Act

[Lat. actus, actum; from agere, to do.] A thing done; the deed of an individual. See Actus, Actum. A thing done, or business formally transacted by a public body, and always expressed in writing; especially, a legislative proceeding: a written law, formally ordained or passed by the legislative power of a state, called in England an act of parliament, and in the United States an act of congress, or of the legislature: a statute.* See Statute, A judicial proceeding; a thing done by a court, and expressed in writing.* See Acta. In Scotch law, the orders and decrees of a court, and in French and German law, all the records and documents in an action, are called acts, Encyclop, Americ. See infra. A thing done in writing before a public officer, as a notary; the record of such a thing; a notarial, or other public instrument.* See Acta, Ab actis. Any instrument in writing to verify facts. Webster, Bouvier, ACT m.

PAIS.

L. Fr. <fe Eng. An act in the country, as distinguished from an act in court; an act which is not a matter of record, or done in a court of record.

2 BL Com. 294. Story on Agmcy, § 25, note.

See In pais,