266
l'EDERAL REPORTER· .'
not appear whether the whole freight-list amounted to $10,000 or not, or how much was collected aside from this claim. Had the whole freight moneys been more than enough to pay the $10,000 charter money aside from the present claim, and had. Russell & Co. 's agents, in behalf of the Reporter, collected more than' that. amount, and the owners of the Reporter had thereupon suffered Russell & Co., in the settlement made with them, to retain any surplus in money, while they undertook to collect in full the claim against the respondents, knowing that the latter had a , good offset to the demand against Russell & Co., in whole or in part, such a settlement would be deemed' inequitable, as against, the respondents, and would, I think, have entitled the latter to set uptheir offset against the libelants' claim as an equitable defense; on the ground that the plaintiffs, having two funds for the satisfaction of their demands, had no equitable right to select the one ",hich would work a known injustice to whom Russell & Co. were bound to protect. No such the defense is plelloded, and the facts, necessary thereto do not appear in the proof, and the libelants are therefore entitled to a decree.
Tm: SAN SAVARESE
JACINTO.
1
".THE SAN
<pwtriet OOU'l't. R; D. NfI!(J YO'l'k. January 18, 1887.) CoSTB-M:AR8HAL.,...DISBURSEMENTS FOR SHIP·KEEPER-KEEPER ENGAGED BY CLAWANT-'-DELAY IN SALE OF VESSEL.
The steam·ship S. J .· condemned to be sold, remained in the custody of the ' United States marshal. By an arrangement between the proctors for the parties the sale ,was adjourned from Ootober to February·.the proctors for the claimant agreeing to place a watchman on board. 1'f0 direction was given the marshal by any person to release the vessel, nor was any order of court to that effect applied for. Held. (1) that such an agreement. whereby the vessel remained Sl) long in the custody of the marshal without necessity, was not approved by the court; (2) that the warshal was correct in keeping his watchman' abolj.rd. in the absence of the court's sanction olhis removal; (3) that the marshalW'ss: entitled to tax in his costs the amount actually disbursed by him for a ship'lteeper. notwithstanding the presence on the vessel of the keeper employed'by claimant.
, John J. AllCp" for the United States marshll1, appellee. 'Uao, RU{!bsamen &: Hubbe, for appellant. .. J. 1'bis case came to me on an appeal from the clerk's taxation of the marshal's c,osts. .The item objected to is the sums paid for the keepers of the vessel. I
In Admirillty.
Reported by
G. Benedict, Esq., of the New York bar,
THE SAN JACIN'r0.
267
In the year 1885 several libels were filed against the steamer San Jacinto, and the vessel taken into custody by the marshal in pursuance of processes issued in each case. Subsequently defaults were taken and decrees entered in favor of the several libelants, and a venditioni e71ponas issued in the case above named. Thereafter an agreement was made between the libelants and the claimant, which provided among other things for an adjournment of the sale of the vessel from the eighth day of October, 1885, to the tenth day of February, 1886, and to further time as might be agreed upon by the proctors of the libelants and the proctors of the claimants, for the purpose of carrying out the agreement, "and, in consideration of the agreement of the proctors for the libelants, to direct the United States marshal for the Eastern district of New York to place on board the said vessel as watchman such responsible and proper person as maybe designated by the proctor for the claimant," the proctors for the claimant agreed t.o place on board the vessel a watchman, to take care of the vessel, under the supervision and direction of the marshal, and pay the watchman for his services, and hold the libelants harmless for all claims therefor. It was at this time understood that the vessel was to remain in the custody of the marshal until the claims of the libelants were paid. Subsequently, as it would seem, the clahns of the various libelants were subsequently paid by the claimants or for their benefitj but the suits were formally kept alive by an assignment of the claims to a third party. In pursuance of the understanding between the proctors for the claimants and the proctor for the libelant, a person was designated by the claimants to be watchman on board the vessel, and has been on board the vessel, and has beert paid therefor at the rate of$40 a month, by the claimants. No direction was ever given the marshal by the libelants or any other person to release the vessel from his custody. No order of the court to that effect was ever made or applied for, and the marshal has maintained his custody of the vessel up to this time, and now inserts in his bill of costs the amount of his disbursements for keepers of the vessel. This item is objected to by the claimants. In regard to all this, I have to say, first, that I by no means approve the arrangement whereby this steamer was left in the custody of the marshal for this long period, apparently held for liens which in reality had been paid,-an arrangement that the marshal should hold the vessel . nominally for the libelants, in reality as a cover for the benefit of the claimants. No such arrangement should, in my opinion. ever be entered into. But the question here is as to the agreement made between the proctor for the claimant and the marshal, and its effect upon the marshal's costs. There is a misunderstanding between the marshal and the proctor for the claimants as to the agreement between them. The marshal contends that the claimant was not only to provide a watchman, but also furnish the marshal a written direction from the various libelants to withdraw his keepers from the vessel, which direction was never furnished. The proctor for the claimant, on the other hand, insists that
268
REPORTER.
he made no agreement to furnish such direction to the marshal from the libelant's proctor, and he points to the fact that the watchman provided by him was allowed by the marshal on board the vessel, as proof that there was no agreement on his part to furnish a direction from the libelant's proctor to that effect. But what the agreement made between the marshal and the proctor for the claimant was, is immaterial, for the reason that, whatever the agreement was, it was never san(;tioned by the court. In the case of The Independent, 9 Ben. 489, it was said by CHOATE, J.: "'the mere notice from the libelants not to put a heper on board cannot excuse the marshal from the duty of custody imposed upon him by the mandate;" and, again: "A libelant desiring to be relieved of the expense of a keeper should, instead of relying on a notice to the marshal, apply to the court, and perhaps, on notice to the parties who might be prejudiced, the court may permit or direct the withdrawal of the keepers!' What was said by Judge CHOATE applies with greater force in a case like the present. It is plain that the agreement contended for by the court did not relieve the marshal from responsibility for the safe-keeping of the vessel. _In the absence of such sll-nction, it would still be his duty to maintain bis custody of the vessel, whatever may have been the arrangement between him and the proctor for the claimants. -I do not say that even the sanction of the court to such an agreement would avail to protect the marshal, in case of departure or destruction of the vessel. All I say is that,' in the absence of such sanction, the agreement contended for the claimant afforded no reason for the marshal's withdrawal of his keepers from the vessel. He still had not only the right, but it was his duty,_ to maintain the vessel in the keeping of his own keepers, for whose action he would be responsible. If, then, notwithstanding the presence on board the steamer of a watchman provided for and paid by the claimants, the marshal did employ other keepers to maintain his custody of the vessel, he is entitled to tax in his costs the sum actually paid for such services, not exceeding, of course, the amount allowed by law. The only question here, then, is, did the marshal actually disburse the amount he charges in paying keepers of this vessel? Upon this question there is no evidence except the testimony of the marshal himself. That is full and explicit to the effect that he did pay them the sums charged, for the purpose specified in his bill, and there is no . evidence to the contrary. Upon such evidence the clerk was right in allowing the item in dispute, and his taxation was therefore right, and is affirmed.
WOODRUFF V. ONE COVERE.D SCOW.
269 1
WOODRUFF ",.,ONE CoVERED SCOW.
(District Oourt, E. 1.
n. Ne'IlJ York.
February 18, 1887.)
WHARB' AND WHARFINGER-FLOATING BOAT-HouSE-:MA1uTIME CONTRACT-
LIEN. An implied contract for the wharfage of a floating boat-house, is a maritime contract by reason of the, subject-matter. and a lien attaches for the wharfage, enforceable in admiralty.
2.
SAME'---RATE-NEW YORK STATE STATUTE.
Held, that the rate of wharfage fixed by the New York state statute regulating wharfage in New York and Brooklyn should be adopted here as the rate cha,r.geable against the strUcture in question.
J. E. Ludden, for libelant. E. R. Ohevalier, for claimant.' BENEDICT, J. This is a proceeding in rem to enforce a lien for wharfage against a structure termed in the libel a scow. The facts are not in dispute. The structure proceeded against consists (')fa float, made of timbers, in width some 11 feet. and in length some 23 feet, constructed to float in the water, and to support above the surface of the water a floor and a house nearly the size of the float. One use of the structure is to store within the house the oars and sails of small boats landing at the float, and to afford persons a means of egress from small boats coming to the slip to the adjoining wharf, and thence to the shore. This structure was never used as a means of transporting upon it from place to place either passengers or freight. It has for a long period been moored alongside the libelant's wharf, in one of the slips of this harbor, being attached to the wharf by lines, and there safely rising and falling 'With the tide. For the use thus made of the libelant's wharf the libelant seeks to enforce a lien. The action is sought to be upheld by reference to the statute of the state of New York, which fixes the rates of wharfage in New York and Brooklyn, and gives a lien fQr the same. This statute, after fixing rates of wharfage for certain kiJ;lds of vessels, proceeds as follows: "And from every other vessel or floating structure other than those above named, or used for transportation of freight or passengers, doub,le the first above rates; except that floating elevators shall pay one-half the first above rates. " This provision is manifestly imperfect, and the question arises, what effect can be given to the words, "or used for transportation of freight or passengers." As the words read, they are without meaning, and if no effect is to be given them, the statute, by the previous words "floating structure" includes in its provisions the structure here proceeded against. But if, as the claimant contends, the word "or" be stricken out, and the lReported by Edward G. Benedict. Esq., oithe New York bar.