Swift v. Beers

May 15, 1846
Reporters:
Before:
Bronson
By the Court, Bronson, Ch. J.

We have no doubt about this ‍‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍case. The note is directly within the terms of the prohibition of the act of 1840; and we do ‍‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍not doubt but that it was equally within the intention of the legislature. That act has no reference to ‍‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍the circulation of such notes as money, but was designed to prohibit them altogether for any purpose.

The guaranty partakes ‍‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍of the character of the principal contract. It was intended to reinforce and secure it—and is equally illegal. The ‍‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍circuit judge was right in nonsuiting the plaintiffs

New trial denied.