Case Name: James Miller against Blair M'Clenachan, Thomas Barclay and Samuel Caldwell, who survived James Mease
Court: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Decision Date: 1792-04
Citations: 1 Yeates 144
Docket Number: 
Parties: James Miller against Blair M’Clenachan, Thomas Barclay and Samuel Caldwell, who survived James Mease.
Judges: 
Reporter: Reports of cases adjudged in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (Yeates)
Volume: 1
Pages: 143–143

Head Matter:
James Miller against Blair M’Clenachan, Thomas Barclay and Samuel Caldwell, who survived James Mease.
In a suit against partners, one of tbe defendant’s, tbo’ willing, cannot prove tbe partnership, as be would thereby exonerate himself of part of a partnership debt.
Messrs. Ingersol and Tilghman pro quer.
Messrs. Sergeant and Wilcocks pro def.
Cited in 9 Pa., 112.

Opinion:
Suit on three bills of exchange for 400I. sterling, drawn by Mease and Caldwell on Thomas Barclay, payable to the plaintiff, to be placed to the credit of the ship Alexander and her cargo, which were protested.
One of the counts in the declaration charged the defendants as owners of the ship, and that they drew the bills; another count, that Mease and Caldwell drew the bills as agents of the defendants.
The partnership of the defendants in the ship and cargo being denied, it became necessary to prove it. The plaintiff's counsel offered Samuel Caldwell, one of the defendants, to prove it, and contended that he was a competent witness for the plaintiff if he would submit to be sworn; but the court hinting their opinion that he was evidently interested, he being chargeable'-for the bills drawn by the house of Mease and Caldwell which were protested, and by throwing part of the burthen on the other defendants, would thereby exonerate himself pro tanto, the witness was waved and the plaintiff afterwards became nonsuit.