Acquittance

In contracts. An agreement in writing to discharge a party from an engagement to pay a sum of money. It is evidence of payment, and differs from a release in this, that the latter must be under seal, while an acquittance need not be under seal.

Poth. Obi. note 781. See 3 Salk. 298; Co. Litt. 212a, 273a; 1 Rawle (Pa.) 391.

ACRE (Ger. aker; perhaps Lat. ager, a field). A quantity of land containing one hundred and sixty square rods of land, in whatever shape.

Sergeant, Land Laws Pa. 185; Cro. Eliz. 476, 665; 6 Coke, 67; Poph. 55; Co. Litt. 5b.

The word formerly signified an open field; whence acre-fight, a contest in an open field. Jacob. The measure seems to have.been variable in amount in its earliest use, but was fixed by statute at a remote period. As originally used, it was applicable especially to meadow lands.

Cowell.

ACT (Lat. agere, to do; actus, done). Something done or established. In its general legal sense, the word may denote something done by an individual, as a private citizen, or as an officer; or by a body of men, as a legislature, a council, or a court of justice; including not merely physical acts, but also decrees, edicts, laws, judgments, resolves, awards, and determinations. Some general laws made by the congress of the United States are styled "joint resolutions," and these have the same force and effect as those styled "acts." An instrument in writing to verify facts.

Webster.

It is used in this sense to signify in trials for treason that letters and other written documents were acts. 1 Fost. C. C. 198; 2 Starkie, 116. — ^In Civil Law, A writing which states in a legal form that a thing has been done, said, or agreed. Merlin, Repert. Private acts are those made by private persons as registers in relation to their receipts and expenditures, schedules, acquittances, and the like.

Code, 7. 32. 6; Id. 4. 21; Dig. 22. 4; Civ. Code La. arts. 2231- 2254; 8 Tou Uier, Dr. Civ. 94.

Acts under private signature are those which have been made by private individuals, under their hands. An act of this kind does not acquire the force of an authentic act by being registered in the office of a notary (11 Mart. [La. ]243; 5 Mart. [La.; N. S.] 693; 8 Mart. [La.] 568; 3 Mart. [La.; N. S.] 396; 3 La. Ann. 419), unless it has been properly acknowledged before the officer by the parties to it (5 Mart. [La.; N. S.] 196). Public acts are those which have a public authority, and which have been made before public officers, are authorized by a public seal, have been made public by the authority of a magistrate, or which have been extracted and been properly authenticated from public records. In Legislation. A statute or law made by a legislative body. General or public acts are those which bind the whole community. Of these the courts take judicial cognizance. Private or special acts are those which operate only upon particular persons and private concerns. In Scotch Practice. As a noun, an abbreviation of actor (proctor or advocate, especially for a plaintiff or pursuer), used in records. "Act. A. Alt. B." an abbreviation of Actor, A. Alter, B.; that is, for the pursuer or plaintiff, A., for the defender, B. 1 Brown, 336, note; 2 Brown, 144, note; Id. 507, note. As a verb, to do or perform judicially; to enter of record. Surety "acted in the books of adjournal."

1 Brown, 4.