18 Miss. 326 | Miss. | 1848
delivered the opinion of the court.
This was a motion for a new trial, upon the grounds of the incompetency of a witness and surprise upon the trial.
One of the matters in issue upon the trial was the legality of a credit of fifty-six dollars, claimed by the defendant. The promissory note, the ground of the action, rvas originally put in the hands of Lucas & Lane, attorneys at law, for collection, and suit instituted. It was afterwards directed by the beneficiary in the note, Beers, to be sent to Dunlap, upon an agreement of the parties as to its payment. Before this was done, Arthur, the maker of the note, paid Lucas & Lane the attorney’s commissions and postage, amounting to fifty-six dollars, which, upon the trial below, he claimed as a credit. Upon the trial, in support of this set-off, he produced a letter of Lucas
The testimony of Lucas was objected to on the. ground of interest. The only possible interest that Lucas could have in such a state of the case, would be to increase the amount of the judgment in the sum of fifty-six dollars, thereby to obtain his commissions as attorney upon that enhanced sum. But, if it were established that the regular commissions of attorneys were a good ground to exclude them as witnesses, the record in this case is silent as to the material fact that Lucas & Lane were to become entitled to commissions in this particular case. There is nothing that exhibits that Lucas had any interest in the result of the suit. At all events, his interest was balanced, and his testimony might subject him liable to plaintiff or defendant, according to his testimony and the true state of the facts.
But Arthur might well depend upon the letter of Lucas &
Judgment reversed, and new trial awarded.