Source: United States Circuit Court for the District of Pennsylvania
Date: 1806-04-01
Jurisdiction: United States
Citation: 17 F. Cas. 821 · 1 Wash. C. C. 433
Opinion
BY THE COURT. If a man is caned upon to render an account for the purpose of enabling the plaintiff to establish a demand aginst the defendant, if he is obliged to rely upon this statement to charge him; the defendant is entitled to be discharged by it. If he is called upon to state, whether a particular sum is not due, and the defendant states, that it was to be paid on a condition not performed, you must take the acknowledgment altogether. An account is composed of items, and they are placed on the debit and credit side.
If the defendant produces the account, you can no more take the items on the credit side to charge him, and reject the • debits; than, in the case first supposed, you can take the acknowledgment of what was agreed to be paid, and reject what he states, with respect to the condition. The verdict therefore was right. Rule discharged.