Charles Dummer Barry v. United States
| Decision Date | 26 May 1913 |
| Docket Number | No. 170,170 |
| Citation | 229 U.S. 47,33 S.Ct. 681,57 L.Ed. 1060 |
| Parties | CHARLES DUMMER BARRY et al., Appts., v. UNITED STATES |
| Court | U.S. Supreme Court |
This is a petition by appellants, partners under the style of Henry W. Peabody & Company, for a balance alleged to be due on account of coal furnished the Quartermaster's Department, Philippine Division of the Army. So much of the contract, which was in writing and duly signed and approved, as required by § 3744 of Revised Statutes (U. S. Comp. Stat. 1901, p. 2510), as is essential to a judgment, may be shortly stated: The contractors agreed to sell and deliver at Manila or certain other designated points, 70,000 tons of coal known as 'Wallsend' coal, of good quality 'for steaming purposes,' at $5.15 per ton, deliveries not to exceed 800 tons per month. The contractors were required to file an official report of tests showing the quality of coal intended to be delivered, and a sufficient sample for test. The 6th provision of the contract was in these words:
'That the said parties of the second part shall file with the officer in charge of water transportation an official report of tests, showing the quality of the coal intended to be delivered, and a sufficient sample for test; and if at any time the coal offered under this contract shall fall below the report so filed or the quality of the sample submitted, then such coal will be rejected.'
By article 4 of the contract it was agreed, 'that all deliveries on this contract shall be subject to careful inspection, under instructions of the Chief Quartermaster, Philippine Division, United States Army,' etc. Payment for coal delivered under the contract was to be made on discharge of each cargo.
By article 12 it was agreed:
'That in case of failure of the said parties of the second part to comply with the stipulations of this contract according to the true intent and meaning thereof, then the party of the first part shall have the power to purchase in the open market, at the lowest price obtainable, or by special contract, such quantity of coal of equal grade as may be required, not to exceed the amount herein stated, the difference in cost to be charged to and paid by the said parties of the second part, or their sureties.'
The II., III., and IV. findings of fact are in these words:
II.
'Deliveries were begun under this contract in August, 1904, and averaged about one delivery a month, and were made at the times and places and to the amounts requested by the officers of the Quartermaster's Department, who did not require or wish the full amount specified in the contract to be delivered, and who also did not give and were not required to give the amount of notice specified in paragraph 2 of the contract for deliveries at ports outside of Manila bay.
'In the month of January, 1905, a strike took place at the Newcastle collieries in Australia, the source of supply of the coal known as Wallsend, specified in the contract, whereby the claimants became temporarily unable to supply that kind of coal. Being informed of this fact by cablegram dated January 21, 1905, and received at Manila on the same day, the agent of the claimants conveyed immediate notice thereof to Col. John L. Clem, Assistant Quartermaster General, United States Army, Chief Quartermaster of the Division of the Philippines at Manila, informing him at the same time that, as also stated in the same cablegram, an equal quantity of good Australian coal, known as mountain coal, could be supplied. It was stated in the conversation with Colonel Clem that this mountain coal was not fully equal to Wallsend, but that it was believed to be a good coal. Colonel Clem agreed to accept said mountain coal. It was then and there stated between said agent of the claimants and said Colonel Clem that the price to be paid for the 6,000 tons of mountain coal then required by the government should be $5.15 a ton, the same price as specified in the contract for Wallsend coal, and agreed that the same should be considered as a purchase outside of the contract to meet existing conditions. The agent of the claimants thereupon cabled to their office at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, ordering the 6,000 tons of mountain coal, and the same was delivered by the claimants, accepted by the government, and paid...
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