Johnes v. Potter
Johnes v. Potter
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
If the defendant below received injustice, it was at the hands of the jury and not of the Court, whose direction as to the law was unquestionably right. It was not necessary to prove the contract in the very words of the declaration, but only substantially as laid. The variance is alleged to be as to the time when the debt from Lambert was payable. It is said, the plaintiff treated it in his declaration as if it had been due at the time of the promise, while the evidence shewed it was not payable till afterwards. But on recurring to the declaration, we find it stated as a present debt, without a word being said as to the time of its being payable. Then it is said, the declaration should have stated specially, that it was payable in futuro, for want of which, it must be intended, that a debt presently due was meant. I can sec no reason for that. The debt, which was to be the subject of forbearance, was, for every purpose of notice, specially enough set out; and we will not exact minuteness of detail for the mere purpose of increasing the difficulty of strict proof, and enhancing the danger of variance. Here was no variance; for as far as the declaration went it was met by the proof; and what is called variance, is nothing else than exuberance of the evidence as to details unnecessary to be stated. It is argued, however, that it was necessary to shew the debt was payable presently ; because an agreement to forbear to sue for a debt to become due thereafter, is not, it is said, a good consideration for a promise. But the-.reverse was held in Hamaker v. Eberley, 2 Binn. 506, which resembles the present case in every particular. Forbearance to sue, after a cause of action shall have arisen, must necessarily be prejudicial to the party forbearing, and it would therefore be strange if it were not a good consideration. But it is said the agreement of the plaintiff was to forbear fropi
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Johnes against Potter
- Status
- Published