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1 Va. 9

Brown v. Belches

Court of Appeals of Virginia

Decided April 15, 1791

Court of Appeals of Virginia · decided 1791-04-15

This was an action on the case, upon an insimul compulasset, instituted in the Borough court of Williamsburg' by Belches against Brown the appellant, and William Eaton. The declaration is against both, but an abatement of the suit was entered as to Eaton, upon the return of the writ, that he was no inhabitant of the city. —Plea, non assumpsit. — By consent of parties the cause was referred to arbitrators, whose award, it was agreed, should be the judgment of the court.

Decided 1791-04-15

The PRESIDENT.

¶1— The objection made to the judgment, is that it could not be entered against one partner only, upon a partnership transaction.

¶2The case of Rice v. Shute, — 5 Burr. 2611 shews, that one partner may be sued alone, and that the plaintiff shall not be nonsuited at the trial upon proof that there are other partners. If the defendant would take advantage of that circumstance, he must plead in abatement, and point out the other partners.

¶3The distinction between torts and contracts is over-ruled, and the principle seems to be established that the party contracted with may be sued alone.

¶4In this case the plaintiff took out his writ against both ; one could not be found, and, according to the act of assembly, the suit abated as to him.

¶5The defendant, who was arrested, pleads that he did not assume — The jury have found that he did — The defendant, without assigning errors or taking any exceptions, appeals from a general verdict.

¶6Though the declaration charges, that the defendant with another assumed, a fact which as to that other is not tried, yet, this does'*,not vitiate the defendant’s assumpsit, which is found against him.

¶7Judgment affirmed.

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