Case Name: M'FARLANE v. MOORE
Court: Tennessee Superior Court of Law and Equity
Jurisdiction: Tennessee
Decision Date: 1804-09
Citations: 1 Overt. 32
Docket Number: 
Parties: M‘FARLANE v. MOORE.
Judges: 
Reporter: Tennessee Reports
Volume: 1
Pages: 32–32

Head Matter:
M‘FARLANE v. MOORE.
Granting a continuance is discretionary, & the court will subject the party applying to such termsas are equitable.
Miller for plaintiff,
moved for a continuance.
Williams for defendant
objected, and produced the affidavit of the defendant in support of the objection.
This affidavit stated that he had subpœnaed a poor woman as a witness, that she was material, was then attending court, that he was ready for trial; that the woman had declared she would not attend again; that she was about removing to the western end of the state; that having no property, he believed she did not regard the penalty for not attending as a witness, and if he did not come to trial at this term, or procure her deposition de bene esse he should loose the benefit of her testimony.

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
We cannot order a commission to take the deposition of a witness about removing from one part of the state to another, but having a discretionary power over continuances, and under the circumstances disclosed, that the witness has no property, and is about removing to the western part of the state, we can say that this cause shall not be continued, unless consent be given to take the deposition de bene esse. On these, terms let the cause be continued, and not otherwise—which was done.