A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States

is a space of ground artificially prepared for the reception of merchandise from a ship or vessel, so as to promote the convenient loading and discharge of such vessel.

is the money paid for landing goods upon, or loading them from a wharf. Dane’s Ab. Index, h. t.

one who owns or keeps a wharf, for the purpose of receiving and shipping merchandise to or from it, for hire. Like a warehouseman, (q. v.) a wharfinger is responsible for ordinary

The young of certain animals of a base nature, or fere nature. It is arule that when are fere natura, though tame and reclaimed, it cannot be committed of the young of such creatur

See Blood.

an unmarried woman whose husband is dead. In legal writings, widow is an addition given to a woman who is unmarried and whose husband is dead. The addition of spinster is given to

practice. The name of a writ which issues on the return to an alias or pluries writ of replevin, of elongata, by which the sheriff is commanded to take the defendant’s own goods wh

contracts. These words are frequently used in conditions of sale at public auction, that the property offered, or to be offered for sale will be sold without reserve. When a proper

THAT, pleading; these are technical words used in a traverse, (q. v.) for the purpose of denying a material fact declaration, plea, replication, &c. In latin it is called absque ho

one who, being sworn or affirmed according to law, deposes as to his knowledge of facts in issue between the parties ina cause. It OS is a general rule, that all persons may be wit

INSTRUMENTA- RY, in the Scotch law, is he who has attested a deed or other writing. When witnesses attest a deed without knowing the grantor, and seeing him subscribe, or hearing h

persons. In its most enlarged sense, this word signifies all the females of the human species; but in a more restricted sense, it means all such females who have arrived at the age

a prison where prisoners are kept in employment; a penitentiary.

An expression to designate that, in descent, the sons are to be preferred to daughters, which is the law of England. See some singular reasons given for this, in Plowd. 305.

mar. law. A wreck (called in law-latin wreccum maris, and in law French wrec de mer) sigand left there within some county, so as not to belong to the jurisdiction of the admiralty,

practice, is a mandatory recept, issued by the authority, and in the name of the sovereign or the state, for the purpose of compelling the defendant to do something therein mention

ORIGINAL, practice, in the English law. An original writ is a mandatory letter issuing out of the court of chancery, under the great seal, and, in the king’s name, directed to the

This is the name of an old writ which directs the sheriff to inquire whether a man be an idiot or not. The inquisition is to be made by a jury of twelve men. Fitz. N. B. 282.

Engl. luw. This writ is probably obsolete, and superseded by the writ; of hubeas corpus. Tt was anciently directed to the sheriff, commanding him to inquire whether a prisoner char

evidence. It isa general rule that comparison of hands ig not admissible. But to this there are some exceptions; in some instances when the antiquity of the writing makes it imposs

in practice, is a writ which lies where a party claims damages for breach of covenant, t. e. of a promise under seal.

practice, lies where the party claims the recovery of a debt, i. e. a liquidated or certain which is the principal and only !common form. There is another species mentioned in the

practice, is a writ which lies where a party claims the specific recovery of goods and chattels, or deeds and writings detained from him. This is seldom used: trover is the more fr

practice, is a writ which lies for a widow claiming the specific recovery of her dower, no part having been yet assigned to her. It is usually called a writ of dower unde nihil hab

in practice. Vide Ejectment. WRIT OF TRESPASS ON

practice, is a writ requiring the sheriff to commises in question, or to appear in court on such a day to show cause why he hath not done so. Co. Litt. 238. This writ is out of use

See Exigent; or Erigt Factas.

practice. This writ lies where a party claims the specific recovery of lands and tenements, as issue in tail; or as remainder-man or reversioner, upon the determination of an estat

practice. When an action sounding in damages, (q- v.) as covenant, trespass, and the like, and on such action is rendered an interlocutory judgment, which is that the plaintiff oug

English law, is a writ directed to the sheriff, (either generally, when any man is imprisoned for a bailable offence, and bail has been refused; or specially, when the offence or c

English practice, is a writ which issues at the same time with the exigi facias, by virtue of stat. 31 Eliz. c. 3, s. 1, by which the sheriff is commanded to make proclamations in

practice. This writ lies where, pending an action of replevin, the same distrainor takes, for the same supposed, cause, the cattle or goods of the same distrainee. See F. N. B. 169

practice, is the remedy appropriate to the case where a party claims the specific recovery of corporeal hereditaments in fee simple; founding his title on the right of property, or

Engl. law, in practice. If the defendant does not appear, in obedience to the original writ, there issue, when the time for appearance is past, other writs, returnable on some gene

from the latin experiens, which signifies instructed by experience, in French law, are persons who are selected by the courts or the parties in a cause on account make a report of

a measure of length containing three feet, or thirty-six inches.

estates, is a piece of land enclosed for the use and accommodation of the inhabitants of a house. In England it is nearly synonymous with backside, (q. v-) 1 Chit. Pr. 176.

This period of time is particularly recognized in the law. For exainple, when a judgement is reversed, a party, notwithstanding the lapse of time mentioned in the statute of limita

These were books of Reports of cases in a regular series from the reign of the English by the prothonotaries or chief scribes of the courts, at the expense of the crown and publish

The list’ of members of a legislative body voting in the affirmative and negative of'a proposition is so called. The constitution of the United States, Art. 1, s. 5, directs that “

In the United States this word does not appear to have any very exact meaning. It is usually put as an addition to the names YIE free man who has land of the of forty shillings a y