, and came up here to do the work, if anything?
“A. Mr. Crummey told me that any money that 1 spent would be returned to me.
“Q. 17. Did they tell you to expend it in that manner?
“A. They did. They told me to expend it in promotion work, that is the understanding, and spend as I see fit to use it. # #
“Q. You admit that you went down in your pocket and used funds for the purpose of entertaining councilmen, buying theater tickets for them, saloon bills, etc., in endeavoring to get contracts, do you?
“A. I will say that I spent it in entertaining; yes, sir.
“Q. You did that yourself?
“A. I did that myself. * *
*553 “Q. 1. Ton said yon were hired by the company for the purpose of obtaining contracts, and such as that, while you were in their employ?
“ A. That was my understanding.
“Q. 12. And were you to use expense money for that purpose ?
“A. For that purpose; yes, sir.
“Q. 13. And you expended this $300, that you testified to for the purpose of entertaining officials?
“A. I did not say public officials altogether; do not understand me that way.”
Taking this testimony as a whole, it indicates that plaintiff was hired to work up and obtain certain contracts for the plaintiff, but there is nothing in the language quoted which shows that defendant ever authorized him to expend money for the illegal purpose of treating councilmen. The presumption that a person is innocent of a crime or wrong applies as well in civil as in criminal matters; and, in the absence of evidence that such expenditures were contemplated by the parties when the contract was made, we must assume that the expense money which was to he allowed plaintiff was intended only to cover such legitimate expenses as he might incur in obtaining contracts for his employer. Were this a suit by the defendant to enforce the collection of a sum due upon a contract obtained by its agent’s having used corrupt methods to secure it, a different question might arise; but that is not his case. The contract was not for a corrupt purpose. The agent was employed to promote the employer’s interest by means presumably lawful. The agreement to reimburse him for expense money was for such expenses as he might legitimately incur, and it is for expenses of the latter character that he seeks to recover in this action, clearly recognizing the fact that moneys spent in treating and entertaining councilmen were not such as could be recovered under the
“The court instructs you, gentlemen of the jury, that if you find from the evidence adduced here in the trial of the above-entitled action that plaintiff and the defendant herein entered into an agreement whereby defendant was to pay the plaintiff money for the securing of public contracts, and authorized said plaintiff to use money in the entertainment of public officials for the purpose of influencing them in letting such contracts to the defendant, and that plaintiff did so expend such money for that purpose, then you will find for defendant, as such an agreement is against public policy and is void. ’ ’
The jury having found that no such corrupt contract was entered into, that feature of the case is disposed of.
The judgment is affirmed. Affirmed.
Rehearing
Decided Mareh 24, 1914.
On Petition for Rehearing.
(139 Pac. 920.)
Opinion by
In a petition for rehearing the defendant’s counsel calls our attention to a mistake made in the concluding part of the opinion, wherein we quote the instruction requested by defendant upon the question raised
The requested instruction appears in the printed abstract with nothing immediately following to indicate that it was refused, or that any exception was taken; but we find in the specifications of error a statement that it was refused, and by comparison with the original bill of exceptions this appears to have been the case. As intimated in the opinion, there is no testimony indicating that any unlawful or corrupt expenditure of money was contemplated in the contract under which plaintiff was employed, which was probably the reason for the court’s refusal to instruct upon that subject. In any event, the whole testimony is before us, and upon that testimony we are satisfied the verdict and judgment are such as should have been rendered, and should therefore be affirmed, under the provisions of Article VII, Section 3, of our Constitution, as amended November 8, 1910.
It is contended that this section of the Constitution is void, because it contravenes the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, in that it deprives defendant of its property without due process of law. In what respect it has this effect is not clearly pointed out in the brief which accompanies the petition. Our view of the scope and effect of the amendment to our Constitution is stated in Knight v. Beyers (Or.), 134 Pac. 787.
The petition is denied. Rehearing Denied.