{
  "id": 8695564,
  "name": "GEORGE W. HOLT v. THOS. G. McLEAN and others",
  "name_abbreviation": "Holt v. McLean",
  "decision_date": "1876-06",
  "docket_number": "",
  "first_page": "347",
  "last_page": "350",
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    "id": 9292,
    "name": "Supreme Court of North Carolina"
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  "last_updated": "2023-07-14T18:17:21.962704+00:00",
  "provenance": {
    "date_added": "2019-08-29",
    "source": "Harvard",
    "batch": "2018"
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  "casebody": {
    "judges": [],
    "parties": [
      "GEORGE W. HOLT v. THOS. G. McLEAN and others."
    ],
    "opinions": [
      {
        "text": "Bynum, J.\nThis is an action on the official bond of the Register of Deeds for the County of Alamance. The plaintiff alleges that in 1874 the said Register of Deeds, contrary to the statute, chap. 69, sec. 7, Bat. Rev., issued to one Roney a license to marr}r Alice, the daughter of the plaintiff, whereby the said Register of Deeds and his sureties incurred a penalty of two hundred dollars; for the recovery \u00f3f which this action is brought.\nThe conditions of the official bond sued on are: \u201cThat whereas the said Thos. G. McLean has been \u2022 duly elected Register of Deeds for Alamance County, by the qualified voters of said County, on the first day of August, 1872, now if the said Thos. G. McLean shall safely keep the records and books of his said office, and shall in all respects truly and faithfully discharge the duties of the said office, then the above obligation to be void; otherwise to remain in full force and effect.\u201d\nThe particular duty here enjoined is that the Register of Deeds \u201c shall safely keep the records and books of his said office.\u201d The general duty enjoined upon him is that he \u201c shall in all respects truly and faithfully discharge the duties of the said office.\u201d The authorities are full to establish that this general engagement, afterwards inserted in the condition, shall receive such a construction as will restrain it to the particular duty for which the bond was given, to-wit: to the \u201c safe keeping of the records and books of his said office;\u201d and that the concluding words mean that the Register shall truly and faithfully discharge the duties of the office, as far as relates to the particular duties set forth in the preceding part of the bond. Crumpler v. Governor, 1 Dev., 52; State v. Long, 8 Ired., 415 ; Eaton v. Kelly, 72 N. C. Rep., 110, where all the cases are cited and commented on.\nIt is thus seen that there is no provision in this bond which covers the particular delinquency here complained of, as a breach of the bond.\nThe liability of the sureties is measured by the conditions of the bond, and not by the duties imposed upon the Register of Deeds by law. As to duties clearly enjoined upon the principal, but not covered by the conditions of the bond, the sureties may all say, \u201c we have entered into no such covenant.\u201d If the performance of all the duties of the office are not provided for in the conditions of the bond, those are to blame whose duty it is to take the bond, but any resulting loss to the public or individuals from the omission, cannot be fixed upon the sureties. Parties injured are, however, not without remedy, though it may sometimes be inadequate. Although the officer is not liable upon his bond for the performance of duties not therein enjoined, yet he is liable personally for the non-performance of every duty prescribed by statute to the parties injured, and to the extent of the damage received, and he is also liable criminally to the public. Bat. Rev., ch. 100, sec. 17.\nThe official bonds of public officers could and should be so drawn as to secure the due discharge of all the duties of the office, and make the sureties liable for every default. Through the ignorance or carelessness of the draughtsman, they are not always so drawn.\nWe can but repeat the language of Judge Nash, in delivering the opinion of the Court in a similar case to this, State v. Brown, 11 Ired., 141: \u201c We entirely concur with his Honor who tried the case below. And while we confirm his judgment, must be permitted to express our own regret that the obligations into which our ministerial officers enter upon taking office, are so insufficient to the security of the public.\u201d The evil seems to call for legislative interference.\nThis view of the case upon the plaintiff\u2019s appeal, renders it unnecessary to notice the defendant\u2019s appeal farther than to say that there was no manner of necessity for taking it; for, upon this Court affirming the judgment upon the plaintiff \u2019s appeal, the defendants are discharged, while if this Court had reversed the judgment, the defendants would have gained all they could ask, to-wit: a venire de novo.\nThere is no error. Judgment is affirmed upon the plaintiff\u2019s appeal.\nPer Curiam. Judgment affirmed.",
        "type": "majority",
        "author": "Bynum, J."
      }
    ],
    "attorneys": [
      "Boyd, for appellant.",
      "Parker, contra."
    ],
    "corrections": "",
    "head_matter": "GEORGE W. HOLT v. THOS. G. McLEAN and others.\nA Register of Deeds is not liable on his official bond for issuing a license for the marriage of an infant female under eighteen years of age, \u2022without the written consent of her parent or guardian.\nAlthough an officer is not liable upon his bond for the performance of duties not therein enjoined, yet he is liable personally for the non-peformance of every duty prescribed by statute, to the parties injured, and to the extent of the damage received, and he is also liable criminally to the public.\n(Grumpier v. The Governor, 1 Dev., 53; State v. Long, 8 Ired., 415; Baton v. Kelly, 73 N. C. Rep., 110; and State v. Broten, 11 Ired., 141, cited and approved.)\nCivil ActioN, tried before his Honor, Judge Kerr, at Spring Term, 1876, of Alamance Superior Court.\nThe defendant, McLean, is the Register of Deeds in Ala-mance County, and the other defendants are the sureties on his official bond. The parties are sued by the plantifl for an alleged breach of said bond, in that McLean, as Register, issued a license for the marriage of the plaintiff\u2019s daughter, Alice Jane, with one Wm. A. Roney, without the written consent of the plaintiff, the said Alice being under eighteen years of age.\nThe question discussed in the Court below, as to the sufficiency of the inquiry made by the Register to ascertain the age of the daughter, need not be considered; and the 'facts relating to the points decided in this Court will be found stated in the opinion of the Court, delivered by Justice Bynum.\nHis Honor, on the trial below, ruled that although the alleged facts were proved, still there was no breach of the official bond of the defendant. From this judgment the plaintiff appealed.\nThe defendant had appealed from a previous ruling of his Honor, in regard to the sufficiency of the inquiry instituted by the Register to find out the age of the infant female, which being unnecessary \u2014 the appeal of the plaintiff disposing- of the whole case \u2014 need not be further noticed.\nBoyd, for appellant.\nParker, contra."
  },
  "file_name": "0347-01",
  "first_page_order": 355,
  "last_page_order": 358
}