to some cau ses of action. § 151. The defendant may demur to one or more of several Demurrer as causes of action stated in the complaint, and answer the residue. § 152. Sham answers and defences may be stricken out on motion. and answer as to others. Sham defences to be stricken out. and what to § 153. When the answer shall contain new matter, the plaintiff Reply, when may within twenty days, reply to it, denying generally or parti- to be put in, cularly each allegation controverted by him, or any knowledge contain. or information thereof sufficient to form a belief; and he may allege, in ordinary and concise language, without repetition, and in such a manner as to enable a person of common understanding to know what is intended, any new matter not inconsistent with the complaint, in avoidance of the answer; or of any defence set up therein; or he may demur to the same for insufficiency stating in his demurrer the grounds thereof. And the plaintiff may demur to one or more of several defences set up in the answer and reply to the residue. move for 154. If the answer contain a statement of new matter con- when destituting a defence, and the plaintiff fail to reply or demur thereto fendant may within the time prescribed by law, the defendant may move on a judgment notice of not less than ten days for such judgment, as he is entitled upon an anto upon such statement, and if the case require it, a writ of inquiry of damages may be issued. swer. § 155. If a reply of the plaintiff to any defence set up by the Demurrer to answer of the defendant be insufficient, the defendant may demur reply. thereto, and shall state the grounds thereof. CHAPTER V. General Rules of Pleading. SECTION 156. No pleading but complaint, answer, reply and demurrers. 166. In actions to recover property distrained for damage, answer need not set forth title. 167. What causes of action may be joined in the same action. No pleading but com § 156. No other pleading shall be allowed than the complaint, plaint, an answer, reply and demurrers. swer, reply and demurrers. Verification of pleadings. § 157. Every pleading in a court of record must be subscribed by the party or his attorney, and when any pleading in a case shall be verified by affidavit, all subsequent pleadings, except demurrers, shall be verified also; and in all cases of the verification of a pleading, the affidavit of the party shall state that the same is true of his own knowledge, except as to the matters which are therein stated on his information or belief, and as to those matters that he believes it to be true. And where a pleading is verified, it shall be by the affidavit of the party, unless he be absent from the county where the attorney resides, or from some cause unable to verify it, or the facts are within the knowledge of his attorney or other person verifying the same. When the pleading is verified by the attorney, or any other person except the party, he shall set forth in the affidavit his knowledge, or the grounds of his belief on the subject, and the reasons why it is not made by the party. When a corporation is a party the verification may be made by any officer thereof; and when the state or any officer thereof in its behalf is a party, the verification may be made by any person acquainted with the facts, except that in actions prosecuted by the attorney general in behalf of the state for the recovery of real property, the pleadings need not be verified. How to state 8158. It shall be necessary for a party to set forth in a pleadin pleading. ing the items of an account therein alleged; but he shall deliver to the adverse party, within ten days, after a demand thereof in writing, a copy of the account verified by his own oath, or that of his agent or attorney, to the effect that he believes it to be true, or be precluded from giving evidence thereof. The court, or a judge thereof, or a county judge, may order a further or more particular bill. an account Pleadings to § 159. In the construction of a pleading, for the purpose of debe liberally termining its effect, its allegations shall be liberally construed, with a view to substantial justice between the parties. construed, matters to be Irrelevant § 160. If irrelevent or redundant matter be inserted in a pleador redundant ing, it may be stricken out, on motion of any person aggrieved stricken out. thereby. And when the allegations of a pleading are so indefinite or uncertain that the precise nature of the charge or defence is not apparent, the court may require the pleading to be made definite and certain, by amendment. Judgments how to be pleaded, Conditions precedent, how to be pleaded. § 161. In pleading a judgment, or other determination of a court, or officer of special jurisdiction, it shall not be necessary to state the facts conferring jurisdiction, but such judgment or determination may be stated to have been duly given or made. If such allegation be controverted, the party pleading shall be bound to establish on the trial, the facts conferring jurisdiction. § 162. In pleading the performance of conditions precedent in a contract, it shall not be necessary to state the facts, showing such performance; but it may be stated generally, that the party duly performed all the conditions on his part; and if such alle gation be controverted, the party pleading shall be bound to establish on the trial the facts showing such performance. § 163. In pleading a private statute, or a right derived there- Private stafrom, it shall be sufficient to refer to such statute, by its title and tutes how to the day of its passage, and the court shall thereupon take judi cial notice thereof. be pleaded. slander, how § 164. In an action for libel or slander, it shall not be neces- Libel and sary to state in the complaint, any extrinsic facts, for the purpose stated in of showing the application to the plaintiff, of the defamatory mat- complaint. ter out of which the cause of action arose; but it shall be sufficient to state generally, that the same was published or spoken concerning the plaintiff, and if such allegation be controverted, the plaintiff shall be bound to establish, on trial, that it was so published or spoken. such cases. § 165. In the actions mentioned in the last section, the defendant Answer in may, in his answer, allege both the truth of the matter charged as defamatory, and any mitigating circumstances, to reduce the amount of damages; and whether he prove the justification or not, he may give in evidence the mitigating circumstances. § 166. In action to recover the possession of property distrain- In actions to ed doing damage, an answer that the defendant or person by perty diswhose command he acted was lawfully possessed of the real trained for pro- damage, anperty upon which the distress was made, and that the property swer need distrained was at the time doing damage thereon, shall be good, title. without setting forth the title to such real property. recover pro not set forth § 167. The plaintiff may unite several causes of action in the What causame complaint, where they all arise out of, 1. Contract, express or implied; or, 2. Injuries with or without force, to the person; or, 3. Injuries with or without force, to property; or, 4. Injuries to character; or, 5. Claims to recover real property, with or without damages, for withholding thereof, and the rents and profits of the same; or, 6. Claims to recover personal property, with or without damages, for the withholding thereof; or, 7. Claims against a trustee by virtue of a contract or by operation of law. ses of action may be joined in the same action. when to be But the causes of action, so united, must all belong to one only of these classes, and must affect all the parties to the action, and not require different places of trial, and must be separately stated. Allegation § 168. Every material allegation of the complaint, not speci- not denied; fically controverted by the answer, as prescribed in section one deemed true. hundred and forty-nine; and every material allegation of new matter in the answer, not specifically controverted by the reply, as prescribed in section one hundred and fifty-three, shall for the purposes of the action, be taken as true. But the allegation of new matter in a reply, shall not in any respect conclude the defendant, who may on the trial countervail it by proofs, either in direct denial or by way of avoidance. Material va provided for, 175. Suing a party by a fictitious game, when allowed. 176. No error or defect to be regarded, unless it affect substantial rights. 177. Supplemental complaint, answer and reply. 169. No variance between the allegation in a pleading and riances, how the proof, shall be deemed material, unless it have actually misled the adverse party, to his prejudice, in maintaining his action or defence, upon the merits. Whenever it shall be alleged, that a party has been so misled, that fact shall be proved to the satisfaction of the court, and in what respect he has been misled; and thereupon the court may order the pleading to be amended, upon such terms as shall be just. Immaterial variances, § 170. Where the variance is not material, as provided in the how provi- last section, the court may direct the fact to be found according to the evidence, or may order an immediate amendment, without costs. ded for. What to be deemed a variance. Amendments of course. Amend. ments by the court. § 171. Where, however, the allegation of the cause of action or defence to which the proof is directed is unproved, not in some particular or particulars only, but in its entire scope and meaning, it shall not be deemed a case of variance, within the last two sections, but a failure of proof. § 172. Any pleading may be once amended by the party of course, without costs, and without prejudice to the proceedings already had, at any time before the period for answering it shall expire or within twenty days after the answer to such pleading shall be served. In such case a copy of the amended pleading shall be served on the adverse party. § 173. The court may, at any time, in furtherance of justice, and on such terms as may be proper, amend any pleading or proceeding, by adding or striking out the name of any party, or by correcting a mistake in the name of a party, or a mistake in any other respect, or by inserting other allegations material to the case, or by conforming the pleading or proceeding to the facts proved. The court may likewise, in its discretion, allow an answer or reply to be made, or other act to be done, after the time limited by this act, or by an order enlarge such time and may also at any time within one year after notice thereof relieve a party from a judgment, order, or other proceeding, taken against him through his mistake, inadvertance, surprise, or excusable neglect; and may supply an omission, in any proceeding; and whenever any proceeding taken by a party fails to conform in any respects to the provisions of this act, the court shall have power to permit an amendment of such proceeding, so as to make it conformable to law. rer. § 174. After demurrer, either party may amend any pleading Amendment, demurred to of course, and without costs, on serving a copy of after demurthe same as amended within twenty days on the adverse party, who shall have twenty days to answer, reply or demur thereto, if the pleading amended be a complaint or answer, or demur thereto, if it be a reply; but a party shall not so amend more than once. Upon the decision of a demurrer the court may, upon such terms as shall be just, allow any party to withdraw the same and plead over. by a ficti ed. defect to be § 175. When the plaintiff shall be ignorant of the name of a Suing a party defendant, such defendant may be designated in any pleading or tious name, proceeding, by any name; and when his true name shall be dis- when allowcovered, the pleading or proceeding may be amended accordingly. No error or § 176. The court shall, in every stage of an action, disregard regarded, any error, or defect in the pleadings or proceedings, which shall unless it' afnot affect the substantial rights of the adverse party; and no stantial judgment shall be reversed or affected by reason of such error or rights. defect. ffect sub al complaint, § 177. The plaintiff and defendant respectively, may be Supplemen tallowed, on motion, to make a supplemental complaint, answer or answer or reply, alleging facts material to the case, occurring after the former reply. complaint, answer or reply, or of which the party was ignorant when his former pleading was made. SECTION 178. No person to be arrested, except as prescribed by this act. 179. Cases in which defendant may be arrested. 181. Affidavit to obtain order. To what actions this chapter ap- 182. Security by plaintiff, before order for arrest. 183. Order, when made and its form. 184. Affidavit and order to be delivered to sheriff, and copy to de 192. Delivery of undertaking to plaintiff, and its acceptance or re jection by him. |