TITLE II. Of the Competency of the Tribunals of Commerce. Art. 631. The tribunals of commerce shall take cognizance, 1st. Of all controversies relative to the engagements and transactions between merchants, shopkeepers, and bankers. 2d. Of all controversies relative to commercial acts, between persons of any description. Art. 632. The law recognises, as commercial acts, Every purchase of merchandise or produce, in order to be sold again, whether in its natural state, or after undergoing some change by labour and art, or even in order simply to let out the use of it. Every enterprise of manufactures, of commission, of transportation by land or water. Every contract to furnish provisions or merchandise, every undertaking of agency, or general business, establishments of auctions and theatrical exhibitions. Every operation of exchange, banking, and brokerage. All contracts between merchants, shopkeepers, and bankers. Remittances of bills of exchange, or of money, from place to place, between persons of any description. Art. 633. The law likewise recognises, as commercial acts, All contracts for the building, the purchase, sale and resale of vessels for foreign and inland navigation. All maritime shipments. All the purchases or sales of rigging, apparel, and provisions. All contracts for freight, bottomry, and respondentia loans, insurance, and other contracts concerning maritime commerce. All agreements and stipulations for the pay and wages of ships' crews. Tous engagements de gens de mer, pour le service de bâtiments de commerce. Art. 634. Les tribunaux de commerce connaîtront également, 1o Des actions contre les facteurs, commis des marchands ou leurs serviteurs, pour le fait seulement du trafic du marchand auquel ils sont attachés. 2o Des billets faits par les receveurs, payeurs, percepteurs ou autres comptables des deniers publics. Art. 635. Ils connaîtront enfin, 1° Du dépôt du bilan et des registres du commerçant eu faillite, de l'affirmation et de la vérification des créances. 2o Des oppositions au concordat, lorsque les moyens de l'opposant seront fondés sur des actes ou opérations dont la connaissance est attribuée par la loi aux juges des tribunaux de commerce. Dans tous les autres cas, ces oppositions seront jugées par les tribunaux civils. En conséquence, toute opposition au concordat contiendra les moyens de l'opposant, à peine de nullité. 3° De l'homologation du traité entre le failli et ses créanciers; 4o De la cession de biens faite par le failli, pour la partie qui en est attribuée aux tribunaux de commerce par l'art. 901. du code de procédure civile. Art. 636. Lorsque les lettres de change ne seront réputées que simples promesses aux termes de l'article 112. ou lorsque les billets à ordre ne porteront que des signatures d'individus non négo ciants, et n'auront pas pour occasion des opérations de commerce, trafic, change, banque ou courtage, le tribunal de commerce sera tenu de renvoyer au tribunal civil, s'il en est requis par le défendeur. Art. 637. Lorsque ces lettres de change et ces billets à ordre porteront en même temps des signatures d'individus négociants et All engagements of seamen, in the service of merchant vessels. Art. 634. The tribunals of commerce shall also take cogni zance, 1st. Of actions against factors, merchants' clerks, or other persons engaged in their service, for acts relative solely to the trade of the merchant by whom they are employed. 2d. Of promissory notes given by the receivers, payers, collectors, or other persons accountable for public money. Art. 635. Finally, they shall take cognizance, 1st. Of the delivery of the balance-book and registers of an insolvent merchant, and of the proof and verification of the debts. 2d. Of the oppositions to the compromise between the insolvent and his creditors, when the objections are founded on acts or operations within the jurisdiction granted by the law to the judges of the tribunals of commerce. In every other case, these oppositions shall be decided by the civil tribunals. Consequently, every opposition to the compromise shall state the grounds of objection on the part of the opposer; otherwise it shall be null and void. 3d. Of the confirmation of the compromise between the insolvent and his creditors. 4th. Of the assignment of the insolvent's estate, in respect to that part of it which comes within the jurisdiction of the tribunals of commerce, conformably to article 901. of the code of civil procedure. Art. 636. When bills of exchange are reputed to be only simple promises, according to the provisions of article 112., or when promissory notes bear only the signatures of individuals not merchants, and were not given on account of the operations of commerce, traffic, exchange, banking, or brokerage, the tribunal of commerce shall be bound to remit the cause to the civil tribunal, if it be required by the defendant. Art. 637. When these bills of exchange and promissory notes bear, at the same time, the signatures of individuals who are d'individus non négociants, le tribunal de commerce en connaîtra; mais il ne pourra prononcer la contrainte par corps contre les iudividus non négociants, à moins qu'ils ne se soient engagés à l'occasion d'opérations de commerce, trafic, change, banque ou courtage. Art. 638. Ne seront point de la compétence des tribunaux de commerce, les actions intentées contre un propriétaire, cultivateur ou vigneron, pour vente de denrées provenant de son cru, les actions intentées contre un commerçant, pour paiement de denrées et marchandises achetées pour son usage particulier. Néanmoins, les billets souscrits par un commerçant seront censés faits pour son commerce, et ceux des receveurs, payeurs, percepteurs ou autres comptables de deniers publics, seront censés faits pour leur gestion, lorsqu'une autre cause n'y sera point énoncée. Art. 639. Les tribunaux de commerce jugeront en dernier ressort, 1° Toutes les demandes dont le principal n'excèdera pas la valeur de 1000 franc. 2° Toutes celles où les parties justiciables de ces tribunaux, et usant de leurs droits, auront déclaré vouloir être jugées définitivement et sans appel. Art. 640. Dans les arrondissements où il n'y aura pas de tribunaux de commerce, les juges du tribunal civil exerceront les fonctions et connaîtront des matières attribuées aux juges de commerce par la présente loi. Art. 641. L'instruction, dans ce cas, aura lieu dans la même forme que devant les tribunaux de commerce, et les jugements produiront les mêmes effets. merchants, and of those who are not merchants, the tribunal of commerce shall take cognizance of them; but it cannot adjudge personal imprisonment against the individuals not merchants, unless they have engaged themselves on account of some operations of commerce, traffic, exchange, banking, or brokerage. Art. 638. The tribunals of commerce shall not have jurisdiction of actions brought against landholders, cultivators, or farmers, for the sale of the produce of their own growth, nor of actions brought against a merchant for the payment of the provisions and goods bought for his private use. Nevertheless, the promissory notes signed by a merchant, shall be presumed to have been made on account of his commercial transactions, and those made by the receivers, paymasters, collectors, and other accountable public agents, shall be considered as given in the course of their official business, when no other cause is expressed in the notes. Art. 639. The tribunals of commerce shall give final judgment, without appeal, 1st. In all causes where the sum in controversy shall not exceed a thousand francs, (200 dollars.) 2d. In all those where the parties, justiciable by these courts, and making use of their rights, shall have declared their consent to be definitively judged, and without appeal. Art. 640. In the districts where there are no tribunals of commerce, the judges of the civil tribunals shall perform the func tions, and take cognizance of the matters, within the jurisdiction of the commercial judges, according to the present law. Art. 641. The proceedings, in that case, shall be conducted in the same mode as practised before the tribunals of commerce, and the judgments shall have the same force and effect.. |