In Eastin v. Stockton Bank, supra, the court said: “The English cases which deny the right to maintain the action, stand upon the ground that the successful defendant is adequately compensated for the damages he sustains by the costs allowed him by the statute. Those costs, it seems, include the attorney’s charges for preparing the case for trial in all its parts, the fees of the witnesses and the court officials, and even the honorarium of the barrister who conducted the case in court. The reason upon which the English rule rests would not, therefore, seem to apply here, where the costs recoverable under the statute are confined to much narrower limits....
“Two other objections made to the maintenance of the action,—first, the claim that if such suits are allowed, litigation will become interminable, because every successful action will be followed by another, alleging malice in the prosecution of the former; and second, that if the defendant may sue for damages sustained by an unfounded prosecution, the plaintiff may equally bring an action when the defendant makes a groundless defence,—are well answered in the article already alluded to [Mr. Lawson’s note, 21 A. L. Reg. N. S. 281, 353]: ‘To the first objection, it is enough to say that the action will never lie for an unsuccessful prosecution, unless begun and carried on with malice and without probable cause. With the burden of this difficult proof upon him, the litigant will need a very clear case before he will be willing to begin a suit of this character. The second argument fails to distinguish between the position of the parties, plaintiff and defendant, in an action at law. The plaintiff sets the law in motion; if he does so groundlessly and maliciously he is the cause of the defendant’s damage. But the defendant stands only on his legal rights—the plaintiff having taken his case to court, the defendant has the privilege of calling upon him to prove it to the satisfaction of the judge or jury, and he is guilty of no wrong in exercising this privilege.’”
In Doane v. Hescock, 155 N. Y. Supp. 210, the court (Appellate Term, First Department) says: “It clearly appears that the complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action for abuse of process, nor are the allegations sufficient to support an action for malicious prosecution of a civil action in this state. There is no allegation that the action resulted in damages to the business or reputation of the defendant or that in any way his personal or property rights were interfered with. The sole allegation as to damage is the trouble, inconvenience, and expense of defending the action. This is not sufficient. Paul v. Fargo, 84 App. Div. 9, 11, 13 (dissenting opinion, 21), 82 N. Y. Supp. 369; Fulton v. Ingalls, 165 App. Div. 323, 326, 151 N. Y. Supp. 130.”
Malicious excessive attachment. Tamblyn v. Johnston, (C. C. A.) 126 Fed. 267; Mills v. Larrance, 217 Ill. 446; Savage v. Brewer, 16 Pick. 453; Paul v. Fargo, 84 App. Div. 9; Sommer v. Wilt, 4 S. & R. 19.
[407]. The averments of the count are abridged and the arguments of counsel are omitted.
[408]. Fivaz v. Nicholls, 2 C. B. 501, 514 (semble); Grove v. Brandenburg, 7 Blackf. 234 Accord.
“Pechell v. Watson came to be considered in Flight v. Leman. Its authority was recognized, but the latter case was decided against the plaintiff, who sued for maintenance, on the ground, I own I should have thought the narrow ground, that to instigate a suit was not maintenance, though to support one already instituted was.” Per Coleridge, C. J., in Bradlaugh v. Newdegate, 11 Q. B. Div. 1, 8.
See also Alabaster v. Harness, [1894] 2 Q. B. 897, [1895] 1 Q. B. 339; Grieg v. National Union, 22 T. L. Rep. 274; Goodyear Co. v. White, 2 N. J. Law Journ. 150, 10 Fed. Cas. 752, no. 5602; Breeden v. Frankford Ins. Co., 220 Mo. 327, 373, 378–420, 424–443. Compare Metropolitan Bank v. Pooley, 10 App. Cas. 210, 217–218.
[409]. Only the opinion of the Chief Justice upon the point of abuse of legal process is given.
[410]. Heywood v. Collinge, 9 A. & E. 268; King v. Yarbray, 136 Ga. 212; Wicker v. Hotchkiss, 62 Ill. 107 (semble); Emery v. Ginnan, 24 Ill. App. 65 (semble); Whitesell v. Study, 37 Ind. App. 429 (semble); Page v. Cushing, 38 Me. 523; Wood v. Graves, 144 Mass. 365; White v. Apsley Co., 181 Mass. 339; White v. Apsley Co., 194 Mass. 97; Malone v. Belcher, 216 Mass. 209; Pixley v. Reed, 26 Minn. 80 (semble); Rossiter v. Minn. Co., 37 Minn. 296; Bebinger v. Sweet, 6 Hun, 478; Buffalo Co. v. Everest, 30 Hun, 586 (semble); Hazard v. Harding, 63 How. Pr. 326; Prough v. Entriken, 11 Pa. St. 81; Mayer v. Walter, 64 Pa. St. 283; Lauzon v. Charroux, 18 R. I. 467 Accord.