7686. Merchants Bank (New Orleans, LA)

Bank Information

Episode Type
Suspension → Closure
Bank Type
state
Start Date
December 16, 1847
Location
New Orleans, Louisiana (29.955, -90.075)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini
Short Digest
a030ec34

Response Measures

None

Description

Articles from 1849 describe Merchants' Bank as 'in liquidation' with tableaux of distribution filed in 1847 and 1848 and disputes over liquidator/receiver fees. No run is described; bank is in liquidation (closure). I infer state charter from references to the Board of Bank Presidents and state court actions. Corrected bank name to include apostrophe as in the text.

Events (3)

1. December 16, 1847 Suspension
Cause
Voluntary Liquidation
Cause Details
Tableau of distribution filed and bank described as 'in liquidation' — formal liquidation proceedings under state banking act (receiver/liquidator appointed).
Newspaper Excerpt
Extract from tableau of Liquidator of the Merchants' Bank. filed 16th of December, 1847 Expenses of office rent for six months, $135.
Source
newspapers
2. September 13, 1848 Other
Newspaper Excerpt
From tableau filed 13th of September, 1848 Rent of office up to 1st of November, $112 50. certify ... to be true copies from the tableaux ... filed by the Liquidator and Receiver of the Merchants' Bank of New Orleans, on the 16th of December, 1847, and 13th of September, 1848. G. W LEWIS, Deputy Clerk.
Source
newspapers
3. May 3, 1849 Other
Newspaper Excerpt
ON MERCHANTS' BANK IN LIQUIDATION, ETC. RULE OF P. CONREY JR. vs. R. COPLAND Appeal ... Judgment affirmed ... the salary of a Commissioner of an insolvent bank. appointed under the act of 1842, by the Board of Bank Presidents, not exempt from being rendered liable for his debts ... ON MERCHANTS' BANK IN LIQUIDATION, ETC.
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (2)

Article from The Daily Crescent, May 3, 1849

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Article Text

Supreme Court of Louisiana. Condensed Decisions-New ORLEANS, April 30, A claim by a vendee for damages arising from the eviction of slave by the vendor. and expenses incurred in efforts to recover him from the vendor by whom he was received and harbored, is claim ex contractu, on which an attachment will lie. Where the Sheriff takesan insuf. ficient surety on a bond for the delivery of property which has been attached. he will be adjudged to be bound to the plaintiff in attachment in the same way as the surety would have been HENRY CRANE vs. JOHN L LEWIS, SHERIFF and JOHN L. LEWIS, SHERIFF, vs JOHN C. Mc GREW, RHODES, WRIGHT & Co. WARRA TORS Appeal from the Fourth District Court of New Or leans. EUSTIS, C.J. On the 13th March, 1848, Henry Crane, residing in New Orleans, brought suit by attachment in the Fourth District Court of New Orleans against J.C. McGrew, a resident of Alabama. Under the writ of attachment the sheriff seized certain negroes belonging to McGrew which a were delivered up to him on the execution of bond to the sheriff by McGrew, with Rhodes, Wright & Co. as his securities. On the 14th June, 1848, Crane obtained judgment against McGrew for $1020 with interest from date, and a fi. fa. having been issued and returned no property found, Crane brought the present action against Lewis, sheriff, to render him liable for said judgment, on the ground that the surety taken by him on the bond was not solvent and sufficient. It appeared the plaintiff had objected to the surety and had taken a rule on the sheriff, on which the sheriff was adjudged to be bound to plaintiff in the same manner as the surety would have been bound. There was judgment below against the sheriff, and he appealed. It was assigned for error that the attachment, under which the aforesaid bond was taken, was illegally and improperly issued in a case where by law no such writ or process could issue, and the plaintiff was entitled to no benefit from the bond taken under it. The point on which this assignment was founded was that the original action of Crane against McGrew was to recover damages for a tort, and that no attachment could legally issue in such case. Prewitt vs. Carmichael An 943; Swager vs. Pierce ;" and Holmes & Swanswick vs. Captain and Owners of the steamer Air,' recently decided. It therefore became necessary to consider the nature of the original action, which was for $900, the value of a certain slave sold by McGrew, by his agent, to Crane, which slave absconded and returned to his original master (McGrew), who received and harbored him. Crane also claimed $300 for travelling expenses, in order to effect the recovery of his said slave, for his hire, counsel fees, etc. Crane alleged in his petition that he went to the residence of McGrew in Alabama, and demanded his slave, but McGrew refused to deliver him up and still retains him in his possession. Per curiam pears by this petition that the defendant, McGrew. had not only broken his contract with the plaintiff, but committed a tort in harboring and depriving him of the service of his slave but we do not un derstand that his responsibility incurred by the former is diminished or merged by an outrage, perhaps a crime being superadded to it. By the contract of sale, warranty against eviction is implied, and although it is true, as a general rule, that the right of the person evicting should have existed before the sale. yet evictions proceeding from the act of the vendor himself at all times give rise to the action of warranty. In this case the retention of the slave by the vendor was a violation of the obligation contracted by the contract of sale, prestare servum habere licere. There being sufficient allegations in the petition to sustain the action exicontractu, the Supreme Court were of opinion that the District Court would not have set aside the attachment on the grounds now presented against its legality, had they been urged on a motion to dissoly it. The evidence taken in the original case was not before the Supreme Court, but in the judgement of the District Judge, in that case, the sale considered the basis of the action, and the sale was rescinded. In the judgment below the Sheriff was adjudged to have direct recourse against McGrew, the principal in the bond, and C. R. Wright, by whom the bond was signed in the name of Rhodes, Wright & Co. as sureties. Wright has also appealed and assigned substanti lly the same grounds as the Sheriff. The judgment of the District Court was therefere affirmed, with costs. An order making absolute rule taken by a plaintiff in at tachment on the Sheriff, adjudging him to be liable to plaintiff for any subsequent judgment that might be ren dered. in the same manner as surety taken by him for the delivery of property attached would have been. is not final judgment, nor one from which an appeal will lie. HENRY CRANE vs. JOHN C. McGREW AND JOHN L. LEWIS, SHERIFF .Appeal from the Fourth District Court of New Orleans. EUSTIS, C.. Appeal by Lewis, Sheriff, from an order rendered below on a rule taken against him by plaintiff holding said Sheriff to be personally liable to plaintiff for any judgment that might be rendered therein, in the same manner as certain sureties taken by said Sheriff on bond on which property was re leased would have been liable had they been found good and sufficient. It was held that this was not a final judgment, nor one from which an appeal can be taken. Appeal dismissed with costs. The salary of a Commissioner of an insolvent bank. ap. pointed under the act of 1842, by the Board of Bank Presidents, not exempt from being rendered liable for his debts under art. 647 C. P. and art. 1987 C. C. ON MERCHANTS' BANK IN LIQUIDATION, ETC. RULE OF P. CONREY JR. vs. R. COPLAND Appeal from the Fifth District Court of New Orleans. EUSTIS, C.J Appeal by Copland from a judgment, by which a debt of $1166 66 due him. being the balance of his salary as one of the Commissioners of the late Merchants Bank, which had been allowed on a tableau of distribution as privileged debt, was held to be partially extinguished by the amount of two judgments rendered in favor of the Commissioners of said bank against Copland. It appeared Copland was appointed one of the three Commissioners under the act of 1842, having been appointed by the Board of Bank Presidents. Per curiam It is evident that in the article of the Civil Code alluded to, (art. 1987, the word office meant a public office the French text is conclusive as to its meaning The expressions salaries of office in the 647th art. C P. do not change that sense, and the French text, salaires d'office, is still more restrictive, and indicates a public office and nothing else. Merlin, Rep. verbo office: Domat, Droit Public, liv. 2, tit. 1, sec. 1. Judgment affirmed with costs. WM. ROBERTSON, TRUSTEE vs. MILES Appeal from the Third Judicial District Court, Parish of Jefferson EUSTIS, C. J. Judgment reversed, and judgment rendered for plaintiff for $1000, with interest from March 24, 1842, costs of protest and costs in both courts. BROWN AND LAND vs. ELEONORE BOYLAN, AnMINISTRATRIX THE ESTATE OF THOMAS BoyLAN Appeal from the Second District Court of New Orleans. EUSTIS, C. J. Judgment annulled and case remanded for a new trial, plaintiff and appellees to pay the costs of appeal. CAMILLE ZERINGUE vs. LAUNSEL WHITE Appeal from the Fifth District Court of New Or leans. ROST, J Action by plaintiff in relation to the boundary lines between her land, under I Spanish grant, at the ridge of the Grande Chênière. and defendant's land. Judgment below affirmed with costs. THE SELKIRK AMERICAN SETTLEMENT.-The


Article from The Daily Crescent, July 28, 1849

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Article Text

A Card Messrs Editors of the Crescent-Your paper of yesterday gives a copy of a capias issued against me by Mr.T.O. Stark, Receiver of the Atchafalaya Bank. I presume that it was an accidental omission on your part, that you did not also give the endorsement on said capias, 61 stayed by order of the Plaintiff. Recognizing your right, and the entire propriety of your exposing any transactions of mine as a public officer, I rely upon your sense of justice to publish the following state. ment, which was prepared under the supervision of the Receiver, and acknowledged to be true and correct in every particular: The judgement against Alexander Walker, late Liquidator of the Atchafalaya Bank, was upon a tableau filed by him in which tableau certain tees of attorneys and rent of office were disallowed to the amount of about three hundred dollars, together with other charges in the tablean By this judgment, an indebtedness was fixed upon Mr. Walker for about six hundred and ninety dollars. Mr. Walker had notice of the trial of the opposition to this tablean. but by a note to the Clerk of the Court, asked a continuance on the ground of sickness. The opposition was accordingly continned to the next rule day, on which day Mr. Walker not appearing by counsel or in person, the opposition was tried and sustained. and judgment rendered against him Subsequently Mr. Walker showed to the Liquidator and present Receiver, receipts for the payment of two claims amounting to $275, or thereabouts, which claims he had been ordered to pay under oppositions to a previous tableau, and which would have entitled him to credit for their amount upon thejudgment rendered, had they been produced in proof al the trial. Mr. Walker then expressed his willingnes to satis:y the judgment rendered if a remitti tur were entered for the amount of the above payment of about $275. At the suggestion of the Receiver, a rule was taken by Mr. Walker to establish said credits, which has not yet been brought totrial. The judgment against Mr. Walker is still appealable to the Supreme Court under a devolutive appeal A no'e which the Receiver left for Mr. Walker at his office. notifying him he would take out a capias if the claim were not settled. the latter did not receive. Inattention to this notice, which was supposed to have been received, was the immediate motive to the issuing of the capias : which, upon a consideration of the circumstances, has been stayed. The following certificate will show that the charge for rent. which in my absence was struck out of my tableau, has been charged and received by other Liquidators, Extract from tableau of Liquidator of the Merchants' Bank. filed 16th of December, 1847 Expenses of office rent for six months, $135.' From tableau filed 13th of September, 1848 Rent of office up to 1st of November, $112 50." certify Fifth District Court of Net Orleans hereby the two extracts above stated to be true copies from the tableaux of distribution filed by the Liquidator and Re. ceiver of the Merchants' Bank of New Orleans. on the 16th of December, 1847, and 13th of September, 1848. G. W LEWIS, Deputy Clerk. Clerk's Office, 27th of July, 1849. Third District Court of New Orleans No. 14,944 (P.C.) A. HONGE and others, stockholders of the Bank of Orleans, praying for a surrender of charter I hereby certify that the following is a true extract from the tablean filed by the Liquidator in the above case, on the 24th of February, 1848, to wit: This amount for office rent and stationery. $400 In faith whereof I have hereto signed my name, and af. [.s.].] fixed the seal of this Court, on the 27th of July, 1849: LOUIS R. COURTIN, Deputy Clerk. In confirmation of the above statement, I give the following certificate of the Clerk of the Fifth District Court, showing the pending of a rule to reduce this judgment-a rule taken at the suggestion of the Liquidator. STATE OF LOUISIANA vs. ATCHAFALAYA RAILROAD AND BANKING COMPANY Fifth District Court of New Or eans On motion of Alexander Walker. Esq., It ordered that T. O. Stark, Liquidator of the Atchafalaya Railroad and Banking Company, show cause on Saturday next, the 31st inst., at 10 o' clock A. M why the judgment rendered OB the last tableau of said Walker, again him, should not be reduced by amounts paid by said Walker un. der judgments of the Court, for which said Walker has receipts and vouchers. hereby certify the foregoing to be a true extract from the minutes of the Fifth District Court-of New Orleans, and do further certify that no action was ever had by the Court G. thereon. W. LEWIS, Deputy Clerk. Clerk's Office, 27th of July, 1849. From the above it will be seen that during my absence on the trial of the opposition to my tablean, which absence was cansed by my want of notice of the continuance, the Liqui. dator, now Receiver, who had previously obtained his rent of office as Liquidator of the Merchants' Bank, (see certifi. cate above, succeeded in having my charge for rent ($300) together with fees of attorney and other neces ary expenses of the Liquidator, disallowed, by which he made me a debtor instead of a creditor of the Bank. That he refused to enter up a remittitur for sums, for which I presented him vouchers whose validity he admited-sums which 1 had been order. ed by Court to pay-and when I offered to pay him the bal. ance, he suggested to me to take a rule to reduce the judg. ment, according to the vouchers. Pending that rule, when the Court is not in session to try rules, he took out the capias published in yesterday Crescent for $690 though he admits the sum due is considerably less, and that I had frequently offered to pay him the judgment, reduced by the amounts for which I presented vouchers, That after this the Liqui. dator's office having been declared to be unconsti utional, advised by counsel that I would not be protected by the receipt of an officer who was not recognised by any law. You are perfectly welcome, gentlemen. to make what you can out of this, or any other transaction of mine, in which you may think the public interested Your obedient servant, ALEXANDER WALKER. In reply to the note appended to the article ie the Crescent, of my being principal editor and one of the proprietors of the Delta newspaper, the relevancy of which to the subject matter of your allusion, it would be difficult to understand. can only way that your statement is wholly untrue. A. W.