Case ID: njl_1/html/0219-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "Per Cur.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

SCHENCK, COLLECTOR OF AMWELL, v. CORSHEN, COUNTY COLLECTOR.
    The inhabitants of a township are good witnesses in a cause in which the township is interested.
    
      Certiorari to Justice Reading, of Hunterdon.
    Judgment had been given below against Sclienck the present plaintiff, for arrears of taxes in 1783 and 1784. It appeared that the justice had refused to admit the testimony of several witnesses, offered by the defendant below, on the ground that being inhabitants of the township of. Am well, they were so far interested as to render them incompetent.
   Per Cur.

The witnesses" offered were competent; the judgment must be reversed.

Note. — In Jervois v. Hall, 1 Wils. 17, this point came before the court, but no opinion was expressed by the court, and the cause went off cn another ground. In 4 T. R. 760, the law is laid down by Judge Buller contrary to the opinion expressed in the present case, and the evil was in some degree remedied by the Stat. 37 Geo. III., c. 29. See Sid. 192; 2 Lev. 231, 6; 1 Vern. 254; 2 Vern. 317 ; Vent. 351; 4 Mod. 48 ; Rex v. Prosser, 4 T. R. 17 ; Rex v. S. Lynn, 5 T. R. 664; 6 T. R. 157 ; 1 Esp. 175 ; Peake N. P. 153 ; 2 East 559 ; 1 Johns. 486, 577; 1 Day 35, 78. Lord Camden’s celebrated opinion in the case of Loe, ex dem Hindson, v. Kersey, in 1 Day 41; Nason v. Thatcher, 7 Mass. 398.

Cited in Overs, of Orange v. Overs, of Springfield, 1 South. 186; Peck v. Freeholders of Essex, Spenc. 467.