Holmes v. Comegys

Jun 15, 1789
Reporters:
,
Before:
Shippen

But by

Shippen, President

It would be of very dangerous consequence, if ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‍it was established, that a commercial agent was not amenable as a witness in a Court of Justice, ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‍in a cause against his constituent. It is draining the matter of privilege too far: And, if the ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‍law makes him a witness, we are too fond of getting at the truth, to permit him to ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‍excuse himself from declaring it, because he conceives, that, in point of delicacy, it would be a breach ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‍of confidence.

By the Court :—Let the witness be affirmed.