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Beaupre v. Noyes , 11 S. Ct. 296 ( 1891 )


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  • 138 U.S. 397 (1891)

    BEAUPRE
    v.
    NOYES.

    No. 160.

    Supreme Court of United States.

    Argued and submitted January 23, 1891.
    Decided February 2, 1891.
    ERROR TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

    *401 Mr. I.V.D. Heard for plaintiffs in error, submitted on his brief.

    Mr. C.K. Davis for defendants in error.

    MR. JUSTICE HARLAN delivered the opinion of the court.

    The contention of the plaintiffs in error is, that by the statutes of the Territory of Montana, above quoted, the alleged assignment by Young to Winchester was conclusively fraudulent as to them, for the want of the immediate delivery, followed by an actual and continued change of possession, of the goods assigned; that their right to so treat the assignment, although such right was specially set up and claimed, was denied; and that, consequently, they were denied a right arising under an authority exercised under the United States. Whether the state court so interpreted the Territorial statute as to deny such right to the plaintiffs in error, we need not inquire, for it proceeded, in part, upon another and distinct ground, not involving any federal question, and sufficient, in itself, to maintain the judgment, without reference to that question. That ground is, that there was evidence tending to *402 show that the defendants acquiesced in and assented to all that was done, and waived any irregularity in the mode in which the assignee conducted the business; and that the question whether the defendants so acquiesced and assented with knowledge of all the facts and thereby waived their right to treat the assignment as fraudulent, was properly submitted to the jury. The state court evidently intended to hold that, even if the assignment was originally fraudulent, as against the creditors, by reason of Young remaining in the store as clerk for Winchester, and assisting the latter in carrying on the business, it was competent for the plaintiffs in error to waive the fraud and treat the assignment as valid for all the purposes specified in it. That view does not involve a federal question. Whether sound or not, we do not inquire. It is broad enough, in itself, to support the final judgment, without reference to the federal question, and for that reason the judgment must be

    Affirmed.