Moss v. Wm. Cameron & Co.
Moss v. Wm. Cameron & Co.
Opinion of the Court
The bills of exceptions taken to the action of the court below in sustaining objection to questions propounded to witnesses do not state what would have been the answers of the witnesses had the objection been overruled. Hot knowing what would have been their answers, we cannot say that the exclusion of their testimony has prejudiced the appellants case, or tell whether or not it was material or relevant to his defense. This court has invariably refused to revise the action of the district court in excluding testimony, when there is no proper bill of exceptions showing what the testimony would have been. Milliken v. Smoot, 64 Tex., 171; Burleson v. Hancock, 28 Tex., 84.
Hence, the fourth and fifth assignments of error, which are founded upon these bills of exceptions, are not well taken. There is nothing in the first bill of exceptions to show that the question was put to the witness for the purpose of laying a predicate for his impeachment. It is the duty of a party complaining that a right has been denied him on the trial, “to take such a bill of exceptions as would show to this court what he proposed to do, and what the judge refused to permit him to do.” Dunham v. Forbes, 25 Tex., 25.
If the evidence ruled out is subject to the particular objections sustained to it, but is admissible for any other purpose, it is the duty of the party proposing to introduce the testimony to satisfy the court that he has a legitimate object in view in offering it, so that the judge may, by his charge or otherwise, confine its effect to that purpose alone. This was not done so far as we can ascertain from the bill, and we cannot revise the court’s action in rejecting the testimony.
The sixth assignment of error is too general to demand consideration. We see no error in the judgment and it is affirmed.
Affirmed.
[Opinion delivered June 11, 1886.]
Reference
- Full Case Name
- S. E. Moss v. Wm. Cameron & Co.
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- 7 cases
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- Syllabus
- 1. Practice—Bill of exceptions—The supreme court will not revise the lower court’s action in excluding testimony when the bill of exceptions does not show what the evidence would have been. '2. Same—It is the duty of a party complaining that a right has been denied him on the trial, to take such a bill of exceptions as will show what he proposed to do and what the judge refused to permit him to do. (Dunham v. Forbes. 25 Tex., 25.) 3. Contract—See opinion and facts for evidence sufficient to prove a contract between plaintiff and defendant.