Source: https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Dwyer_v._Dunbar
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 13:33:50+00:00

Document:
The defence set up further that before this receipt was given, the plaintiff, W. Dunbar, by a letter dated on the 23d of May, 1856, and written and signed and sent to the defendant, Dwyer, by one J. T. Ray, acting for and by the authority of him, Dunbar, had authorized him, Dwyer, to make the settlement set forth in the receipt, and had thereby approved it in advance. And it averred that Dunbar had not declined acceptance of the settlement, &c., but, on the contrary, had ratified the same.
NEW YORK, May 22, 1856.
DEAR SIR: Yours of April 26th has been received. Mr. Dunbar, the assignee, being absent at the time, I could not join with the other creditors in their arrangements without consulting him. Since then I have seen Mr. Dunbar. He is disposed to arrange your indebtedness the same as other creditors.
For W. DUNBAR, assignee of G. C. Dundar.
The admission of the letter to Russell being objected to, on the ground that Smyth had nowhere stated in his deposition, that what he said in his letter was true, the court below excluded the letter.
'While acting as the agent of T. A. Dwyer, the defendant, in June, 1856, I received a number of letters, among which there was one addressed to Mr. Smyth from Mr. Ray, agent of Mr. Dunbar, which I forwarded to Mr. Smyth. The contents of said letter were, to the best of my recollection, in substance as follows: 'Mr. Dunbar has returned to New York, and after conversing with him relative to the Dwyer claim, he says, any settlement you make with Dwyer will be satisfactory to him."
To this deposition the plaintiff objected that it did not show that the letter of Ray, mentioned in it, was sent by the plaintiff's authority, and that therefore the deposition was irrelevant. And it was accordingly excluded.
Ray himself then testified that he had been employed by William Dunbar, assignee of George Dunbar, to assist him in settling the indebtedness of the said George; that at the meeting he stated that he was present for W. Dunbar, assignee; that he had written the letter already read as his; that the letter was written by him (Ray) on his own responsibility, and without consulting Dunbar at all; and that Dunbar expressed dissatisfaction with the settlement made by Smyth, so soon as made known to him.
'That if the jury find that Ray was permitted by Dunbar, and, with his knowledge, to act for him and represent him in his business; and find also that Ray, in the name of Dunbar, did authorize Smyth to settle with the defendant Dwyer, then Dunbar will be bound by such act of Ray, notwithstanding that Dunbar may not have expressly authorized said Ray to do so, or may have disapproved of said act afterwards.
'That to bind the plaintiff by the acts of Smyth, the authority of Dunbar to Smyth must be proved.
'That the representations of any person not proved to have been authorized by Dunbar, are not evidence against him.
'That the power of attorney is not evidence against Dunbar, unless signed by him.
'That if the jury find that the defendant executed and delivered the notes, and that he has not paid the same, they will find for the plaintiff.
Verdict and judgment having been entered for the plaintiff, the correctness of the court's action in excluding the testimony excluded, and in charging and refusing to charge as it did, were the matters now before the court on bill of exceptions taken.
^1 United States v. Gooding, 12 Wheaton, 469-70; American Fur Co. v. United States, 2 Peters, 358; Brockelbank v. Sugrue, 5 Carrington & Payne, 21.
^2 Cliquot's Champagne, 3 Wallace, 140; Philadelphia, &c., Railroad Co. v. Howard, 13 Howard, 333; Barreda v. Silsbee, 21 Id. 165; Law v. Cross, 1 Black, 538-9.
^3 Hunter v. Campbell, 1 Spear, 55; Wilkinson v. Candlish, 5 Welsby, Hurlstone & Gordon, 91.
^4 Beaver v. Taylor, 1 Wallace, 642; Allen v. Duncan, 11 Pickering, 308; Law v. Cross, 1 Black, 539.
^5 Whitehead v. Tuckett, 15 East, 408; Todd, &c., v. Robinson, Ryan & Moody, 217; Gillman, &c., v. Robinson, 1 Carrington & Payne, 642; Andrews v. Kneeland, 6 Cowan, 357; Jeffrey v. Bigelow, 13 Wendell, 520.
^6 Bradley v. Gregory, 2 Campbell, 383; Boothby, &c., v. Sowden, 3 Id. 175; Cork v. Saunders, 1 Barnewall & Alderson, 46; Good v. Cheesman, 4 Carrington & Payne, 513; Seager, &c., v. Billington, 5 Id. 456; Fellows v. Stevens, 24 Wendell, 300.
^7 4 Carrington & Payne, 513.
^8 Williams, J., in Boyd v. Hind, 1 Hurlstone & Norman, 947.

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