USA > New York > Columbia County > Gazetteer and business directory of Columbia County, N.Y. for 1871-2 > Part 7
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3. Any person who voluntarily becomes an agent for another. and in that capacity obtains information to which as a stranger he could have had no access, is bound in subsequent dealing with his principal, a- purchaser of the property that formed the subject of his agency, to communicate euch information.
4. When a house is rendered untenants- ble in consequence of improvements made on the adjoining lot, the owner of such cannot recover damages, because it is pre- sumed that he had knowledge of the ap- pronching danger in time to protect hint- eelf from it.
5. When a merchant ship fa abandoned by order of the master, for the purpose of enving life, and a part of the crew enbee- quently meet the vessel so abandoned and Bring her safe into port, they will be enti- tled to salvage.
6. A person who has been led to sell good- by means of false pretenses, cannot recover them from one who has purchased them in good faith from the frauduleut vendor.
8. A seller of goods who accepte, at the time of sale, the note of a third party, not endorsed by the buyer, in payment. can- not in case the note is not paid, hold the buyer responsible for the value of the goods.
9. A day-book copied from & "blotter" in which charges are first made, will not he received in evidence as a book of origi- nal entries.
10. Common carriers are not liable for extraordinary results of negligence that could not have been foreseen by ordinary skill and foresight.
11. A bidder at a Sheriff's sale may re- tract his bid at any time before the prop- erty is knocked down to him, whatever may be the conditions of the sale.
12. Acknowledgment of debt to a stran- ver does not preclude the operation of the statute.
13. The fruits and grass on the farm or garden of an intestate descend to the heir.
14. Agents are solely liable to their prin- cipals.
15. A deposit of money in bank by'a hus- band, in the name of his wife, survives to her.
49
LAW MAXIMS.
16. Money paid on Sunday contracts may be recovered.
17. A debtor may give preference to one creditor over another, unless fraud or special legislation can be proved.
18. A court cannot give judgment for a larger sum than that specified in the ver- dict.
19. Imbecility on the part of either husband or wife, invalidates the mar- riage.
20. An action for malicious prosecution will lie, though nothing further was done than sning out warrants.
21. An agreement not to continue the practice of a profession or business in'any specified town, if the party so agreeing has received a consideration for the same, is valid.
22. When A consigns goods to B to sell on commission. and B delivers them to C, in payment of his own antecedent debts, A can recover their value.
23. A finder of property is compelled to make diligent inquiry for the owner there- of, and to restore the same. If, on finding such property, he attempts to conceal such fact, he may be prosecuted for larceny.
24. A private person may obtain an in- junction to prevent a public mischief by which he is affected in common with others.
25. Any person interested may obtain an injunction to restrain the State or a munici- pal corporation from maintaining a nuisance on its lands.
26. A discharge under the insolvent laws of one State will not discharge the insol- Vent from a contract made with a citizen of another State.
27. To prosecute a party with any other motive than to bring him to justice, is malicious prosecution, and actionable as such.
28. Ministers of the gospel. residing in any incorporated town, are not exempt from jury, military, or fire service.
29. When a person contracts to build a house, and is prevented by sickness from finishing it, be can recover for the part per- formed, if such part is beneficial to the other party.
30. In & suit for enticing away a man's wife, actual proof ofthe marriage is not ne- cesvary. Cohabitation, reputation, and the admission of marriage by the parties, are suficient.
92. When a marriage is denied, and plain- tiff has given sufficient evidence to estah- lich it, the defendant cannot examine the wife to dieprove the marriage.
33. The amount of an express debt can- not be enlarged by application.
34. Contracts for advertisements in Sun- day newspapers cannot be enforced.
35. A seller of goods, chattels, or other property, commits no fraud, in law, when he neglects to tell the purchaser of any flaws, defecte, or unsoundness in the same.
36. The opinions of witnesses, as to the value of a dog that has been killed, are not admissible in evidence. The value of the animal is to be decided by the jury.
37. If any person puts a fence on or plows the land of another, he is liable for trespass whether the owner has sustained injury or not.
38. If a person, who is unable from ill- ness to sign his will, has his hand guided in making his mark, the signature is valid.
39. When land trespassed upon is occu- pied by a tenant, he alone can bring the action.
40. To say of a person, "If he does not come and make terms with me. I will make a bankrupt of him and ruin him," or any such threatening language, is actionable, without proof of special damage.
41. In an action for slander, the party making the complaint must prove the words alleged: other words of like meaning will not sufice.
42. In a snit of damages for seduction, proof of pregnancy, and the birth of a child, is not essential. It is sufficient if the ill- ness of the girl, whereby she was unable to labor, was produced by shame for the seduc- tion; and this is such a loss of service as will sustain the action.
43. Addressing to a wife a letter contain- ing matter defamatory to the character of her husband is a publication, and renders the writer amenable to damages.
44. A parent cannot sustain an action for any wrong done to a child, unless he had in- curred some direct pecuniary injury there- from in consequence of some loss of rer. vice or expenses necessarily consequent thereupon.
45. A master is responsible for an Injury resulting from the negligence of his .... vant, whilst driving his cart or carrie, provided the servant is at the tiff co. grd in his master's business, even though the accident happens in & place to which at master's business does pot call him : bat if the journey of a servant be sob 's for a par-
31. Permanent erections and fixtures. Ipose of his own, and undertaken withont nele by a montagor ante : devotion of the knowledge and our sent of his master, in" mortgage upon land conveyed by it, he ! the latter is not responsabile. rome a part of the mortgaged premises.
16. An emigrant depot is not a nuisance in law.
47. A railroad track through the streets is tnot a nuisance in law.
50
LAW MAXIMS.
4S. If an agreement upon which a party relies be oral only. it must be proved by evidence. But if the contract be reduced to writing, it proves itself; and now Do evidence whatever is receivable for the purpose of varying the contract or affecting its obligations. Tho reasons are obvious. The law prefers written to oral evidence, 'from Its greater precision and certainty. and because it is loss opon to fraud. And where parties have closed a negotiation and reduced the reunlt to writing. it is pre- sumed that they have written all they in- tended to agree to, and therefore, that what is omitted was finally rejected by them .-- [PARSONS.
50. The fact that the insurer was not in- formed of the existence of impending liti- gation, affecting the premises insured, at the time the insurance was effected, doos not vitiate the policy.
51. The liability of an innkeeper is not confined to personal baggage, but extends to all the property of the guest that he con- sents to receive.
52. When a minor executes a contract, and pays money, or delivers property on the same. he cannot afterwards disamfirm such contract and recover the money, or prop- erty, unless he restores to the other party the consideration received from him for such money or property.1
53. When a person has, by legal inquisi- tion been found an habitual drunkand. he cannot, even in his sober intervals. make contracts to bind himself or his property, until the inquisition is removed.
54. Any person dealing with the repres sentative of a deceased person, is presumed. in law, to be fully apprized of the extent of such representative's authority to act in behalf of such estate.
55. In an action against a railroad com- pary. by a passenger. to recover dames for injuries su-tained on the road, it is not compulsory upon the plaintiff to prove ar- tan! negligence in the defendants; but it is obligatory on the part of the latter to prove that the injury was not owing to any fault or negligence of theirs.
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56. A gnest is a competent witness. in an action between himself and an iun-keeper. to prove the character and valde of lort personal baggage. Money in a trunk, not exceeding the amount reasonably required by the traveler to defray the expences of the journey which he has undertaken, is a ! part of his barrage ; and in case of it - los. while at anvinu, the plaintiff may prove it .. atle lint by his own tt -timony.
St. The deed of a minor is not absolute is voil. The court is authorized to judge. from the instrument, whether it is void or not, according to its terms being favorable or unfavorable to the interests of the minor.
58. A married woman can neither sue non be sned on any contract made by her dur -! ing her marriage, except in an action relat- ing to her individual property. The action! umist be commenced either by or again-t her husband. It is only when an action! is brought on a contract made by her be- fore her marriage, that she is to be joined as a co-plaintiff, or defendant, with her hus- band.
59. Any contract made with a person ju- dicially declared a lunatic is void.
60. Money paid voluntarily in any trans- action, with a knowledge of the facts, can- not be recovered.
49. Delivery of a husband's goods by a wife to her adalterer, he having knowledge 61. In all cases of specia. contract for ser- vices, except in the case of a minor, the ulated in the contract. that she has taken them without her hus- band's authority, is sufficient to sustain an ; plaintiff can recover only the amount stip- indictment for larceny against the adul- terer.
62. A wife is a competent witness with her husband, to prove the contents of a lost trunk, or when a party.
63. A wife cannot be convicted of receiv- ing stolen goods when she received them of her husband.
64. Insurance against fire, by lightning or otherwise. does not cover loss by lightning when there is no combustion.
65. Failure to prove plea of justification, in a case of slander, aggravates the offence.
68. It is the agreement of the parties to sell by sample that constitutes a sale by sample, not the mere exhibition of a speci- men of the goods.
67. An agent is liable to his principals for loss caused by his misstatements, tho' unintentional.
68. Makers of promissory notes given in ' Advance for premiums on policies of insur- ance, thereafter to be taken, are liable there- On.
69. An agreement to pay for procuring an appofuitment to office is void.
70. An attorney may plead the statute of limitations, when sued by a client for mon- oy which he has collected and failed to pay over.
71. Testimony given by a deceased wit- Dres en first trial, is not required to be re- peated verbatim on the second.
72. A person entitling himself to a reward offered for lost property, has a lien upon the properly for the reward ; but only when a d" Anite reward is offered.
43. Confession by a prisoner must be vol- to By ma le. to constitute evidence against
71 The defendant in a suit must be serv- ed with process; but service of such pro- come upon his wife, even in his absence from the State, is not. in the absence of statuto- ry provisions, suficient.
51
LAW MAXIMS.
75. The measure of damages in trespass for cutting timber, is its value as a chattel on the land where it was felled, and not the market price of the lumber manufactured.
76. To support an indictment for mali- cious mischief in killing an animal, mal- ice towards its owner must be shown, not merely passion excited against the animal itself.
77. No action can be maintained against a sheriff for omitting to account for money obtained upon an execntion within a reas- onable time. He has till the return day to render such account,
78. An interest in the profits of an enter- prise, as profits, renders the party hold- ing it a partner in the enterprise, and inakes him presumptively liable to share any loss.
79. Males can marry at fourteen, and fo- males at twelve years of age.
80. All cattle found at large upon any pub- lic road, can be driven by any person to the public pound.
81. Any dog chasing, barking, or other- wise threatening a passer-by in any street, lane, road, or other public thoroughfare, may be lawfully killed for the same
S2. A written promise for the payment of such amount as may come into the hands of the promisor, is held to be an instru- ment in writing for the payment of money.
83. The declaration of an agent is not ad- missible to establish the fact of agency .-- But when other proper evidence is given, tending to establish the fact of agency, it is not error to admit the declarations of the agent. accompanying acts. though tend- ing to show the capacity in which he act- ed. When evidence is competent in one respect and incompetent in another, it is the duty of the court to admit it. and con- trol its effects by suitable instructions to the jury.
84. The court has a general power to re- move or suspend an attorney for such im- moral conduct as rendered him unworthy of confidence in his official capacity.
85. Bankruptcy is pleadable in bar to all actions and in all courts, and this bar may be avoided whenever it is interposed, by showing fraud in the procurement of the discharge, or a violation of any of the pro- visions of the bankrupt act.
86. An instrument in the form of a deed, but limited to take effect at the termination of the grantor's natural life, is held to be a deed, uot a will.
87. A eale will not be set aside as frand- ulent, sizoply because the buyer was at the time unable to make the payment agreed epon. ant knew his inability, and did not intend to pay.
88. No man la under an obligation to make known his circumstances when he is buying goods.
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89. Contracting parties are bound to dis- close material facts known to each, but of which either supposes the other to be igno- rant, only when they stand in some special relation of trust and confidence in relation to the subject matter of the contract. But neither will be protected if he does any- thing, however slight, to mislead or deceive the other.
90. A contract negotiated by mail is formed when notice of acceptance of the of- fer is duly deposited in the post-office, pro- perly addressed. This rule applies, although the party making the offer expressly ro- quires that if it is accepted, speedy notice of acceptance shall be given him.
91. The date of an instrument is so far a material part of it, that an alteration of the date by the holdor after execution, makes the instrument void.
92. A corporation may maintain an action for libel. for words published of them and relating to its trade or business, by which it has incurred special damages.
93. It is unprofessional for a lawyer who has abandoned his case without trying it, a term or two before trial, to claim a fee conditional upon the success of his client, although his client was successful.
94. Although a party obtaining damages for injuries received through the default of another, was himself guilty of negligence, yet that will not defeat his recovery, unless his negligence contributed to cause the in- jury.
95. A person may contract to labor for an- other during life, in consideration of receiv- ing his support : but his creditors have the right to inquire into the intention with which ench,arrangement is made, and it will be set aside if entered into to deprive them of his future earnings.
96. A grantor may by express terms ex. clude the bed of a river, or a highway. mentioned as boundary; but if without language of exclusion a line is described as " along,' or ' upon,' or as ' running to' the highway or river, or as . by,' or ' running to the bank of' the river; these expres-ions carry the grantee to the center of the high- way or river ..
97. The court will take pains to con-trong the words used in a deed in such a way as to effect the intention of the parties, www. ever unskillfully the instrument may be drawn. But a court of law cannot exchange un intelligible word plainly employed in a deed for another, however evident it may be that the word used was used by mistake for another.
SR. One who has lost his memory and understanding is entitled to legal protec- tion, whether such loss is occasioned by his own misconduct or by an act of Provi- dence.
52
LAW MAXIMS.
93. When a wife leaves her husband vol- untarily, it must be shown, in order to. make Lim liable for necessaries furnished to Ler, that she could not stay with safety. Personal violence, either threatened or in- fluted, will be sufficient cause for such sep- aration.
100. Necessaries of dress furnished to a discarded wife must correspond with the pecuniary circumstances of the husband, aut be such articles as the wife, if prudent, would expect, and the husband" sbould furnish, if the parties lived harmoniously together. .
101. A fugitive from justice from one of the Cuitel States to another, may be arrested arl detained in order to his surrender by authority of the latter, without a previous detund for his surrender by the executive of the State whence he fled.
102. A watch will not pass nnder & be- quest of "wearing apparel," nor of . household furniture and articles for fami- ly nse.".
103. Money paid for the purpose of set- tiing or compounding a prosecution for a supposed felony, cannot be recovered back br a party paying it.
104. An innkeeper is liable for the death of an animal in his possession, but may free himself from liability by showing that the death was not occasioned by negligence ou his part.
1. Notice to the agent of a company is notice to the company.
106. An employer is not liable to out of hi- employes for an injury -u-tained by the lait.er in consequence of the neglect of oth- ers ofhis employes engaged in the same general business.
107. Where a purchaser at & Sheriff's sale hes bid the full price of property under the erroneous belief that the sale would di- Vest the property of all liens, it is the duty of the court to give relief by setting aside the sale.
1.8. When notice of protest is properly sent by mail. it may be sent by the mall of the day of the dishonor ; if not. it must be mulled for the mail of the next day : ex- cept that if there is none, or it closes at an nuseasonably early hour, then uorice mu-t be mailed in season for the next possible mail.
1.9. A powder-house located in a populons part of a city, and containing large quanti- ties of gunpowder, is a nuisance.
111. A man charged with crime before a committing magistrate, but discharged ou his own recognizance, is not privileged from arrest on civil process while returning from the magistrate's office.
112. When one has been induced to sell goods by means of false pretences, he can- not recover them from one who has hona fide purchased and obtained possession of them from the fraudulent vendor.
113. If the circumstances attendant upon a sale and delivery of personal property are such as neually and naturally accompany such a transaction. it cannot be declared a legal fraud upon creditors.
114. A stamp impressed upon an instru- ment by way of seul, is good as a seal, if it creates a durable impression in the texture of the paper.
115. If'a party bound to make a payment' use due diligence to make a tender. but through the payee's absence from home is unable to find him or any agent authorized to take payment for him, no forfeiture will be incurred through his failure to make a tender.
Government Land Measurc.
A township, 36 sections, each a mile square.
A section. 610 acres.
A quarter section, half a mile square, 160 acres.
An eighth section, half a mile long, north and south, and a quarter of a mile wide, 80 acres.
A sixteenth section, a quarter of a mile square, 40 acres.
The sections are numbered. from one to thirty-six. commencing at the northeast corner, thus:
nwn e
G
5
4
3
2
7
9
10
11
12
18
17
16
15
14
13
19
21
22
23
24
30
29
28
27
26
25
31
33
34
36
The sections are all divided in quarters, which are named by the cardinal points, as in section one. The quarters are divi- : D. sam . wir. The description of to Lat would read : The south imif of the West half of the southwest quarter of rection I in township 94, north of range 7 west, or as the case might be ; and some-
119. When the seller of goods accents at the time of the male. the note of a further reg. maindorsed by the purchaser. in pas- ment, the presumption is that the per- ILent was intended to be absolute ; and though the note should be dishonored, the i times will fall short, and sometimes overrun parcancer will not be liable for the value of the number of acres it is supposed to con- the woods.
tain.
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DECIMAL SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
53
THE DECIMAL SYSTEM
OF
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
As Authorized by Act of Congress -- Approved July 28, 1866.
STANDARDS.
In every system of Weights and Measures It is necessary to have what are called "Standards," as the pound, yard, gallon, &c., to be divided and multiplied into smaller and larger parts and denominations. The definition and construction of these Standards involve philosophical and scien- tinc principles of a somewhat abstruse character, and are made and procured by the legislative department of the govern- ibent. The nominal Standards in the new system are the METER, the ARE, the LITER, and the GRAM. The only real Standard, the one by which all the other standards are measured, and from which the system de- rives its name of " Metric," is the METER.
THE METER
I- need for all measures of length, distance, breadth, depth, heighth, &c., and was in- tended to be, and is very nearly, one ten- millier:th of the distance on the earth's surface from the equator to the pole. It is about 39 ;; inches, or 3 feet, 3 inches and 3 eighths, and is to be substituted for the yard.
THE ARE
Is a surface whose side is ten Meters, and Is equal to 100 square Meters or about 4 square rods.
THE LITER
A cubic Meter (or Kiloliter) is called a stere, and is also usedas a standard in cer- tain cubic measures.
THE GRAM
Is the Unit of weight, and is the weight of a cube of pure water, each edge of the cube being one one-hundredth of a Meter. It is about equal to 15% grains. It is intended as the Standard in all weights, and with its divisions and multiples. to supersede the use of what are now called Avoirdupois, Apothecaries and Troy Weights,
Each of the foregoing Standards is divi ded decimally, and larger units are also formed by multiples of 10, 100, &c. The successive subordinate parts are de -ich- ted by the prefixes Deci, Centi and Mith; the successive multiples by Deka, Hecto, Kilo and Myria; each having its own zu- merical signification, as will be more clear- ly seen in the tables hereinafter given.
The terms used may, at first sight. have a formidable appearance, evem dificult to pronounce, and to retain in memory. and to be, therefore, objectionable : but with a hit- tle attention and use, the apprehended dif- ficulty will be found more apparent that real, as has been abundantly proved by ex- perience. The importance, also, of con- formity in the use of commercial terms, on the part of the United States, with the practice of the many nations in which the
Is the unit for pleasuring wolds and capa- jevetem. with its present winnenelature, has day, and is equal to the contents of a cube already been adopted, must greatly over- Where edge is one-tenth of a meter. It is balance the comparatively slight objection shout equal to 1 quart, and is a standard in | alluded to. cubic, dry and liquid measures. D
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54 DECIMAL SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
TABLES.
OLD.
MONEY.ยช
NEW.
4 farthing make 1 penny.
10 mills make 1 cent.
10 cents 66 1 dime.
20 shillings " 1 pound.
10 dimes " 1 dollar.
LONG AND CLOTHI MEASURE .- NEW.
10 millimeters make 1 centimeter.
1 decimeter. . 10 centimeters .. 10 decimeters 1 METER. 10 metera 1 dekameter)
10 dekameters 1 hectometer.
10 hectometers
1 kilometer.
10 kilometers
1
1 myriameter.
SQUARE MEASURE .- NEW.
100 square millimeters make 1 square centimeter.
100 square centimeters ..
1 square decimeter.
100 square decimeters 66
1 square meter or CENTARE.
100 centares
66
1 ARE.
100 ares
1 hectare.
:" The denominations less than the Are, including the Meter, are used in specifying the contents of surfaces of small extent ; the terms Centare, Are and Hectare, in expres- sing quantities of land surveyed or measured.
The above table may, however, be continued beyond the Meter, thus :
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