Snow & Co. v. Ray

Jan 15, 1841
Reporters:
Before:
Ormond
ORMOND, J.

— Great indulgencies have always been shown by this Court, to the proceedings before ‍​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‍a justice of the peace. Substance is all that is required — form is entirely disregarded. The designation of the firm name in the warrant, conveyed to the defendant all ‍​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‍the information it was necessary he should have, to enable him to make his defence. In the County Court, the proceedings assume more regularity, and the names of the ‍​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‍parties composing the firm are set out at length. This was all that was necessary, and no exception should have been allowed for the supposed defect in the warrant. ‍​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‍This point was thus ruled in the case of Condrey v. Henly & Murphy, 4 Stew. & Por. 10. No notice has been taken of the plea in abatement, because the same question arises ‍​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‍on the demurrer to the declation. Let the judgment be reversed, and the cause remanded.