109 Mass. 24 | Mass. | 1871
The clause in each of these policies, by which the vessel insured was “ prohibited from all guano islands,” except the Peruvian or Chinchas, was a warranty, any breach of which defeated the policy, without regard to the question whether it did or did not increase the risk. Odiorne v. New England Insurance Co. 101 Mass. 551. Cobb v. Lime Rock Insurance Co. 58 Maine 326. The issue submitted to the jury, and the true issue be
Acts of congress, and proclamations issued by the secretary of state in accordance therewith, are the appropriate evidence of the action of the national government. Taylor on Ev. (5th ed.) § 1473. 1 Greenl. Ev. § 491. And the volume of public documents, printed by authority of the senate of the United States, containing letters to and from various officers of state, communicated by the President of the United States to the senate, was as competent evidence as the original documents themselves. The King v. Holt, 5 T. R. 436, and 2 Leach (4th ed.) 593. Watkins v. Holman, 16 Pet. 25, 55, 56. Bryan v. Forsyth, 19 How. 334. Gregg v. Forsyth, 24 How. 179. Radcliff v. United Insurance Co. 7 Johns. 38, 50.
The act of congress of 1856, c. 164, declared that, upon satisfactory evidence furnished to the state department that a citizen of the United States had discovered a deposit of guano on any island, and had taken peaceable possession and occupation thereof in the name of the United States, and that the island was not at the time in the possession or occupation of any other government or its citizens, the island might at the discretion of the President of the United States be considered as appertaining to the United States, the guano might be sold by the discoverer or his assigns to other citizens of the United States and brought to the United States as provided in that act and in the laws regulating the coasting trade, the president might employ the land and naval forces of the United States to protect the rights of the discoverer or his assigns to take the guano from the island, and all crilnes there committed might be punished according to the laws of the United States as if committed on the high seas.
The circular issued by the secretary of the treasury since the execution of the policies in suit could not affect their interpretation, and was therefore rightly excluded.
The defendants were also rightly refused permission to read to the jury an article in Appleton’s Cyclopaedia. A book published in this country by a private person is not competent evidence of facts, stated therein, of recent occurrence, and which might be proved by living witnesses or other better evidence; and the book in question, not being shown to have been approved by any public authority, or to be in general use among merchants or underwriters, had no tendency to show that the island of Navassa was commonly called and known as a guano island. Fuller v. Princeton, 2 Dane Ab. 333, 334. Morris v. Edwards, 1 Ohio, 189, 209. Morris v. Harmer, 7 Pet. 554, 558. Houghton v. Gilbart, 7 C. & P. 701.
Exceptions sustained.