12 F. Cas. 834 | U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Massachusetts | 1818
No question arises in this case on the «sufficiency of the plea in point of law; for the parties, by going to issue on the facts alleged in the plea, have waived all considerations of this nature. Mitf. Eq. Pl. 240; Coop. Eq. Pl. 232. It remains, therefore, for the court only to ascertain whether the plea is supported in point of fact. It is admitted by the plaintiff, that the defendant has never received any money on account of the Barrell notes, since the former suit in 1804 was instituted against him. All, that he ever received, was prior to that time. It is also admitted by the plaintiff, that he has no new evidence to offer in support of his original cause of action, beyond what he knew' and used in the former suit, except so far as grows out of the compromise made by the defeudant at Washington with Mr. Williams, in 1814. As to this compromise, the defendant in his answer in support of his plea, expressly denies, that he ever received any allowance from Williams tínder that compromise, on account of his liability as bail for Gibson, as charged in the bill. This denial is sufficient to support the plea, unless it is disproved by two witnesses, or by one witness and by other circumstances, which ouglil to outweigh the defendant’s answer on oath. The only wdtness to sustain the plaintiff’s charge is Mr. Williams; and without going farther into the evidence. I do not think his testimony, uncorroborated as it is. can be admitted to have this effect. The grounds of equitable relief averred in the bill being thus removed, the only remaining question is, whether the causes of action in the former and present suit are the same. It seems to me perfectly clear, that they are. Some technical objections have been taken to some of the counts in the declaration in the former suit, which, it is said, would have justified , the former verdict. independent of any examination of the merits. It is said, that in five counts on the special contract there is no averment. that any proceeds of the Barrell notes had ever been received by the defendant.