Bryant v. . Fisher

Smith, C. J., after stating the case. No case of appeal is transmitted, and the record discloses no assignment of error and no exception to the ruling of the court during the progress of the trial, or to the findings of fact, or to the judgment rendered. It has been too often decided to admit of discussion that points not made in the court below, except the want of jurisdiction or that the statements contained in the complaint do not show a cause of action, will not be heard in this court, and that where error is notapparenton the record, the judgment will be affirmed. The more recent cases in our reports are Chastain v. Coward, 79 N. C., 543; Williamson Canal v. Company, 78 N. C., 156; Bank v. Graham, 82 N. C., 489; Wellons v. Jordan, 83 N. C., 371. 1. It is pressed in argument for theappellant that the findings of fact are defective, in that, they do not dispose of the issue raised by the allegation that the arbitrators “ were moved by bias ” towards the plaintiff “ in making up their decision.” The objection would apply with equal force to the omission to frame an issue for the jury, for it is equally the duty of a party to call the attention of the judge to it where the facts are to be passed on by him, as where upon *72 proper issues they are to be passed on by the jury. And this court has said in answer to an objection -that an issue ought to have been and was not submitted to a jury upon matters controverted in the pleadings, that the appellants ought not “ to have been content with the proposed issues if they desired others. They should then have asked for other issues, and if necessary they should have been allowed, or if not allowed, the refusal would constitute matter of exception. It might produce serious inconveniences and delays, if where a party has opportunity to propose other and further issues, he refuses or fails to do so, he could then be heard to complain of the consequences of his neglect, and thereby increase the costs, as well as delay the determination of the cause." Kidder v. McIlhenny, 81 N. C., 123; Curtis v. Cash, 84 N. C., 41. When there is an omission to present matters of defence and the defendant acquiesces by his silence, it is a reasonable inference that they are not relied on by him in the court below, and consequently they are unavailable on his appeal. 2. It is insisted also that the award exceeds the limit of the reference and hence it is void: This objection, if the facts were as asserted, and the award was so- essentially one that the excess could not be separated from so much of if as is within the terms of submission, would be open to the appellant, since both the agreement and the award under it are parts of the complaint, and there would be no. cause of action upon the face of it. • But the objection is wholly untenable. “ All matters between the said parties " are committed to the arbitrators, without qualification, and the judge finds as a fact that the defendant introduced the mortgages and claimed what was due under them as a charge against the plaintiff So the referees and the defendant put the same, and what we consider the proper, construction upon the submission and the subject matter referred. 3. The bias imputed to the arbitrators, if sufficient to *73 vitiate the action of the arbitrators in a direct proceeding to impeach it, is not established as a fact, and for the rea* sons already stated, is not before us. The cases cited for the defendant do not militate against this opinion. That of Smith v. Hahn, 80 N. C., 240, the most pertinent, simply declares that on application to set aside a judgment under section 133 of the Code, the facts must be found, so that this court may review the ruling of the judge upon the point of law whether the judgment was taken “ through his mistake, inadvertence, surprise or excusable .neglect,” and if the finding is so imperfect as not to admit of the decision of the question of law, the cause will be remitted for a fuller finding. We do not disturb this decision in holding that the facts established do warrant the judgment rendered upon the award. There is no error and the judgment is affirmed. No error. Affirmed.