Municipality
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary · Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary
The body of officers, taken collectively, belonging to a city, who are appointed to ijianage its affairs, and defend its interests. MUNICIPIUM (Lat. from mMWMS, office or honor, and capere, to take). in Roman Law. A foreign town to which the freedom of the city of Rome was granted, and whose inhabitants had the privilege of enjojdng offices and honors there; a free town.
Butler, Hor. Jur. 29; Adams, Rom. Ant. 47, 77.
A free or privileged town; one that had the right of being governed by its own laws and customs.
Id. 77.
Hence the Latin municipalis, and English "municipal" (g. v.) In Old English Law. A castle.
Spelman.