United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Eliason v. Henshaw, 17 U.S. 4 Wheat. 225 225 (1819)

Eliason v. Henshaw

17 U.S. (4 Wheat.) 225

Syllabus

Where A. offered to purchase of B. two or three hundred barrels of flour, to be delivered at Georgetown, District of Columbia, by the first water, and to pay for the same nine dollars and fifty cents per barrel, and to the letter containing this offer required an answer by the return of the wagon by which the letter was sent. This wagon was at that time in the service of B., and employed by him in conveying flour from his mill to Harper's Ferry, near to which place A then was. His offer was accepted in a letter sent by the first regular mail to Georgetown and received by A. at that place, but no answer was ever sent to Harper's Ferry. Held that this acceptance, communicated at a place different from that indicated by A., imposed no obligation binding upon him.

An offer of a bargain by one person to another imposes no obligation upon the former unless it is accepted by the latter according to the terms on which the offer was made. Any qualification of or departure from those terms invalidates the offer unless the same be agreed to by the party who made it.