英文法律词典 T-49

TRESPASS¹, remedies. The name of an action, instituted for the recovery of damages, for a wrong committed against the plaintiff, with immediate² force; as an assault and battery against the person; an unlawful entry into his, land, and an unlawful injury with direct force to his personal property. It does not lie for a mere³ non-feasance, nor when the matter affected⁴ was not tangible⁵.

2. The subject will be considered with regard, 1. To the injuries for which trespass may be sustained. 2. The declaration. 3. The plea. 4. The judgment⁶.

3. - §1. This part of the subject will be considered with reference to injuries, 1. The person. 2. To personal property. 3. To real property. 4. When trespass can or cannot be justified⁷ by legal proceedings⁸.

4. - 1. Trespass is the proper remedy for an assault and battery, wounding, imprisonment⁹, and the like, and it also lies for an injury to the relative rights when occasioned by force; as, for beating, wounding, and imprisoning¹⁰ a wife or servant, by which the plaintiff has sustained a loss. 9 Co. 113; 10 Co. 130. Vide Parties to actions; Per guod, and 1 Chit. Pr. 37.

5. - 2. The action of trespass is the proper remedy for injuries to personal property, which may be committed by the several acts of unlawfully striking, chasing, if alive, and carrying away to the damage of the plaintiff, a personal chattel¹¹, 1 Saund. 84, n. 2, 3; F. N. B. 86; Bro. Trespass, pl. 407; Toll¹². Executors, 112; Cro. Jac. 362, of which another is the owner and in possession; but a naked possession or right to immediate possession, is a sufficient title to support this action. 1 T. R. 480; and gee¹³ 8. John. R. 432; 7 John. R. 535; 11 John. R. 377; Cro. Jac. 46; 1 Chit. Pl. 165.

6. - 3. Trespass is the proper remedy for the several acts of breaking through an enclosure, and coming into contact with any corporeal¹⁴ hereditament, of which another is the owner and in possession, and by which a damage has ensued. There is an ideal fence, reaching in extent upwards¹⁵, a superficie terrae usque ad caelum, which encircles every man's possessions, when he is owner of the surface, and downwards¹⁶ as far as his property descends¹⁷; the entry, therefore, is breaking through this enclosure, and this generally constitutes, by itself, a right of action. The plaintiff must be the owner, and in possession. 5 East, R. 485; 9 John. R. 61; 12 John. R. 183; 11 John. R. 385; Id. 140; 3 Hill, R. 26. There must have been some injury, however, to entitle the plaintiff to recover, for a man in a balloon may legally be said to break the close of the plaintiff, when passing over it, as he is wafted¹⁸ by the wind, yet as the owner's possession is not by that act incommoded, trespass could not probably be maintained; yet, if any part of the machinery¹⁹ were to fall upon the land, the aeronaut could not justify²⁰ an entry into it to remove it, which proves that the act is not justifiable²¹. 19 John. 381 But the slightest injury, as treading down the grass, is sufficient. Vide 1 Chit. Pl. 173; 2 John, R. 357: 9 John. R. 113, 377; 2 Mass. R. 127; 4 Mass. R. 266; 4 John. R . 150.

7. - 4. It is a general rule that when the defendant²² has acted under regular process of a court of competent jurisdiction²³, or of a single magistrate²⁴ having jurisdiction of the subject-matter, it is a sufficient justification²⁵ to him; but when the court has no jurisdiction and the process is wholly void, the defendant cannot justify under it.

8. But there are some cases, where an officer will not be justified by the warrant or authority of a court, having jurisdiction. These exceptions are generally founded on some matter of public policy or convenience; for example, when a warrant was issued against a mail carrier, though the officer was justified in serving the warrant, he was liable to an indictment²⁶ for detaining such mail carrier under the warrant, for by thus detaining him, he was guilty of "wilfully²⁷ obstructing²⁸ or retarding²⁹ the passage of the mail, or of the driver or carrier," contrary to the provisions of the act of congress of 1825, ch. 275, s. 9. 8 Law Rep. 77. See Ambassador; Justification.

9. - §2. The declaration should contain a concise³⁰ statement of the injury complained of, whether to the person, personal or real property, and it must allege³¹ that the injury was conimitted vi et armis and contra pacem; in which particulars it differs from a declaration in case. See Case, remedies.

10. - §3. The general issue is not guilty. But as but few matters can be given in evidence under this plea, it is proper to plead special matters of defence.

11. - §4. The judgment is generally for the damages assessed by the jury, and for costs. When the judgment is for the defendant, it is that be recover his costs. Vide Irregularity; Regular and Irregular process. Vide, generally, Bro. Ab. h. t.; Nelson's Ab. h. t.; Bac. Ab. h. t.; Dane's Ab. h. t.; Com. Dig. h. t.; Vin. Ab. h. t.; the various American and English Digests, h. t.; 2 Phil. Ev. 131; Ham. N. P. 33 to 265; Chit. Pr. Index, h. t.; Rose. Civ. Ev. h. t.; Stark³². Ev. h. t.; Bouv. Inst. Index, h. t.