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32 Me. 41

Ware v. Webb

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

Decided July 1, 1850

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine · decided 1850-07-01

Special demurrer to declaration. The writ was dated in 1849. There were two counts; one in common form of indebitatus assumpsit, for if 1000, money had and received; the other upon a note, dated August 19, 1841, promising Eben H. Niel to pay him or order f500 on demand and interest.

Decided 1850-07-01

Tenney, J.,

¶1orally.—The promise to pay one or his order, *43is a promise to pay to any person who may hold the note by indorsement.

¶2The first count is good.

¶3That the common money count is good, is much too late for question. It has long been settled that a note, in the hands of an indorsee, may be introduced as evidence, under such a count.

¶4But it is said the two counts are for the same cause of action. If so, there would be nothing demurrable. But that fact does not appear. There is no need to allege that the second count is for a cause different from that of the first. It is also objected that the cause of action is not alleged to have arisen within six years. Such an allegation is not necessary. The statute of limitations does not, of its own force, cut off claims, unless it be presented to the court as a defence. It furnishes only a rule of evidence. It defeats the remedy upon old promises, only when its benefits are invoked by the defendant. Neither is it necessary to allege that the note was witnessed. Declaration adjudged good.

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