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United Kingdom House of Lords Decisions


You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom House of Lords Decisions >> Samuel Stirling, and Others v. Robert Forrester, Esq., Treasurer to the Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland [1821] UKHL 6_Paton_817 (19 March 1821)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKHL/1821/6_Paton_817.html
Cite as: [1821] UKHL 6_Paton_817

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SCOTTISH_HoL_JURY_COURT

Page: 817

(1821) 6 Paton 817

CASES DECIDED IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS, UPON APPEAL FROM THE COURTS OF SCOTLAND.

No. 153


Samuel Stirling, and Others,     Appellants

v.

Robert Forrester, Esq., Treasurer to the Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland,     Respondents

Page: 818

House of Lords, 19th March 1821.

Subject_Cautioner — Discharge of.

This case is reported in Mr Shaw's Appeal Cases, vol. i., p. 37. It had reference to the question whether sureties who had guaranteed the payment of bills, were liberated from their cautionary obligation by the creditor taking other bills from the debtor, and giving up those they had guaranteed, and where it was held that one of the cautioners, whose consent had not been obtained to this, was discharged.

The Lord Chancellor said,

“My Lords, *

There is another case argued before your Lordships, and extremely well argued, I mean the case of Stirling and Others, v. Forrester. On looking through all the circumstances of that case, and giving the best attention I have been able to give, to what I take to be the doctrine of the law of England, which certainly also is the doctrine of the law of Scotland, as to the acts of the principal creditor towards a surety, and likewise with respect to the acts of sureties as among themselves, it does appear to me, as at present advised, that the judgment which has been given in the Court below, cannot stand in all its parts. It will, however, be necessary, or at least expedient, that the House, in framing its decree, should be extremely cautious and careful with respect to the doctrines it shall state, as doctrines to govern cases of this kind. It has seemed to me, therefore, to be necessary, in using that caution, to request that before this judgment be given, the agents on each side being furnished with a copy of the paper which I now have in my hand, should give an answer when they are able to do it (probably in the course of two days), to the following inquiries,—What has become of the several bills drawn by James and George Spence upon and accepted by David Paterson, by Tod and Company, and Robertson and Stein respectively, and Whether these bills respectively, have been proved against the estates of all the several parties, to those bills or any, and which of them and by whom they have been proved, and what dividends have been received on each and every of those bills from the several estates of James and George Spence, David Paterson, Tod and Company, and Robertson and Stein respectively, besides those which are expressed and mentioned in the account that is delivered, and by whom and in what state the proof on those bills

_________________ Footnote _________________

* From Mr Gurney's short-hand notes.

Page: 819

stand, and particularly who is or are now entitled to receive the dividends thereon, if any future dividends of those estates should be made? My Lords, having the result of these inquiries, if a satisfactory result, we shall be able, probably, to give a more satisfactory judgment; if not a satisfactory result, I will then take the liberty to propose to your Lordships such a judgment as, under the circumstances under which we may be placed, may best meet the case. The question is certainly an extremely important one, as affecting co-sureties in Scotland, and I should hope, therefore, your Lordships will not think it improper that I should ask for answers to these inquiries before we proceed to judgment. I had better, perhaps, adjourn it to Friday, or to this day week.”

1821


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