Morgan's Executor v. Gay

ERROR to the Circuit Court for the District of Louisiana; the case being thus:

The eleventh section of the Judiciary Act, which gives jurisdiction to the Circuit Courts of suits 'between a citizen of the State where the suit is brought and a citizen of another State,' enacts, nevertheless, that no Circuit Court shall 'have cognizance of any suit to recover the contents of any promissory note or other chose in action, in favor of an assignee, unless a suit might have been prosecuted in such court to recover the said contents if no assignment had been made; except in cases of foreign bills of exchange.'

This statute being in force, Gay, as indorsee of three several inland bills of exchange, drawn or accepted by one Morgan, in his life, sued his executor upon them. Two of the bills were indorsed by the payees, and the third by its payee and by other indorsers.

The plaintiff in his petition described himself as a citizen of Kentucky, and described the defendant as a citizen of Louisiana, but said nothing about the citizenship of the payees of the bills, nor, in the case of that one indorsed by subsequent indorsers, of the citizenship of these.

The defendant pleaded the statute of limitations, general issue, &c.

The cause was called for trial, the plaintiff being represented by counsel; but the counsel for the defendant not being present. The cause was submitted for hearing to the court without a jury, and without any written stipulation such as that which, when made in writing and filed with the clerk of the court, the act of March 3d, 1865, allows to have the effect of waiving a jury. The court overruled the plea, determined that the case was made out, and rendered a judgment for the plaintiff for the sum of the three bills, with interest and costs.

The defendant now brought the case here for review.

Messrs. J. A. and D. G. Campbell, for the plaintiff in error; no opposing counsel.

Mr. Justice STRONG delivered the opinion of the court.