A Dictionary of Law

A term used in the English universities to denota double commons.

The measure of width of a railway, fixed, with some exceptions, at 4 feet 8% inches in Great Britain and America, and 5 feet 3 inches in Ireland.

A gauger. Lowell.

A surveying officer underthe customs, excise, and internal revenue laws, appointed to examine all tuns, pipes, hogsheads, barrels and tierces of wine, oil, and other liquids, and t

A gauge or gauging; a measure of the contents of any vessel.

A certain measure of rent-ale. Cowell.

Anancient and special kind of cessavit, used in Kent and London for the recovery of rent. Obsolete. The statute of gavelet is 10 Edw. Il. 2 Reeve, Eng, Law, c. 12, p. 298.

That which yields annual profit or toll. The tribute or toll itself. Cowell; Du Cange.

A service of plowing performed by a customary tenant. Cowell; Du Cange.

Tenants who paid

A species of socage tenure common in Kent, in England, where the lands deseend to all the sons, or heirs of the nearest desree, together; may be disposed of by will; do not escheat

An officer of the English crown having the general management of the mines, pits, and quarries in the Forest of Dean and Wundred of St. Briaval’s, subject, in some respects, fo the

Inold Englishlaw. A tenant liable to the payment of gavel or tribute. Somn. Gavelkind, 23.

A customary service of mowing meadow-iand or cutting grass, (consuctwio feleandt.) Blount.

Inold Englishlaw. LBedrea, or bidreap; the duty of reuping at the bid or command of the lord. Somn. Gavelkin’, 19, 21; Cowell.

A customary service, either manuopera, by the person of the tenunt, or car7opera, by lis carts or carriages. Blornt; Somn. Gavelkind, 24; Du Cange.

The official publication of the English government, also called the “London Gazette.” It is evidence of acts of stats, and of everything done by the queen in hex political capacity

In the civil law. An institution or hospital for taking eare of the old. Cod. 1, 3, 46, 1; Calvin.

An Anglo-Saxon term, meaning “conveyed.”

In Saxonlaw. Toconvey; to transfer boe land, (book-land or land held by charter.) The grantor was said to gebocias thealienee. See 1 Reeve, Hug. Law, 10.

Neighvorbecd or adjoining district. Cowell.

In old English law. A

Lat. In old Engligh law. The executor of a last will and testament. Cowell.

A general de money (that is, a like sum] is to be returned. It is equivalent to a lean, and the money deposited becomes the property of the depositary. 43 Ala. 188.

In old Scotch law. GQaolers. 1 Pite. Crim. Tr. pt. 2, p. 234.

Liable to pay geld; Mable to be taxed. Kelham.

Lat, In the civil law. A gem; a precious stone. Gems were distinguished by their transparency; such as emeralds, chrysolites, amethysts. Dig. 34, ay, 1. ve

Gentlewoman. Cowell; 2 Inst. 668.

In Saxon law. A meeting or moot; a convention; a public assemblage. These were of several sorts, such as the witena-gemot, or meeting of the wise men; the folc-gemot, or general as

Tie head of a family,

Lat. In the civil iaw. A son-in-law; & daughter’s husband. (fidie vir.) Dig. 38, 10, 4, 6.

Pertaining to, or designating, the genus or class, as distinguished from that which characterizes the species or individual. Universal, not particularized; as opposed to select. Ob

A person who fs authorized by his principal to execute all deeds, sign all contracts, or purchase all goods, required in a particular trade, business, or employment. Story, Ag. § 1

An unqualified or unrestricted submission to the jurisdiction of thecourt. See APPEARANCE.

A name given in some of the United States to tle senate and house of representatives, which compose the leyislative body.

An assignment made for the benefit of ald the assignor’s creditors, instead of a few only; or one which transfers the whole of his estate to the assigaee, instead of a part only.

In commercial law. A contribution made by the proprietors in general of a ship or cargo, towards the loss sustained by any individual of their number, whose property has been volun

A species of challenge fur cause, being an objection to a particular juror, to the effect that the juror is disqualified froin servinginany case, Pen. Code Cal. § 1071.

A charge or instruction by the court to the jury upon the case as a whole, or upon its general features or characteristics.

(1) A council consisting of members of the Roman Catholic Church from most parts of the world, but not from every part, as an ecumenical council. (2) One of the names of the Englis

One which relates to lands generally, and places the covenantee in the position of a specialty creditor. Brown.

Thecharacter of a witness as one generally worthy of credit. According to Bouvier, there is a distinction between this and “particular credit,” which may be affected by proof of pa

General customs are such as prevail throughout a country and become the law of that country, und their existence is to be determined by the court. Particular customs are such as pr

In pleading and practice. Such damages as necessarily result from the injury complained of, and which may be shown underthe ad damnum, or general allegation of damages at the end o

1. One at which the officers to be elected are such as belong to the general governinent,—that is, the general and central political organization of the whole state; as distinguish

One whiose power is not limited either territorially or as to the duration or subject of his trust.

This phrase, in New York, is a collective designation of all the assets of the state which furnish the means forthe support of government and for defraying the diseretionary approp

In English law. At the assizes (g. v.) the judges sit by virtue of five several authorities, one of which is the commission of “general gaol delivery.” This empowers them to try an

One who has the general care and control of the person aud estate of his ward.

In pleading. One granted upon a prayer in which the defendant reserves to himself no exceptions.

The statute 41 Geo. III. ¢«. 109, which consolidates a number of regulatious as to the inclosure of commen fields and waste lands. plan or particular object, or without reference l

In speaking of matters of public and general interest, the terms “public” and “general” are sometimes used as synonyms. But in regard to the admissibility of hearsay evidence, a di

In pleading. A plea which traverses and denies, briefly and in general and summary terms, the whole declaration, indiebinent, or complaint, without tendering new or special matter.

Such as extends to all controversies that may be brought before a court within the legal bounds of rights and remedies; as opposed to special or limited jurisdiction, which covers

In tha United States, one of the bureaus of tho in terior department, which has charge of the survey, sale, granting of patents, and otier matters relating to the public lands.

A general law, as contradistinguished from one that is special or local, is a law that embraces a class of subjects or places, and does not omit any subject or place naturally belo

A pecuniary legacy, payable out of the general assets of a testator. 2 Bl. Comm. 512; Ward, Leg. 1, 16.

A right to detain a ehaitel, ete., until payment be made, nob only ofany debt due in respect of the particular chattel, but of any balance that may be due on general account in the

General malice is wickedness, a disposition todo wrong, a “black and diubolical heart, regardless of social duty and fatally bent on mischief.” 11 Tred. 261.

A meeting of al] the stockholders of a corporation, all the creditors of a bankrupt, ete.

In civil law and admiralty practice. A nivnition or suinmons to all parties in interest to appear and slow cause against the decree prayed for.

Atcommon law where a man was tenant pur auter vie, or had an estate granted to himself only ( without mentioning his heirs) for the life of another man, and died without alienation

Orders or rules of court, promulgated for the guidance of practitioners and the regulation of procedure in general, or in some general branch of its jurisdiction; as opposed to a r

The general owner of a thing is he who has the primary or residuary tille to it; as distinguished from a spectad owner, Who has a special interest in the saine thing, amounting to

A partthe joint benefit and profit of all the parties concerned, whether the capital stuck be limited or not, or the contributions thereto be equal or unequal. Story, Partin. § 74.

The right and property in a thing enjoyed by the general owner, {g. 0.)

One which forbids the person to employ his talents, industry, or capital in any undertaking within the limits of the state or country. 9 liow. Pr. 337.

A general relainer of an attorney or solicilor “merely gives a right to expect professional service when requested, but none which is not requested. It binds the person retained no

The day for the general return of all writs of summons, subpoena, etc., running toa particular term of the court.

General orstanding orders of a court, in relation to practice, ete. See GENERAL ORDERS.

A court of record, in England, held by two or more justices of the peace, for the execution of the authority given them by the commission of the peace and certain statutes. General

Where a ship is not chartered wholly to one person, but the owner offers her generally to carry the guods of all comers, or where, if chartered to one person, he offers her to seve

Chiefs of the several orders of monks, friars, and other relizious societies.

A statute relating to the whole community, or concerning all persons generally, as distinguished from a private or special statute, 4 Coke, 75a; 1 Bl. Comm. 85, 86.

Anestate tail where one parent only is specified, whence tle issue must be derived, as to A. and the heirs of his body.

A phrase used in some jurisdietions to denote the ordinary scssion of a court, for the trial and determination of causes, as distinguisled froma special term, for the hearing of mo

One preceded by a g-neral inducement, and denying in general terms all that is last before alleged on the opposite side, instead of pursuing the words of the allegations which it d

One which prevails generally throughout the country, or is followed generally by a given professivn or trade, and is not local in its nature or observance,

A verdict whereby the jury find either for the plaintiff or for the defendant in general terms; the ordinary form of a verdict; distinguished from a special verdict, (q. 0.)

A_ process which formerly issued from the state secretary’s office in England to take up (without naming any persons) the author, printer, and publisher of such obscene and seiliti

The name of a covenant of warranty inserted in deeds, by which the grantor binds himself, his heirs, _ ete., to “warrant and forever defend” to the grantee, his heirs, etc., the ti

In kind; in the same or class; the same in quantity and » dub not individually the same. In man law, things which may be given restored in genere are distinguished from ich a3 musl

The son of a gentleman. Generally abbreviated “gen. 727i.”

Gentleman; a gentleman, Spelman. ’

A degree of consanguinity. Spelman.

In Romantaw. <Atribeor clan; a group of families, connected by common descent and bearing the same name, being all free-born and of free ancestors, and in possession of full civic

People. Contra omnes gentes, against all people. LBract. fol. 376. Words used in the clause of warranty in old deeds.

In Roman law. The members of a gens or common tribe.

In English law. A person of superior birth, Under the denomination of “gentlemen” are comprised all above yeoman; whereby noblemen are truly called “gentlemen,” Smith de Rep. Ang.

One who holds a post at court to usher others to the presence, ete.

A woman of birth above the common, or equal to that of a gentleman; an addition of a woman’s state or degree,

See Hinpv Law.

This term, when used with reference toa note, imports nothing in regard to the collectibility of the note, or in regard to its legal eilect or operation, other than that the note i

In the civil law. A general class or division, comprising several species. In toto jure generi per speciem derogatur, et illud potissimum habetur quod ad speciem directum est, thro

The science of cultivating the ground; agriculture.

A gold coin, value 6s. 8d.

In Saxon law. Greve, reve, or reeve; a ministerial officer of high antiquity in England; answering to the grave or graf (grafio) of the early continental nations. The term was appl

Bearing. Gerens datum, bearing date, 11d. Raym. 3386; Hob. 19.

Whole, full, or own, in respect to relationship or descent. Drothersgerman, as opposed to half-brothers, are those who lave both the same father and mother. Cousins-german are “fir