Free

a privilege to print or pray without permission and without accounting to authority for one's actions.

Not bound to servitude; at liberty to act as one pleases. This word is put in opposition to slave. Const. U. S. art. 1, § 2. Used in distinction from being bound as an apprentice. The Declaration of Independence asserts that all men are born free; and in this sense the term is usually supposed to mean all mankind, though this seems to be doubted in 19 How. (U. S.) 393. Certain; as, free services. These were also more honorable. Confined to the person possessing, instead of being held in common; as, free fishery.

Not bound to servitude. At liberty to act as one pleases. This word is put in opposition to slave. U. S. Const art 1, $ 2. Used In distinction from being bound as an apprentice. The Declaration of Independence asserts that all men are bom free; and in this sense in Scott V. Sanford, 19 How. (17. S.) 393, 15 L. Ed. 691. (Certain: as, free services. These were also more honorable. Confined to the person possessing, instead of being held In common; as, free flahery.

1. Unconstrained; having power to follow the dictates of his own will. Not subject to the dominion of another. Not compelled to involuntary servitude. Used in this sense as opposed to "slave."
2. Not bound to service for a fixed term of years; in distinction to being bound as an apprentice.
3. Enjoying full civic rights.
4. Available to all citizens alike without charge; as a free school.
5. Available for public use without charge or toll; as a free bridge.
6. Not despotic; assuring liberty; defending individual rights against encroachment by any person or class; instituted by a free pcople; said of governments, institutions, etc. Webster.
7. Certain, and also consistent with an honorable degree in life; as free services, in the feudal law.
8. Confined to the person possessing, instead of being shared with others; as a free fishery.
9. Not engaged in a war as belligerent or ally; neutral; as in the maxim, "Free ships make free goods."

— Free alms. The name of a species of tenure. See Frank-Almoigne.

— Free aud clear. The title to property is said to be "free and clear" when it is not incumbered by any liens; but it is said that an agreement to convey land "free and clear" is satisfied by a conveyance passing a good title. Meyer v. Madreperla, 68 N. J. Law, 258, 53 Atl. 477, 96 Am. St. Rep. 536.

— Free-beuch. A widow's dower out of copyholds to which she is entitled by the custom of some manors. It is regarded as an excrescence growing out of the husband's interest, and is indeed a continuance of his estate. Wharton.

— Free-bord. In old records. An allowance of land over and above a certain limit or boundary, as so much beyond or without a fence. Cowell; Blount. The right of claiming that quantity. Termes de 1a Ley.

— Free borough men. Such great men as did not engage, like the frank-pledge men, for their decennier. Jacob.

— Free chapel. In English ecclesiastical law. A place of worship, so called because not liable to the visitation of the ordinary. It is always of royal foundation, or founded at least by private persons to whom the crown has granted the privilege. 1 Bum, Ecc. Law, 298.

— Free course, in admiralty law. A vessel having the wind from a favorable quarter is said to sail on a "free course," or said to be "going free" when she has a fair (following) wind and her yards braced in. The Queen Elizabeth (D Ct) 100 Fed. 876.

— Free entry, egress, and regress. An expression used to denote that a person has the right to go on land again and again as often as may be reasonably necessary. Thus, in the case uf a tenant entitled to emblements.

— Free fishery. See Fishery.

— Free law. A term formerly used in England to designate the freedom of civil rights enjoyed by freemen. It was liable to forfeiture on conviction of treason or an infamous crime. McCafferty v. Guyer, 59 Pa. 116.

— Free services. In feudal and old English law. Such feudal services as were not unbecoming the character of a soldier or a freeman to perform ; as to serve under hls lord in the wars, to pay a sum of money, and the like. 2 Bl. Comm. 60, 61.

— Free shareholders. The free shareholders of a building and loan association are subscribers to its capital stock who are not borrowers from the association. Steinberger v. Independent B. & S. Assn, 84 Md. 625, 36 Atl. 439.

— Free ships. In international law. Ships of a neutral nation. The phrase "free ships shall make free goods" is often inserted in treaties, meaning that goods, even though belonging to an. enemy, shall not be seized or confiscated, if found in neutral ships. Wheat. Int. Law,' 507, et seq.

— Free socage. See Socage.

— Free tenure. Tenure by free services; freehold tenure.

— Free warren. See Warren.

Not bond or servile; not subject able, the opposite of base; privileged common. Free ships: neutral vessels, In English law. Free bench: dower chapel: a chapel, or place of worship, from the jurisdiction of the ordinary exclusive right of fishing in a public Free-fold: v. Frank-folk; Foldage. Free socage: a tenure by some called free, because the service was and thus distinguished from villein though certain, were of a baser freehold; the opposite of the ancient hold. Free warren: a royal franchise preservation or custody of animals ren, being the exclusive right of certain limits. i In old English law. Free services: unbecoming the character of a soldier to serve under his lord in the wars, like. Free socmen: tenants in free

1. Unconstrained; having power to follow the dictates of his own will. Not subject to the dominion of another, Not compelled to involuntary servitude. Used in years; in distinction to being bound as an apprentice. 3. Enjoying full civic rights. 4, Available to all citizens alike without charge; as a free school. 5. Available for public use without charge or toll; as a free bridge.: 6. Not despotic; assuring liberty; defending individual rights against encroachment by any person or class; instituted by a free people; said of goyeruments, institutions, ate. Webster. 7. Certain, and also consistent with an honorable degree in life; as free services, in the feudal law. 8. Confined to the person possessing, instead of being shared with others; as a free fishery. 9. Not engaged in a war as belligerent or ally; neutral; as in the maxim, “Free ships make free goods.”

[Sax. /reo; Lai. liber; L. Lat. franetu; L. Fr. fraunc,fraunckt/raunche.] Not bond or servile; not subject to servitude; as & freeman, (q. v.) Certain or honorable; the opposite of base; as free service, ^^< socage, (qq. v.) Privileged or exclusive; the opposite of common; as a. free chapel, njree fishery, a free warren, (qq. v.) The word free^ as used in the old common law, imported something very dififerent from its prevalent modem meaning. Thus, as applied to persons, it had not the sense of absolute independence now generally annexed to it; no person, though distinguished as a freeman, being exempt from service of some kind or other. See Idber homo. So, in its application to rights, it had by no means its present popular sense of common, unrestricted, open to all, but directly the reverse, — importing either an exclusive right, as in the case of a free fishery and a free warren, (qq. v.) or a special exemption from some general duty or burden, as from a tax, toll, tribute, (&c. This very strikingly appears in the use of the word franchise itself, which, though properly translated freedom or a freedom, always denoted, as it still does, either an exempt jurisdiction, or an exclusive privilege, and it has the latter sense even in American law. So, in Eaglish law at this day, a liberty is a place of exclusive jurisdiction; a district exempt from the sheriff of the county. 2 Steph. Com. 14, 16. This technical meaning, (as it may be called) of the word free seems more aptly expressed by the L. Latin francus, and L. Fr. fraunck, than the pure Latin liber.