8 Johns. 249 | N.Y. Sup. Ct. | 1811
Two questions arc presented to the court. The one relates to the validity of the second plea, and the other respects the rule or measure of damages upon the facts disclosed at the trial.
1. The plea is clearly bad. The declaration not only charges the defendant with-promising to take up the note, which the plaintiff signed as surety, but also to indemnify and save, harmless the plaintiff from all cost and damage in consequence of his becoming surety in the note.It also states a special harm and damage by being sued1
2. The only serious question in the caséis, what ought to be the rule of damages. There was no proof at the trial of any promise to save harmless, and the plaintiff must recover, if at all, upon the simple fact of having signed a note as surety for the defendants, and of having been sued upon it, and charged in execution. The case of Chilton & Whiffin v. Cromwell (3 Wils. 13.) has been referred to, as somewhat analogous. The declaration in that case stated, that the plaintiff had accepted a bill drawn on him by a partner of the defendant, under a pror mise by the defendant.to take up the bill when due, and to save the plaintiff harmless; that the bill was not taken up, and the plaintiff was sued upon his acceptance, and was charged in execution when he brought the suit. It did not appear that he had paid the money, or any part of it, and the court of C. B. held that he was entitled to recover the amount of the judgment, and that being charged in execution was the same thing for him as payment of the debt and costs. The promise of indemnity was enough to support the action in that case, but there appears to be much difficulty in applying to this case, the position, that the being charged in execution was payment of the debt. It would not be true in its application here. The imprisonment of the surety on a ca. sa. is no satisfaction to the creditor for his debt, or discharge of the principal debtor. (Blumfield's case, 5 Co. 86. b. Peacock v. Jeffery, 1 Taunt. 426.) If the plaintiff has not, in fact, paid the debt, the defendant is still answerable to the payees of the note, for whatever sum remains diie thereon. Suppose a surety is taken on ca. sa. for a debt of 10,000 dollars, and discharged the next day, under the insolvent act, is he entitled to recover that whole sum of his prim
As the plaintiff, then, in this case, did not show upon the ¿rial, the payment of any part of the debt, he was not en
Judgment for the defendant.