95 Pa. 139 | Pa. | 1880
delivered the opinion of the court,
The sixth assignment of error must be sustained. It sets forth that the court below erred in disallowing the seventh exception filed
This disposes of the case and renders a discussion of the remaining assignments unnecessary. It is proper to say, however, that it was the plain duty of the learned judge of the court below, upon his own statement of the case, to have set aside this report. He says in his opinion : “ The evidence shows and I find as a fact that the damages found by the viewer's are grossly excessive.” Notwithstanding this finding, he entered judgment upon the report upon a mistaken idea that he had no power to set it aside, and sent the case up to this court with what amounts to an invitation to us to do what he omitted to do. All this, however, appears only in the opinion of the court which forms no part of the record. How far we would be justified in looking at it when the court below has declined to exercise its discretion from an erroneous view of its power, and has sent up its opinion for the very purpose of showing us its reasons for declining to act, and to invite our review of its ruling, it is not essential riow to decide. We reverse the case upon the grounds previously referred to.
The judgment is reversed, and the report of the viewers set aside.