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£§91£§¡¡As¡¡was¡¡said¡¡at¡¡the¡¡outset£»¡¡if¡¡the¡¡strict¡¡liability¡¡is¡¡to¡¡be¡¡maintained¡¡at¡¡all£»¡¡it¡¡must¡¡be¡¡maintained¡¡throughout¡£¡¡A¡¡principle¡¡cannot¡¡be¡¡stated¡¡which¡¡would¡¡retain¡¡the¡¡strict¡¡liability¡¡in¡¡trespass¡¡while¡¡abandoning¡¡it¡¡in¡¡case¡£¡¡It¡¡cannot¡¡be¡¡said¡¡that¡¡trespass¡¡is¡¡for¡¡acts¡¡alone£»¡¡and¡¡case¡¡for¡¡consequences¡¡of¡¡those¡¡acts¡£¡¡All¡¡actions¡¡of¡¡trespass¡¡are¡¡for¡¡consequences¡¡of¡¡acts£»¡¡not¡¡for¡¡the¡¡acts¡¡themselves¡£¡¡And¡¡some¡¡actions¡¡of¡¡trespass¡¡are¡¡for¡¡consequences¡¡more¡¡remote¡¡from¡¡the¡¡defendant's¡¡act¡¡than¡¡in¡¡other¡¡instances¡¡where¡¡the¡¡remedy¡¡would¡¡be¡¡case¡£

An¡¡act¡¡is¡¡always¡¡a¡¡voluntary¡¡muscular¡¡contraction£»¡¡and¡¡nothing¡¡else¡£¡¡The¡¡chain¡¡of¡¡physical¡¡sequences¡¡which¡¡it¡¡sets¡¡in¡¡motion¡¡or¡¡directs¡¡to¡¡the¡¡plaintiff's¡¡harm¡¡is¡¡no¡¡part¡¡of¡¡it£»¡¡and¡¡very¡¡generally¡¡a¡¡long¡¡train¡¡of¡¡such¡¡sequences¡¡intervenes¡£¡¡An¡¡example¡¡or¡¡two¡¡will¡¡make¡¡this¡¡extremely¡¡clear¡£

When¡¡a¡¡man¡¡commits¡¡an¡¡assault¡¡and¡¡battery¡¡with¡¡a¡¡pistol£»¡¡his¡¡only¡¡act¡¡is¡¡to¡¡contract¡¡the¡¡muscles¡¡of¡¡his¡¡arm¡¡and¡¡forefinger¡¡in¡¡a¡¡certain¡¡way£»¡¡but¡¡it¡¡is¡¡the¡¡delight¡¡of¡¡elementary¡¡writers¡¡to¡¡point¡¡out¡¡what¡¡a¡¡vast¡¡series¡¡of¡¡physical¡¡changes¡¡must¡¡take¡¡place¡¡before¡¡the¡¡harm¡¡is¡¡done¡£¡¡Suppose¡¡that£»¡¡instead¡¡of¡¡firing¡¡a¡¡pistol£»¡¡he¡¡takes¡¡up¡¡a¡¡hose¡¡which¡¡is¡¡discharging¡¡water¡¡on¡¡the¡¡sidewalk£»¡¡and¡¡directs¡¡it¡¡at¡¡the¡¡plaintiff£»¡¡he¡¡does¡¡not¡¡even¡¡set¡¡in¡¡motion¡¡the¡¡physical¡¡causes¡¡which¡¡must¡¡co¡­operate¡¡with¡¡his¡¡act¡¡to¡¡make¡¡a¡¡battery¡£¡¡Not¡¡only¡¡natural¡¡causes£»¡¡but¡¡a¡¡living¡¡being£»¡¡may¡¡intervene¡¡between¡¡the¡¡act¡¡and¡¡its¡¡effect¡£¡¡Gibbons¡¡v¡£¡¡Pepper£»¡¡/1/¡¡which¡¡decided¡¡that¡¡there¡¡was¡¡no¡¡battery¡¡when¡¡a¡¡man's¡¡horse¡¡was¡¡frightened¡¡by¡¡accident¡¡or¡¡a¡¡third¡¡person¡¡and¡¡ran¡¡away¡¡with¡¡him£»¡¡and¡¡ran¡¡over¡¡the¡¡plaintiff£»¡¡takes¡¡the¡¡distinction¡¡that£»¡¡if¡¡the¡¡rider¡¡by¡¡spurring¡¡is¡¡the¡¡cause¡¡of¡¡£§92£§¡¡the¡¡accident£»¡¡then¡¡he¡¡is¡¡guilty¡£¡¡In¡¡Scott¡¡v¡£¡¡Shepherd£»¡¡/1/¡¡already¡¡mentioned£»¡¡trespass¡¡was¡¡maintained¡¡against¡¡one¡¡who¡¡had¡¡thrown¡¡a¡¡squib¡¡into¡¡a¡¡crowd£»¡¡where¡¡it¡¡was¡¡tossed¡¡from¡¡hand¡¡to¡¡hand¡¡in¡¡self¡­defence¡¡until¡¡it¡¡burst¡¡and¡¡injured¡¡the¡¡plaintiff¡£¡¡Here¡¡even¡¡human¡¡agencies¡¡were¡¡a¡¡part¡¡of¡¡the¡¡chain¡¡between¡¡the¡¡defendant's¡¡act¡¡and¡¡the¡¡result£»¡¡although¡¡they¡¡were¡¡treated¡¡as¡¡more¡¡or¡¡less¡¡nearly¡¡automatic£»¡¡in¡¡order¡¡to¡¡arrive¡¡at¡¡the¡¡decision¡£

Now¡¡I¡¡repeat£»¡¡that£»¡¡if¡¡principle¡¡requires¡¡us¡¡to¡¡charge¡¡a¡¡man¡¡in¡¡trespass¡¡when¡¡his¡¡act¡¡has¡¡brought¡¡force¡¡to¡¡bear¡¡on¡¡another¡¡through¡¡a¡¡comparatively¡¡short¡¡train¡¡of¡¡intervening¡¡causes£»¡¡in¡¡spite¡¡of¡¡his¡¡having¡¡used¡¡all¡¡possible¡¡care£»¡¡it¡¡requires¡¡the¡¡same¡¡liability£»¡¡however¡¡numerous¡¡and¡¡unexpected¡¡the¡¡events¡¡between¡¡the¡¡act¡¡and¡¡the¡¡result¡£¡¡If¡¡running¡¡a¡¡man¡¡down¡¡is¡¡a¡¡trespass¡¡when¡¡the¡¡accident¡¡can¡¡be¡¡referred¡¡to¡¡the¡¡rider's¡¡act¡¡of¡¡spurring£»¡¡why¡¡is¡¡it¡¡not¡¡a¡¡tort¡¡in¡¡every¡¡case£»¡¡as¡¡was¡¡argued¡¡in¡¡Vincent¡¡v¡£¡¡Stinehour£»¡¡/2/¡¡seeing¡¡that¡¡it¡¡can¡¡always¡¡be¡¡referred¡¡more¡¡remotely¡¡to¡¡his¡¡act¡¡of¡¡mounting¡¡and¡¡taking¡¡the¡¡horse¡¡out£¿

Why¡¡is¡¡a¡¡man¡¡not¡¡responsible¡¡for¡¡the¡¡consequences¡¡of¡¡an¡¡act¡¡innocent¡¡in¡¡its¡¡direct¡¡and¡¡obvious¡¡effects£»¡¡when¡¡those¡¡consequences¡¡would¡¡not¡¡have¡¡followed¡¡but¡¡for¡¡the¡¡intervention¡¡of¡¡a¡¡series¡¡of¡¡extraordinary£»¡¡although¡¡natural£»¡¡events£¿¡¡The¡¡reason¡¡is£»¡¡that£»¡¡if¡¡the¡¡intervening¡¡events¡¡are¡¡of¡¡such¡¡a¡¡kind¡¡that¡¡no¡¡foresight¡¡could¡¡have¡¡been¡¡expected¡¡to¡¡look¡¡out¡¡for¡¡them£»¡¡the¡¡defendant¡¡is¡¡not¡¡to¡¡blame¡¡for¡¡having¡¡failed¡¡to¡¡do¡¡so¡£¡¡It¡¡seems¡¡to¡¡be¡¡admitted¡¡by¡¡the¡¡English¡¡judges¡¡that£»¡¡even¡¡on¡¡the¡¡question¡¡whether¡¡the¡¡acts¡¡of¡¡leaving¡¡dry¡¡trimmings¡¡in¡¡hot¡¡weather¡¡by¡¡the¡¡side¡¡of¡¡a¡¡railroad£»¡¡and¡¡then¡¡sending¡¡an¡¡engine¡¡over¡¡the¡¡track£»¡¡are¡¡£§93£§¡¡negligent£»that¡¡is£»¡¡are¡¡a¡¡ground¡¡of¡¡liability£»the¡¡consequences¡¡which¡¡might¡¡reasonably¡¡be¡¡anticipated¡¡are¡¡material¡£¡¡/1/¡¡Yet¡¡these¡¡are¡¡acts¡¡which£»¡¡under¡¡the¡¡circumstances£»¡¡can¡¡hardly¡¡be¡¡called¡¡innocent¡¡in¡¡their¡¡natural¡¡and¡¡obvious¡¡effects¡£¡¡The¡¡same¡¡doctrine¡¡has¡¡been¡¡applied¡¡to¡¡acts¡¡in¡¡violation¡¡of¡¡statute¡¡which¡¡could¡¡not¡¡reasonably¡¡have¡¡been¡¡expected¡¡to¡¡lead¡¡to¡¡the¡¡result¡¡complained¡¡of¡£¡¡/2/

But¡¡there¡¡is¡¡no¡¡difference¡¡in¡¡principle¡¡between¡¡the¡¡case¡¡where¡¡a¡¡natural¡¡cause¡¡or¡¡physical¡¡factor¡¡intervenes¡¡after¡¡the¡¡act¡¡in¡¡some¡¡way¡¡not¡¡t

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