Porter's Administrator v. Porter
Porter's Administrator v. Porter
Opinion of the Court
The defendant presented his petition to be declared a bankrupt, May 20, 1842, and obtained his certificate, October 10, of the same year. Being called upon by the attorney of the plaintiff in September, 1842, to pay or secure the debt from which he was subsequently discharged, he “ declared his utter inability to pay the note, but agreed to give a new one, including, principal and interest for the old one, new note to be on demand.”
What the defendant said would very clearly be deemed a recognition of the debt, sufficient to take a case out of the statute of limitations, before the passage of the Revised Statutes. But the mere recognition or acknowledgment, by a bankrupt, of a debt, which has been discharged by bankruptcy, does not create a legal obligation upon him to pay the debt. Such obligation can only arise upon an express promise to pay it.
The statute of limitations barely suspends the remedy, but the bankrupt law discharges the debt. Yet the moral obligation resting upon every one to pay his debts, is considered a sufficient consideration to support an express promise by the bankrupt. And in such case the declaration may be upon the original contract. 1 Chitty on Plead. 40.
But the promise must be taken as it is made, and a promise to do one thing cannot be converted into a promise to do another.
The substance of the defendant’s promise is, that he would pay the debt by giving a new note, he was unable to pay the money, but he would give a new note for the principal and interest. He did not agree to pay the money on the old note, and he cannot be held to do what he did not agree to do.
His promise was verbal, to make at a future time an agreement in writing, containing a promise to pay the old
If the defendant had said, I will not promise to pay the old note, for I am unable to do it, but I will give a new note, would that language imply a naked promise to pay the old note ? How much does that which he did use differ from this?
The defendant’s language cannot be limited, by a proper construction of it, to a mere verbal promise to pay the debt, but should be coupled with the mode of the proposed payment, as expressed and intended by him.
If any action would lie against the defendant upon a promise to pay the debt, in a manner different from that provided in the original contract, it would be necessary to declare specially on such promise. Penn v. Bennet, 4 Camp. 205. As where the debt was payable in money, and there should be a new promise to pay in specific articles. The declaration in this action could only be supported by a promise to pay in money ; that proved is not of such character. Although by our law the receiving a negotiable note is a presumption of payment of the debt for which it is received, yet. a promise, by a bankrupt, to give a note for a debt from which he has been discharged, is not a promise to pay such debt in money.
Any commodity may be received in satisfaction of a precedent debt, but a promise to deliver it for that purpose is not a promise to pay in money. Whatever mode of payment is-
Plaintiff nonsuit.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.