Edwards v. Minvielle
Edwards v. Minvielle
Opinion of the Court
The evidence is defective in this respect, that it does not appear that Oorningt6 Go. mailed the note and protest for Dunean, ShermcmS Uo.intime for the mail of the day succeeding the day of protest. Moreover, although the notices for the various endorsers enclosed by the notary under cover to Dunean, Sherman & Go. were seasonably mailed, yet it does not appear on what á&j Dunean, Sherman & Go. received them. It may be, for aught that appears to the contrary, that Dunean, Sherman & Go. received those notices before they received the note and protest sent them by Corning & Go. If so, they should on the next day after the receipt of notice have notified plaintiffs. In this uncertainty as to dates, we are unable to say that Dchoards & Go. were seasonably notified and that their notice to the defendant was seasonable, and therefore we think
Judgment reversed and judgment for defendant, plaintiff to pay costs in both Courts.
The defendant is sued as endorser on a promissory note made to his order at New York, and payable at the Bank of Louisiana, New Orleans. The only defence urged by him, is want of notice or diligence.
It appears that the note was duly protested at maturity, on the 14th of February, 1852. In his certificate, the notary declares, “ that the parties to the note, whereof a true copy is above written, have been duly notified of the protest thereof, by letter to them by me written and addressed, dated on the day of said protest and served on them respectively in the following manner, viz . To Joseph Hate, drawer; F. F. Minvielle, endorser; Alfred Edwards & Go., endorsers; Wm.E. Whitney & Go., endorsers; Duncan, Sherman & Go., endorsers ; which notices were placed under cover of one package, addressed to Messrs. Duncan, Sherman & Go., at New York, N. Y., and deposited this day in the Post Office of this city.”
It does not appear that this package, which contained the only notices given by the notary, ever reached its destination, except by inference. In his testimony, IK G. Eandall, the note clerk of J. Corning & Go. says: “When a note is protested one day it is handed to us the next day by the notary, and is then immediately forwarded by us to the party. In this case the note was handed to us the next day after protest by the notary, and forwarded by us to the party the same day; the note was sent to us by Duncan, Sherman & Go. from New York for collection. As note clerk, I put the notes and letters into the Post Office, which are sent out by J. Corning & Go. We sent this note and protest enclosed in a letter to Messrs. Dunaan, Sherman & Go., at New York on the day it was returned to Corning & Go. protested.” Thus it appears that the note and protest alone were sent. The next connecting link of evidence which we have, is the deposition of Lewis, cashier of Duncan, Sherman & Go., bankers in New York; he says: “I do know the note enquired of — it was enclosed to us in a letter from J. Corning & Go. in New Orleans, our correspondents, together with protest, and expenses charged to us, and that said note and protest were sent to the store of plaintiffs on the same day of its receipt by us, and a check was immediately given by them to us on their presentation, which covered amount of note and expenses. The only steps we took to notify Alfred Edwa/rds & Go. were those designated therein of sending the note and protest as we received it. I have no recollection at this time of the original notice of protest.” He adds: • “I have stated all I know : that on the day we received notice of protest and note, we forwarded it to our immediate-endorsers, A. Edwands & Go. The mails are sometimes so irregular we receive notice from our correspondent sooner than from a notary, &c.” This is certainly irreconcileable with the former part of his deposition, unless it be inferred that the notice of protest alluded to by him was one of the notices forwarded by the notary to Duncan, Sherman & Go., and this would seem to be the most natural inference, particularly if the matter be considered with reference to the depositions of A twater, the plaintiff’s Clerk. In his first deposition taken on the 6th May, 1852, Atwater says: “I received from the Post Office on the 27th
It is, therefore, ordered and decreed that the judgment of the District Court be reversed and that the plaintiffs pay the costs in both Courts.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Alfred Edwards & Co. v. Minvielle
- Status
- Published