M'Kenzie v. M'Rae
M'Kenzie v. M'Rae
Opinion of the Court
— The action was trover for a promissory note, brought by the defendant in error, against the
The counsel for the plaintiff in error then moved the court to instruct the jury, that a note payable to bearer,, (which was the fact in this case,) may be transferred by the bearer, though he may have acquired possession by finding, fraud or felony, and if the transaction on the part of the purchaser be bona fide and without notice, he acquires a good title. The court thereupon charged? that although in some cases a note payable to bearer, might be. transferred by one having no title other than possession, and differed perhaps in this from a note payable to order — yet so far as this case was concerned, the law as to both was the same, provided the purchaser had notice of its being surreptitiously obtained by the person selling it. And if the transfer was before letters of administration had been granted, and Alexander D. was not such administrator, defendant below must have
The court, at the instance of the plaintiff below, also charged, that if Alexander D. had practiced a cheat on defendant in the transfer, that he could recover hack the consideration paid for the note.
We can see no error in either of the charges given by the court. The jury are the exclusive judges of the effect of testimony; if it he circumstantial, as in this case they alone can deduce inferences from it. If the evidence offered did not conduce or tend to prove the facts in issue, a motion should have been made to exclude it from the consideration of the jury. No such motion was made, and could not have prevailed, had it been made, as the evidence, though not conclusive, tended to prove the issue.
The charge asked for by the defendant below was in fact given, though with more circumlocution than was necessary. The jury were expressly told that the right of the plaintiff below to recover, depended on the fact, that the person from whom the defendant purchased the note, had surreptitiously obtained it, and that the defendant knew these facts: in such case, it is clear he would not be a bona fide purchaser, and therefore fell within the principle admitted in the charge asked for.
No question is raised here as to the influence which the act of eighteen hundred and thirty-three, (Aik. Dig. 330, sec. 18,) on the subject of notes payable to bearer, might exert in cases like the present, and therefore no opinion in relation thereto is expressed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- M'KENZIE v. M'RAE, adm'r
- Status
- Published