afterwards delivered the following opinion in the same term, Preble J. concurring.
One of the trustees has been defaulted, and from the disclosure of Warren who is the other, it appears that Seaver sold to them the bale of sheetings as the factor of the company, and guaranteed the sale ; and that the company in due season asserted theii claim to the proceeds of the sale, and gave notice thereof to the trustees. The question is, whether the company have a claim on the trustees as purchasers for the price of the goods., or whether their claim is only against Seaver, and of course that the debt due from the trustees is exclusively due to Seaver„ The law seems tobe perfectly settled, that the principal is entitled to recover, whenever he can trace his own property and distinguish it or its proceeds from the mass of the property of his factor. See Livermore on Agency 1818, p. 267, ch. 7, where the cases on the point are collected. On this ground it is clear,, that the debt in question belongs to and is claimable by the company, and so Warren is not trustee, unless the fact that Seaver was
For the amount of commissions, &c. in the present case, Seaver has a lien on the debt due from the trustees; and the company are not entitled to claim and recover it from him, or intercept it in Warren’s hand by means of the present process. For the amount of such commissions, &c. therefore, be is the trustee of Seaver. We accordingly adjudge him trustee, and the parties can probably ascertain the true sum, without any further proceedings.
