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7 How. Pr. 55

Walker v. Burnham

New York Supreme Court

Decided August 15, 1852

New York Supreme Court · decided 1852-08-15

Motion by defendant for treble costs. The action was brought to recover the possession of personal property taken by the defendant, a constable, by virtue of a warrant issued by John D. Shaul, colonel of the 39th regiment, for the collection of military fines. Upon the trial at the Otsego June circuit, the plaintiff was non suited for the reason that replevin would not lie in such case.

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently November 1877

1 state decisions

Relies on King v. Havens · Fuller v. Wilcox

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1852-08-15

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Mason, Justice.

¶1I am of opinion that the defendant in executing this military warrant, issued by the colonel of the regiment, is to be deemed a person acting under the command of a militia officer, within the meaning and intent of § 6 (1 R. S. 324), and that as he was prosecuted in this action for an act done by him while acting under such command, he is entitled to treble costs (1R. S. 324, § 6). The present statute in relation to costs has not, in my opinion, repealed this statute, as will be seen by reference to the following cases (Calkins agt. Williams, 5 How. Pr. R. 393; Calkins agt. Williams, 5 id. 395; Murray agt. Haskins, 4 id. 263; Chadwick agt. Brother, 4 id. 283; Westervelt ads. Nelson, 8 Legal Observer, 173; Barber agt. Crossett, 6 How. Pr. R. 45; Foster agt. Cleaveland, 6 id. 253; Cheney vs. Windsor, 5 Denio’s Rep. 96; Fuller vs. Wilcox, 19 Wend. R. 351, 352).

¶2When treble damages are given by statute they are to be actually trebled (25 Wend. 420; 1 Denio, 639); and so when the statute gives treble costs they are to be actually trebled (Dunbar vs. Hitchcock, 5 Taunt. R. 820; 1 Eng. Com. Law R. 279; 2 Rawle R. 201; 3 Yeates’ R. 82; 5 Halst. R. 145; 1 Lord Raymond’s R. 13); and the same was true as to double costs before the Revised Statutes (2 Dunlop’s Pr. 731; Graham’s Pr. 1st ed. 591; McFarland vs. Crary, 6 Wend. R. 303, 311, 321). The Revised Statutes, giving to public officers an increase of costs, have fixed it at the taxed costs and one half in addition (2 R. S. 617, §24); and yet this is called double costs, but it is not so, strictly (19 Wend. 352; 5 id. 93; 25 id. 251; 1 Hill, 673). Bronson, J. says, in the latter case, the old statute gave double costs, but the present statute gives increased costs. I am of opinion, therefore, that the defendant is entitled to treble costs, by which I mean the costs actually trebled; but no costs on this motion are given. Motion granted.

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