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7 Johns. 390

Gibson v. Colt

New York Supreme Court

Decided February 15, 1811

New York Supreme Court · decided 1811-02-15

THIS was an action on the case. The declaration stated that the defendants, on the 30th of December, 1808, were the owners of the ship Columbia^ of which r . . . ' . - - ' « , Levi Goodrich was master, and also the tactor and agent of the defendants, by them generally authorized se^ the ship to any person in the same manner as they themselves might and could make sale, &c. That J ° 7 the plaintiff bargained at Charleston with Goodrich, being such agent, &c. for the purchase…

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1811-02-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 11 later decisions — most recently January 1900

6 state decisions

401811182018301840185018601870188018901900decided

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.

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Per Curiam,.

¶1The agent of the defendant is stated to have been specially authorized by them to sell the ship in the same manner that they themselves might have sold her. This is all the authority given, and Goodrich was con*394sequently nothing more than a special agent constituted for that particular end. The plaintiff was, therefore, not t0 ]cnaw or infer any authority beyond what was given, and if the agent exceeded that authority when he made the representation in questiop, • his principals were not bound. This distinction between a special and general agent was laid down in the case of Fenn v. Harrison, (3 Term Rep. 757.) and it is founded on just and reasonable principles. The limitation to the powers of a general and known agent cannot be known, unless specially communicated, and third persons ought not to be affected by any private instructions. Goodrich certainly exceeded his power to sell when he made the false affirmation and representation charged by the plaintiff. A power to sell does not of itself convey a power to warrant the title. This was so decided in Nixon v. Hyserott. (5 Johns. Rep. 58.) The remedy for the plaintiff lies against the ágent, and not against the defendants. The defendants are, therefore, entitled to judgment.

¶2Judgment for the defendants.

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