[Download] "United States v. Shrewsbury" by United States Supreme Court ~ eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: United States v. Shrewsbury
- Author : United States Supreme Court
- Release Date : January 01, 1874
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 60 KB
Description
'The sacks of corn averaged 118 3/4 pounds per sack. It is, therefore, apparent that the nine missing sacks (for which no claim is made by the contractor) could not have weighed 4240 pounds when received at Fort Leavenworth, and that if 'the packages' were all correct and in good order, as found by the board, the deduction ordered was an arbitrary deduction, which any clerk could have made by a simple comparison of the two weights, and which involved the exercise of no real examination or discretion. 'But the rule which the parties established for themselves by their agreement was, that in case of 'deficiency' the board of survey should 'investigate the facts and report the apparent causes and assess the amount of loss or injury, and state whether it was attributable to neglect or the want of care on the part of the contractor, or to causes beyond his control.' In none of these particulars do the proceedings of the board in any manner carry out the intent and terms of the contract. The board did not investigate the facts, it did not report the apparent causes, it did not state whether the loss was attributable to neglect or to the want of care of the part of the contractor, or to causes beyond his control. As to all of these particulars the contractor had the right to receive the investigation of the board, and the contract was so rigid in assuring him of that right, that it provided that if the other party, who alone had the right to convene a board, should fail to do so, he should be deemed to have 'delivered all the stores, as specified in the bill of lading, in good order and condition, and be paid accordingly.' We do not mean to say that the failure of a board to investigate after it has been property convened will work the same result in favor of a contractor, but we do think that when a board is convened it must carry out the intent of the agreement in its investigations, or else that its proceedings will not be conclusive and binding upon the contractor.' The judgment of the court was that the claimant recover. The United States took this appeal.