Proctor v. Mather, Walton & Hollowell
Proctor v. Mather, Walton & Hollowell
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
Mather, Walton & Hollowell filed their declaration in assumpsit, against Proctor, in which there are three counts, for goods, wares and merchandize, sold and delivered, to which the defendant pleaded non-assumpsit, which was joined, and the facts and law of the case submitted, by consent, to the Court for adjudication. Judgment having been rendered for the plaintiffs below, for $855 97, the defendant has appealed to this Court.
It appears that Proctor had purchased from Mather, Waitón & Hollowell, in Philadelphia, goods to a large amount; that payment of a part of the amount being made, Proctor executed his note to them for the balance, in six months, and a receipt was entered by them at the foot of the account, for the amount paid, and a receipt
To Messrs. Gillespie & Jones, Philadelphia.”
It was admitted that the draft, or order, was given for the amount of the note, including a few dollars interest, which had accrued, and upon the giving of which, the note had been surrendered to Proctor to be cancelled. This suit was instituted more than twelve months after the draft, or order, was given. Upon these admitted facts, the Court rendered the judgment, embracing principal and interest up to the time when it was rendered.
If it be admitted that the note, being a security of higher dignity, merged the account, the surrender and cancelment of the note, revived the plaintiffs demand upon their account. But the note seems not to have been taken as an unqualified payment, or satisfaction of the account, but as a satisfaction only when the note was paid. The execution of the note therefore, can be construed to operate only as a suspension of the plaintiff’s right to proceed upon their account, but not as satisfaction until the note was paid; andas it never was paid, butby the mutual agreement of the parties was given up to the obligor to be cancelled, the plaintiffs were 'entitled to all their former rights upon the account.
The order or draft is not a bill of exchange, as it is made payable out of a specified fund, which was expected to arise from the sales of produce, It is merely a
If by the failure of the plaintiffs to present the order to the drawees, and to use reasonable efforts to collect the amount, and their failure to give notice to Proctor of its non-payment, he has lost the amount by the drawees insolvency in the mean time, with his funds in their hands, it was his province to make this defence, and exhibit facts to sustain it. Having failed to do so, it is not necessary to decide whether such a defence could be available in this case.
Judgment affirmed, with costs and damages.
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