Welch v. Watts

May 28, 1857
Reporters:
Per Curiam.

By the statute (2 R. S. p. 110, subs. ‍‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‍5), the Court is bound to instruct the jury, unless the parties consent to dispense with instructions.

A promissory ‍‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‍note is, prima fade, sufficient evidence to justify the entry of judgment against the maker, in a suit on the ‍‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‍note; and, to defeat such judgment, in such suit, the maker, defendant, must establish, to the satisfaction of ‍‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‍the jury, a legal defense to the note. No defense, whatever, was proved in this case.

The judgment is ‍‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‍reversed with costs. Cause remanded for a new trial.