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266 U.S. 92

Davis v. Henderson

Supreme Court of the United States

Submitted October 8, 1924.

Decided October 27, 1924.

Supreme Court of the United States · decided 1924-10-27

2 counsel of record

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

““The contention is that the rule was waived. It could not be. The transportation service to be performed was that of common carrier under published tariffs. The rule was a part of the tariff. Georgia, Florida & Alabama Ry. Co. v. Blish Milling Co., 241 U.S. 190 , 197, 36 S.Ct. 541 , 60 L.Ed. 948 ; Missouri, Kansas & Texas Ry. Co. v. Ward, 244 U.S. 383 , 388, 37 S.Ct. 617 , 61 L.Ed. 1213 ; Davis v. Cornwell, 264 U.S. 560 , 562, 44 S.Ct. 410 , 68 L.Ed. 848 .””

quoted by 1 later decision, including Lowden v. Simonds-Shields-Lonsdale Grain Co.

Relies on Georgia Florida Alabama Railway Company v. Blish Milling Company · Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Co. v. Ward · Davis v. Cornwell

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Reversed · 9–0 · Decided 1924-10-27

How this case has been cited

Cited by 129 later decisions (1 by the Supreme Court) — most recently October 2000 · most notably Louisville Co v. Chatters Southern Ry Co (1929), Insurance Co. of North America v. Newtowne Mfg. Co. (1951)

57 federal appellate · 12 district · 34 state decisions — followed in 13 states

230192419301940195019601970198019902000decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶1ERROR AND CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT OP THE STATE OP ARKANSAS.

¶21. A judgment of a state court rendered against an interstate carrier, when under federal control, through failure to give effect to a rule in its tariff; held reviewable by certiorari and not by writ of error. P. 93.

¶32. A tariff rule, approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission, providing that orders for cars given the carrier’s local agent must be in writing, cannot be waived by the carrier through the agent’s acceptance of oral notice from the shipper. Id.

¶4157 Ark. 43, reversed.

¶5Error and certiorari to a judgment of the Supreme Court of Arkansas affirming a judgment against a carrier in an action by a shipper for failure to furnish a car within a reasonable time after notice.

¶6Mr. A. A. McLaughlin, Mr. Thomas B. Pryor and Mr. Vincent M. Miles, for plaintiff in error and petitioner.

¶7No brief filed for defendant in error and respondent.

¶8*93Mr. Justice Brandéis

¶9delivered the opinion of the Court.

¶10Henderson, a shipper of cattle, brought this suit in a state court of Arkansas against an interstate carrier then under federal control. The cause of action alleged was failure to furnish a car within a reasonable time after notice. The carrier defended on the ground that the shipper had not complied with a rule, approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission, and contained in its tariff, which provided that orders for cars must be placed with the local agent in writing. Written notice was not given. The plaintiff was permitted to testify that he had notified the station agent orally and that the latter had accepted his oral notice. The trial court refused to instruct the jury that the shipper could not recover without proving a notice in writing. Exceptions were duly taken. The plaintiff got the verdict; and the judgment entered thereon was affirmed by the highest court of the State. 157 Ark. 43. The carrier brought this writ of error; and, also, filed a petition for a writ of certiorari, consideration of which was postponed until the hearing on the writ of error. The former must be dismissed. Act of September 6, 1916, c. 448, §2, 39 Stat. 726. The writ of cer-tiorari is now granted.

¶11There is no claim that the rule requiring written notice was void. The contention is that the rule was waived. It could not be. The transportation service to be performed was that of common carrier under published tariffs. The rule was a part of the tariff. Georgia, Florida & Alabama Ry. Co. v. Blish Milling Co., 241 U. S. 190, 197; Missouri, Kansas & Texas Ry. Co. v. Ward, 244 U. S. 383, 388; Davis v. Cornwell, 264 U. S. 560, 562.

¶12Writ of Error dismissed.

¶13Writ of Certiorari granted.

¶14Judgment reversed.

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