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156 Mass. 375

Powers v. Mann

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1892-05-09

<p>Promissory Note — Insolvency — Election — Statute.</p> <p>A. sued upon a firm note made while B. was a member thereof. B.’s defence was that, at dissolution the remaining partners agreed to pay outstanding debts, including the note, that they afterwards went into insolvency, and that A., having proved against them, discharged B. by force of the Pub. Sts. c. 157, § 125. It appeared that A.’s proof was subsequently expunged on his own petition; and he testified that, when he proved, he did not know of the partners’ agreement to pay the debts of the old firm. A. excepted to so much of the record of the insolvency proceedings as showed a petition that B. be adjudged a member of the firm, which petition had been dismissed by the judge of insolvency. Held, that A. proved on the footing that the remaining partners were properly in insolvency without B., and the judge had decided that they were, and that the decision had no bearing on the question whether the plaintiff was ignorant, as he claimed, of their agreement to pay the firm debts.</p>

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently May 1902

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1892-05-09

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Holmes, J.

¶1The plaintiff sued upon a note made by the firm of Severance and Tappan while the defendant Mann was a member. Mann’s defence was that the firm was dissolved, that Severance and Tappan then agreed to pay the outstanding debts, including this note, that they subsequently went into insolvency, and that the plaintiff elected to prove against them, and thus discharged Mann by force of the Pub. Sts.- c. 157, § 125. The question tried before the jury was whether the plaintiff elected as alleged. It was not denied that the plaintiff proved against Severance and Tappan, or that subsequently his proof was expunged upon his own petition. But the plaintiff testified that when he proved he did not know of Severance and Tappan’s agreement to pay the debts of the old firm, and he sought to avoid the effect of his proof in that way.

¶2When the record of the insolvency proceedings was put in, the plaintiff excepted to the introduction of so much of it as showed a petition that Mann be adjudged a member of the firm; which petition was heard and dismissed by the judge. We do not perceive what harm this evidence can have done the plaintiff. He proved on the footing that Severance and Tappan were properly in insolvency without Mann, and the judge decided that they were. The decision had no bearing on the question whether the plaintiff was ignorant, as he said, of their agreement to pay the firm debts.

¶3 Exceptions overruled.

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