10 How. Pr. 324 | The Superior Court of New York City | 1855
An order, made on the 12th of October last, at special term, has been brought before the general term, and is for the plaintiff’s attorney to show ¡cause as follows:—
1. Why the attorney of the plaintiffs in these numerous actions should not furnish to the attorney of the defendant, a sworn statement, showing the Christian names in full, and the residences of the plaintiffs in the actions respectively, and
This application is made in the first entitled suit, and in forty-five others, set out in a printed list annexed to the order. The ground of the action is, in substance, that the defendant was a common carrier, and owner of a certain line of vessels and conveyances, used in the transportation of passengers and baggage from the port of New-York to the port of San Francisco,, in California, by the way of Nicaragua. That on the-day of-, 1852, he received the plaintiff on board of one of the vessels of said line as a passenger, to be conveyed from the city of New-York to San Francisco, aforesaid, for hire and reward. That it then became his duty to carefully convey him, as soon as he reasonably could, without delay—furnish him with bed and accommodation, good and sufficient food, &c.—■ to have provided sufficient room, and not overcrowd the same.. The complaint then states various violations and neglects of the obligations thus assumed, the injury and damage resulting from them, and demands judgment for the damages.
1. The authorities cited are decisive of the right of the court
It is here sworn that several of these nominal plaintiffs are dead, and facts are stated to show that some others are probably so. Again, it is not improbable that Mead & Co., of St. Juan del Sur, hold the whole or most of these tickets as beneficial owners or assignees. (See affidavits of Thompson and Cross.) The defendant is entitled to the names of the plaintiffs ■and their residences, to prove this fact by their own evidence, ■if necessary, and to show that Mead & Co. have the right to sue. Again, he has a right to such information, in order to •enable him to obtain security for costs from non-residents. And, as it appears that many of them were forwarded by Mead & Co. from St. Juan del Sur to San Francisco by sailing ves
2. The next branch of the motion relates to the exhibition, by the attorney, of his authority to sue in the names of these numerous plaintiffs. It is true that, in general, the authority of an attorney is to be presumed from his appearing on the record. And the statute has only provided for the production of his power in cases of ejectment. (2 R. S. 305, § 12.) But the present case is very peculiar. Upon the affidavits produced by the defendant, it is made out that certainly many of these passage tickets have been transferred to Mead & Co., and are, perhaps, owned by them. The right of action was assignable. It appears by the affidavits produced by the plaintiffs’ attorney, since the argument of this motion was agreed to be used by us, that a power, or powers of attorney, were executed by a number of the plaintiffs to Mead & Co., authorizing them to employ attorneys and counsel for the purpose of enforcing their claims. It is alleged that this power has been burnt. It is not alleged that a draft or copy is not in existence, not that the parties cannot give a satisfactory statement of its general contents. If the draft or copy was directed to the attorney, no doubt the court would ask for its production. The case cannot be varied, where it is an authority to another to employ the attorney. In various cases, the undoubted right of the court to call for an exhibition of the power of an attorney is declared. In a few it is considered as an absolute, unqualified right of-the defendant. Thus, in Clark agt. Holliday, (9 Miss. Rep. 711,) it was held that the court would inquire, whenever requested, into the authority of an attorney to appear. The court in Tennessee recognized the same rule in Gillespie’s case, (3 Yerger, 325.) In M‘Allister agt. Wright, (3 Monroe’s Rep. 194,) it was so far qualified as to impose upon the de
Upon reading and filing order to show cause herein, and affidavits of the defendant and William K. Thorne and others, submitted on the part of the defendant, and also the affidavits of William Silliman, Esq,, and William H. Mead, submitted on the part of the plaintiffs respectively, and also upon reading the several complaints of the said respective plaintiffs, and on hearing counsel in. behalf of the parties respectively,—it is, on motion of Horace F. Clark, Esq., of counsel for defendant, ordered:1 That the attorney for the plaintiffs, in the several above entitled causes, furnish in writing, and verified by oath, to the attorney for the defendant, the ñames and present places of residence of the said plaintiffs respectively, in the manner and to the. extent specified in the order to show, cause: that is to say, with the Christian names of the plaintiffs in each of said causes-in which such Christian name is .not stated in the complaints respectively, and specifying the state, county, town, and village where each of the plaintiffs respectively resides; and if ■ they, or any or either of them, reside in a city, then giving the street and number of such residence, and also specifying the occupation of the plaintiffs respectively.