Bribery

At common law

The receiving or offering any undue reward by or to any person whomsoever, whose ordinary profession or business relates to the administration of public justice, in order to influence his behavior in office, and to incline him to act contrary to his duty and the known rules of honesty and integrity.

Coke, 3d Inst. 149; 1 Hawk. P. C. c. 67, § 2; 4 Bl. Comm. 139; 1 Russ. Crimes, 156.

The term "bribery" now extends further, and includes the offense of giving a bribe to many other officers. The offense of the giver and of the receiver of the bribe has the same name. For the sake of distinction, that of the former — viz., the bribermight be properly denominated "active bribery;" while that of the latter — ^viz., the person bribed — might be called "passive bribery." "The voluntary giving or receiving of anything of value in corrupt payment for an official act done or to be done."

2 Bish. Grim. Law, § 85.