27 Tex. 120 | Tex. | 1863
It is a well settled general principle, that, when an agency is created and conferred by a written instrument, the-nature and extent of the authority given by it must be ascertained from the instrument itself, and can not be enlarged by parol evidence of the usage of other agents in like cases, for that would be to contradict or vary the- terms of the written instrument. There may, however, be some qualifications and limitations properly belonging to this general rule, whereby, especially in cases of general or implied agencies, the usages of a particular trade or business, or of a particular class of persons, are properly admissible, not, indeed, for the purpose of enlarging the powers of the agents employed therein, but for the means of interpreting and rightly understanding those powers which are actually given. The power of attorney under which the agent sold the land in controversy to the defendant Medlock, did not authorize him to barter or exchange it for other property. It can not surely be seriously insisted that there has become such a general and uniform custom or usage of trade, by agents for the sale of land in this State, in contravention to the legal import of the instrument under which they derive their authority, as to overturn and abrogate the well established rules of legal construction, by which the courts would otherwise be governed. If, however, such was the fact, the testimony offered by the defendant falls far short of justifying the application in this case of such an exception to the general rule to which reference has been made, and the court did not err in excluding it from the jury.
There was error, however, in the charge of the- court. The jury were instructed in it that, although the power of attorney did not authorize the sale of the land except for money, yet if Reese lived a reasonable time after the sale, and during his lifetime did not disaffirm the sale, they might infer that he acquiesced in it, and should find for the defendant. It is evident, that the verdict of the jury must have been controlled by this charge. Under it they could not have found a verdict otherwise than as they did-
The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded.
Reversed and remanded.