Holman v. Manning

• Decision Date: 14 March 1890
• Citation: 65 N.H. 228,19 A. 1002
• Parties: HOLMAN v. MANNING et al.
• Court: New Hampshire Supreme Court

19 A. 1002

65 N.H. 228

HOLMAN

v. MANNING et al.

Supreme Court of New Hampshire. Rockingham.

March 14, 1890.

Plaintiff filed a bill in chancery as an amendment to his declaration at law, and thereupon defendant moved for judgment because such procedure was not due process of law within the meaning of section 1 of the fourteenth amendment to the constitution of the United States; and also because the trustees were charged upon disclosure taken without notice to defendants, which is not due process of law under the same section. The motion was denied, and defendant appeals.

F. W. Hackett and Frink & Batchelder, for plaintiff. S. W. Emery and J. F. Manning, for defendant.

CLARK, J. "Due process of law" generally implies and includes regular allegations, opportunity to answer, and a trial according to some settled course of proceeding. Murray's Lessee v. Improvement Co., 18 How. 272, 280. "The states, so far as this amendment [the fourteenth] is concerned, are left to regulate trials in their own courts in their own way. A trial by jury in suits at common law pending in the state courts is not, therefore, a privilege or immunity of national citizenship which the states are forbidden by the fourteenth amendment to abridge. A state cannot deprive a person of his property without due process of law; but this does not necessarily imply that all trials in the state courts affecting the property of persons must be by jury. This requirement of the constitution is met if the trial is had according to the settled course of judicial proceedings." Walker v. Sauvinet, 92 U. S. 90, 92.

The record shows the proceedings in this case to have been according to the settled course of judicial proceedings in this state. According to our practice amendments may be made at any stage of the proceedings if justice requires. Morse v. Witcher, 64 N. H. 591, 15 Atl. Rep. 207. A declaration at law may be filed as an amendment to a bill in equity, or a bill in equity in amendment of a suit at law. Metcalf v. Gilmore, 59 N. H. 417; Walker v. Walker, 63 N. H. 321, 326; Brooks v. Howison, Id. 382; Owen v. Weston, Id. 599; 4 Atl. Rep. 801; Tasker v. Lord, 64 N. H. 279, 8 Atl. Rep. 823. Justice may require the prosecution of an action at law and a bill in equity at the same time, and this may be done. Brooks v. Howison, 63 N. H. 382, 389; Rutherford v. Whitcher, 60 N. H. 110; Blake v. Adams, 64 N. H. 86, 6 Atl. Rep. 482. The court at the trial term may determine the order of trial....