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Scottish Court of Session Decisions |
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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> Scottish Court of Session Decisions >> Mansfield v Maxwell [1835] CA 13_721 (15 March 1835) URL: http://www.bailii.org/scot/cases/ScotCS/1835/013SS0721.html Cite as: [1835] CA 13_721 |
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Page: 721↓
Subject_Proof—Bankruptcy.—
1. Where no sufficient proof is offered that a bankrupt has received an effectual discharge, and that there is no prospect of a reversion, he is inadmissible as a witness in support of the trustee on his sequestrated estate claiming a debt alleged to be due to the estate. 2. Sederunt-book in the sequestration held insufficient proof, per se, of the discharge of the bankrupt, and of there being no reversion; and not rendered sufficient by the tender of a clerk of the trustee to prove that it was regularly kept.
Thomas Mansfield, accountant in Edinburgh, trustee on the sequestrated estate of Anderson and Gavin, merchants in Leith, raised an action
Maxwell and Company stated, that they, in the usual course of their business, came under advances for Renny, part of which was drawn against the 500 quarters of wheat then in the hands of Anderson and Gavin; that they got an order for delivery, and obtained delivery of 444 quarters, after which they rejected the remaining 56, as being of inferior quality; that during all this time Renny's credit was undoubted, and the subsequent stoppage was wholly unexpected by them. They therefore pleaded, that, as they had fairly received the wheat in the ordinary course of business, and had come under advance for it, they were entitled to apply the proceeds of it for their own relief.
No appearance was made for Renny's trustee.
The following issues went to trial:—
“It being admitted that the pursuer is trustee on the sequestrated estate of Anderson and Gavin, late merchants in Leith, and that the defender, Thomas Mansfield, is also trustee on the sequestrated estate of the said John Renny, and that the defenders, Maxwell and Company, are, and in the months of July and August, 1829, were, corn-factors in Leith;
“Whether, on or about the 22d day of July, 1829, the said Anderson and Gavin sold to the said John Renny 500 quarters of wheat, or about that quantity; and whether it was understood, and agreed that the property of the said wheat should not be transferred, and the sale completed,
“Whether the said Maxwell and Company, knowing the terms and conditions of the said agreement—and that the said price was not paid, or knowing that the said John Renny was insolvent, took delivery of the said wheat, and wrongfully retain the same, and are indebted and resting-owing to the pursuer, as trustee foresaid, in the said sum of £1598, 8s., or any part thereof, with interest thereon, as the price of the said wheat delivered as aforesaid?
“Or,
“Whether, in taking delivery of the said wheat, the said Maxwell and Company acted as corn-factors, in the ordinary course of business, having received the said wheat as a consignment, and having made an advance to the said John Renny of the sum of £2000, or any part thereof, on the faith of such consignment?”
At the trial, the pursuer tendered John Hodgson Anderson, one of the partners of Gavin and Anderson, as a witness.
Dean of Faculty, for Maxwell and Company, objected, on the ground of interest.
Cuninghame, for Pursuers, tendered the sederunt-book in the sequestration of Anderson and Gavin, to prove that the bankrupts were discharged; that there was not the least prospect of reversion, but, on the contrary, a deficiency, amounting to 19s. per pound. In these circumstances, the proposed witness was completely free of interest in the issue of the suit, and no objection could lie to his admissibility. 1
Dean of Faculty answered.—The sederunt-book is merely the statement of the trustee, the pursuer of this action. The claim in this action is the chief fund for paying the creditors on Anderson and Gavin's estate. The pursuer's own statement is not enough to render the proposed witness competent. He must prove that the witness is effectually discharged, and that there can be no reversion, which cannot be shown satisfactorily, unless an accountant has examined and verified the states in the sederunt-book. The sederunt-book is good evidence against the trustee, but not for him.
Skene, in reply.—It is against the trustee that the sederunt-book is to be used in proving that the bankrupt has got an effectual discharge, good against all his creditors and their trustee.
_________________ Footnote _________________
1 Ferrier, Feb. 10, 1831 (ante, IX. 419).
The pursuer tendered a clerk of the trustee, to prove that the sederunt-book was regularly kept.
Dean of Faculty objected, that this was irrelevant, as the objection previously taken to that book, as evidence per se, was well founded, whether the book was regularly kept or not.
It appeared, inter alia, that Maxwell and Company had shown no haste in getting possession of the wheat, and had rejected the last 56 quarters, as being of inferior quality to what Renny had a right to expect—that, as to part of the 500 quarters of wheat, belonging to a person named A. Hill Renny, Anderson and Gavin had, at one time, intimated the sale, not as for ready money, but on a credit of three months, and had charged a del credere commission against him; and it was but lately he was informed of their being themselves the purchasers of some of his wheat; but no del credere should be charged for any thing bought by themselves. It also appeared that, after the present action was in contemplation, one of these gentlemen went to J. Renny, and got up some of their letters regarding this transaction, and destroyed them.
Verdict for the defenders, Maxwell and Company.
Solicitors: R. Strachan, W. S.— J. Murdoch, S. S. C.—Agents.
_________________ Footnote _________________
* An objection, on the same ground, to William Gavin, the other partner, was sustained.