US SUPREME COURT DECISIONS

KING V. DELAWARE INSURANCE COMPANY, 10 U. S. 71 (1810)

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U.S. Supreme Court

King v. Delaware Insurance Company, 10 U.S. 6 Cranch 71 71 (1810)

King v. Delaware Insurance Company

10 U.S. (6 Cranch) 71

Syllabus

The questions whether the voyage be broken up and whether the captain was justified in returning are questions of law, and the finding thereupon by a jury is not to be regarded by the court.

The British orders in council of 11 November, 1807, did not prohibit a direct voyage from the United States to a colony of France.

If from fear founded on misrepresentation the voyage be broken up, the underwriters are not liable.

Error to the Circuit Court for the District of Pennsylvania in an action of covenant upon a policy of insurance upon the freight of the Venus from Philadelphia to the Isle of France.

The vessel sailed early in December, 1807, before the British orders in council of the preceding November were known in the United States. On the afternoon of 16 January, 1808, while prosecuting her voyage, she was arrested by the British ship of war Wanderer, by whom she was detained until the morning of the 18th, when she was restored to the captain, her papers being first endorsed with these words, "Ship Venus warned off 18 January, 1808, by His Majesty's ship Wanderer from proceeding to any port in possession of His Majesty's enemies."

"Edward Medley, 2d Lieut."

The captain was verbally informed by an officer of the Wanderer that the Isle of France was blockaded and that the Venus would be a good prize if she proceeded thither.

The captain returned to Philadelphia, where he was disabled from prosecuting his voyage by the embargo. Considering the voyage as broken up by the arrest and detention of his vessel by the Wanderer, he on that account abandoned to the underwriters.

These facts were specially found by the jury, which also found that "by the interruption, detainment, and warning off of the British force, the voyage of the ship Venus was broken up."

They also found that the Isle of France was not chanrobles.com-redchanrobles.com-red

Page 10 U. S. 72

actually blockaded from 6 December, 1807, to 1f February, 1808. And that by the information and warning given by the officers of the British fleet to the captain of the Venus, he was fully justified in returning to Philadelphia, and that by reason of the embargo she was unable to renew the voyage.

By the British orders in council of 11 November, 1807, as found by the jury, it is ordered

"That all the ports and places of France and her allies, or of any other country at war with His Majesty, and all other ports or places in Europe from which, although not at war with His Majesty, the British flag is excluded, and all ports or places in the colonies belonging to His Majesty's enemies, shall from henceforth be subject to the same restrictions in point of trade and navigation, with the exceptions herein after mentioned, as if the same were actually blockaded by His Majesty's naval forces in the most strict and rigorous manner."

"But although His Majesty would be fully justified by the circumstances and considerations above recited in establishing such system of restrictions with respect to all the countries and colonies of his enemies, without exception or qualification, yet His Majesty, being nevertheless desirous not to subject neutrals to any greater inconvenience than is absolutely inseparable from the carrying into effect His Majesty's just determination to counteract the designs of his enemies and to retort upon his enemies themselves the consequences of their own violence and injustice, and being yet willing to hope that it may be possible (consistently with that object) still to allow to neutrals the opportunity of furnishing themselves with produce for their own consumption and supply, and even to leave open for the present such trade with His Majesty's enemies as shall be carried on directly with the ports of His Majesty's dominions or of his allies in the manner hereinafter mentioned."

"His Majesty is therefore pleased further to order,

Page 10 U. S. 73

and it is hereby ordered that nothing herein contained shall extend to subject to capture or condemn any vessel or the cargo of any vessel belonging to any country not declared by this order to be subjected to the restrictions incident to a state of blockade which shall have cleared out with such cargo from some port or place of the country to which she belongs, either in Europe or America, or from some free port in His Majesty's colonies, under circumstances in which such trade from such free port is permitted, direct to some port or place in the colonies of His Majesty's enemies or from those colonies direct to the country to which such vessel belongs or to some free port in His Majesty's colonies in such cases and with such articles as it may be lawful to import into such free port; nor to any vessel, or the cargo of any vessel, belonging to any country not at war with His Majesty, which shall have cleared out from some port or place in this kingdom, or from Gibraltar, or Malta, under such regulations as His Majesty may think fit to prescribe, or from any port belonging to His Majesty's allies, and shall be proceeding direct to the port specified in her clearance; nor to any vessel or the cargo of any vessel belonging to any country not at war with His Majesty, which shall be coming from any port or place in Europe which is declared by this order to be subject to the restrictions incident to a state of blockade, destined to some port or place in Europe belonging to His Majesty, and which shall be on her voyage direct thereto; but these exemptions are not to be understood as exempting from capture or confiscation any vessel or goods which shall be liable thereto in respect of having entered or departed from any port or place actually blockaded by His Majesty's squadrons or ships of war or for being enemies' property, or for any other cause than the contravention of this present order."

"And the commanders of His Majesty's ships of war, &c., are hereby instructed to warn every vessel which shall have commenced her voyage prior to any notice of this order and shall be destined to any port

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of France or of her allies or of any other country at war with His Majesty, or to any port or place from which the British flag as aforesaid is excluded, or to any colony belonging to His Majesty's enemies and which shall not have cleared as is hereinbefore allowed, to discontinue her voyage and to proceed to some port or place in this kingdom, or to Gibraltar, or Malta; and every vessel which, after having been so warned, or after a reasonable time shall have been afforded for the arrival of information of this His Majesty's order at any port or place from which she sailed, or which, after having notice of this order, shall be found in the prosecution of any voyage contrary to the restrictions contained in this order, shall be captured, and, together with her cargo, condemned as lawful prize to the captors."

The Venus returned to the Delaware on 21 February, 1808, and, on the 22d, the following letter of abandonment was written by Vanuxem & Clark, the agents of the plaintiff.

"Thomas Fitzsimmons, Esq."

"Sir,"

The ship Venus, Captain King, bound from hence to the Isle of France, having had the register endorsed, and warned by the British ship Wanderer from proceeding to her destination, has returned to this port, by which circumstance her voyage is broken up. We do therefore hereby abandon to your office the freight insured by policy of 5 December last for $6,000 on freight out valued at $8,000.

"Yours,"

"Vanuxem & Clark"

"Thomas Fitzsimmons, Esq."

"Pres. Del. Ins. Co."

The jury further found that the possession was not chanrobles.com-redchanrobles.com-red

Page 10 U. S. 75

as prize, but merely to prevent the Venus from prosecuting her voyage to the Isle of France.

Upon this special verdict, judgment in the court below was rendered for the defendants. chanrobles.com-redchanrobles.com-red

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