BAILII is celebrating 24 years of free online access to the law! Would you consider making a contribution?

No donation is too small. If every visitor before 31 December gives just £5, it will have a significant impact on BAILII's ability to continue providing free access to the law.
Thank you very much for your support!



BAILII [Home] [Databases] [World Law] [Multidatabase Search] [Help] [Feedback]

Scottish Court of Session Decisions


You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> Scottish Court of Session Decisions >> William Shaw v Duncan M'Donell, and Others. [1786] Mor 9185 (3 March 1786)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/scot/cases/ScotCS/1786/Mor2209185-040.html
Cite as: [1786] Mor 9185

[New search] [Printable PDF version] [Help]


[1786] Mor 9185      

Subject_1 MUTUAL CONTRACT.
Subject_2 SECT. II.

Contract performable at different periods. - Effect of non-performance, and of over-performance. - If the one party repudiate, is the other free? - Whether irritancy implied by failing to perform at the day. - Effect of improper performance. - Contract for mariners wages. - Contract between master and servant. - Contract of affreightment. - Contract not signed by all parties. - Obligation ad factum præstandum.

William Shaw
v.
Duncan M'Donell, and Others

Date: 3 March 1786
Case No. No 40.

A literary work having been anounced in proposals for publishing by subscription, as consisting of different parts, the subscribers found free from their engagement, some of those not being executed.


Click here to view a pdf copy of this documet : PDF Copy

Shaw gave out proposals for publishing, by subscription, a literary work, which he described as follows:

“A Dictionary of the Gaelic and English, and English and Gaelic languages; together with a Glossary of proper names of men and things, and Accounts of battles, warriors, affinities and feuds between great chiefs and clans; with Descriptions of mountains, rivers, vallies, islands, &c. in Scotland; proper references being made to the Welsh and other ancient dialects of the Celtic.”

The book, however, was published without any attempt having been made by the author to fulfil that part of his proposals respecting the glossary, the historical accounts, or the references. In consideration of these defects, and of alleged imperfections in those parts of the proposed work which was executed, several of the subscribers returned the copies delivered to them, and refused payment of the price.

Shaw having on that ground instituted an action against them,

The Court considered the author's total failure in performing a part of the work anounced in his proposals, as sufficient to liberate the subscribers from their engagement to him; at the same time that the allegation of the other parts of the book being less perfectly executed than was to have been expected, did not, so far as mala fides or gross negligence was not implied, appear to be deemed a relevant defence.

The Lords therefore assoilzied the defenders.

Reporter, Lord Swinton. Act. Solicitor-General, et Tait. Alt. J. Grant, W. Campbell. Clerk, Orme. Fol. Dic. v. 4. p. 13. Fac. Col. No 263. p. 401.

The electronic version of the text was provided by the Scottish Council of Law Reporting     


BAILII: Copyright Policy | Disclaimers | Privacy Policy | Feedback | Donate to BAILII
URL: http://www.bailii.org/scot/cases/ScotCS/1786/Mor2209185-040.html