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TMI Blog1961 (3) TMI 116X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... the railway receipt and informed the respondent on August 8, 1947, that as booking from Kanpur to Calcutta was closed the contract had become impossible of performance; consequently the appellant cancelled the contract and returned the advance that had been received. The respondent did not accept that the contract had become impossible of performance and informed the appellant that it had committed a breach of the contract and was thus liable in damages. After further exchange of notices between the parties, the present suit was filed in November, 1947. Written statements were filed both by the appellant and Babulal. The contention of Babulal was that the contract had become incapable of performance and was therefore rightly rescinded. Further Babulal contended that he was not in any case liable to pay any damages. The appellant on the other hand denied all knowledge of the contract and did not admit that it was liable to pay any damages. Certain other pleas were raised by the appellant with which we are however not concerned in the present appeal. Three main questions arose for determination on the pleadings of the parties. The first was whether Babulal had acted as agent of th ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ed to for the breach. The respondent's evidence on this point was that it proved the rate of coloured canvas in Calcutta on or about the date of the breach. This rate was ₹ 1-8-3 per yard and the respondent claimed that it was therefore entitled to damages at the rate of Re. 0-8-3 per yard, as the contract rate settled between the parties was R.s. 1 per yard, The quantum of damages in a case of this kind has to be determined under s. 73 of the Contract Act, No. IX of 1872. The relevant part of it is as follows:- When a contract has been broken, the party who suffers by such breach is entitled to receive, from the party who has broken the contract, compensation for any loss or damage caused to him thereby, which naturally arose in the usual course of things from such breach, or which the parties knew, when they made the contract, to be likely to result from the breach of it...... Explanation-In estimating the loss or damage arising from a breach of contract, the means which existed of remedying the inconvenience caused by the non-performance of the contract must be taken into account. The contention on behalf of the appellant is that the contract was for deliv ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... d not actually buy them in the market at Kanpur on the date of breach it would be entitled to damages on proof of the rate for similar canvas prevalent in Kanpur on the date of breach, if that rate was above the contracted rate resulting in loss to it. Bat the respondent did not make any attempt to prove the rate for similar canvas prevalent in Kanpur on the date of breach. Therefore it would obviously be not entitled to any damages at all, for on this state of the evidence it could not be said that any damage naturally arose in the usual course of things. But the learned counsel for the respondent relies on that part of s. 73 which says that dam-ages may be measured by what the parties knew when they made the contract to be likely to result from the breach of it. It is contended that the contract clearly showed that the goods were to be transported to and sold in Calcutta and therefore it was the price in Calcutta which would have to be taken into account in arriving at the measure of damages for the parties knew when they made the contract that the goods were to be sold in Calcutta. Reliance in this connection is placed on two cases, the first of which is Re. R. and H. Hall Ltd. ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... the sellers were expected to know and if any loss resulted from the delay in the supply the sellers would be liable for that loss also, if they had knowledge that such loss was likely to result. The question is whether the present is a case like these two cases at all. It is urged on behalf of the respondent that the seller knew that the goods were to be sent to Calcutta; therefore it should be presumed to know that the goods would be sold in Calcutta and any loss of profit to the buyer resulting from the difference between the rate in Calcutta on the date of the breach and the contract rate would be the measure of damages. Now there is no dispute that the buyer had purchased canvas in this case for resale; but we cannot infer from the mere fact that the goods were to be booked for Calcutta that the seller knew that the goods were for resale in Calcutta only. As a matter of fact it cannot be denied that it was open to the buyer in this case to sell the railway receipt as soon at it was received in Kanpnr and there can be no inference from the mere fact that the goods were to be sent to Calcutta that they were meant only for sale in Calcutta. It was open to the buyer to sell the ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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