General

Pertaining to or designating, the genus or class, as distinguished from that which characterizes the species or individual. Universal, not particularized; as opposed to special. Principui or central; as opposed to local. Open or avallable to all, as opposed to select. Obtaining commonly or recognized universally; as opposed to particular. Universal or unbounded; as opposed to limited. Comprehending the whole or directed to the whole; as distinguished from anything applying to or designed for a portion only. As a noun, the word is the title of a principal officer in the army, usually one who commands a whole army, division, corps, or brigade. In the United States army, the rank of "general" is the highest possible, next to the commander in chief, and is only occasionally created. The officers next in rank are lieutenant general, major general, and brigadier general.

— General assembly. A name given in some of the United States to the senate and house of representatives, which compose the legislative body. See State v. Gear, 5 Ohio Dec. 569.

— General council.
(1) A council consisting of members of the Roman Catholic Church from most paris of the world, but not from every part, as an ecumenical council.
(2) One of the names of the English parliament.

— General court. The name given to the legislature of Massachusetts and of New Haimj-shire, in colonial times, and subsequently i5y their constitutions; so called because the colonial legislature of Massachusetts grew out of the general court or meeting of the Massachusetts Company. Cant. Diet. See Citizens' Sav. & Loan Ass'n v. Topeka, 20 Wail. 666, 22 L. Ed. 455.

— General credit. The character of a witness as one generally worthy of credit. According to Bouvier, there ls a distinction between this and "particular credit," which may be affected by proof of particular facts relating to the particular action. See Bemis v. Kyle, 5 Abb. Prac. (N. St) (N. Y.) 233.

— General field. Several distinct lots or pieces of land inclosed and fenced in as one common field. Mansfield v. Hawkes, 14 Mass. 440.

— General inclosnre act. The statute 41 Geo. III. c. 109, which consolidates a number of regulations as to the inclosure of common fields and waste lands.

— General interest. In speaking of matters of public and general interest, the terms "public" and "general" are sometimes used as synonyms. But in regard to the admissibility of hearsay evidence, a distinction has been taken between them, the term "public" being strictly applied to that which concerns every member of the state, and the term "general" being confined to a lesser, though stlil a considerable, portion of the community. Tayl. Ev. § 609.

— General land-office. In the United States, one of the bureaus of the interior department, which has charge of the survey, sale, granting of patents, and other matters relating to the public lands. As to general "Acceptance," "Administration," "Agent," "Appearance," "Assignment," "Average," "Benefit," "Challenge," "Character," "Charge," "Covenant," "Creditor," "Custom," "Damages," "Demurrer," "Denial," "Deposit," "Devise," "Election," "Execution," "Executor," "Finding," "Fund," "Gaol Delivery," "Guardian," "Imparlance," "Insurance," "Intent," "Issue," "Jurisdiction." "Law," "Legacy," "Letter of Credit," "Lien." "Malice," "Meeting," "Monition," "Mortgage," "Occupant," "Orders," "Owner," "Partnership," "Power," "Property," "Replication," "Restraint of Trade," "Retainer," "Return Day," "Rules," "Sessions," "Ship," "Statute," "Tail," "Tenancy," "Term," "Traverse," "Usage," "Verdict," "Warrant," and "Warranty," see those titles.

That which comprehends all, from special, which signifies something purpose. General act: an act of the whole community. General agent: a his principal to execute all deeds, sign goods, required in a particular trade, General average: a contribution made of a ship or cargo, towards the loss their number, whose property has been common safety. General character: person is held in the community where those qualities of mind or morals habit, and distinguishing him from ages: such damages as necessarily plained of, and which may be shown general allegation of damages at the eral demnrrer: a demurrer framed in ing specifically the nature of the resorted to where the objection is to eral issue: a short general plea, in allegations contained in the plaintiff's and concluding with a tender of issue. iary legacy, payable out of the general eral lien: the right which the bailee possession of it from the owner, until the particular article, or some labor, incurred or laid out upon or in relation may be due ou general account in the eral occupant: at common law, where vie, or had an estate granted to himself his heirs), for the life of another man, during the life of cestuy que vie, or him that could first enter on the land might so long as cestuy que vie lived, by right termed a general or common occupant. partnership in which the parties carry ness, whatever it may be, for the joint parties concerned, whether the capital contributions thereto be equal or employed as a general carrier. General to the whole community, or concerning tinguished from a private or special ordinary verdict delivered orally by a they find generally "for the plaintiff," the whole, as distinguished designed for a particular legislature which regards the person who is authorized by all contracts, or purchase all business, or employment. by the proprietors in general sustained by any individual of voluntarily sacrificed for the the estimation in which a he lives as to any or all of impressed on him by nature or other persons. General damresult from the injury comunder the ad damnum, or end of the declaration. Gengeneral terms, without showobjection, and which is usually matter of substance. Genactions at law, denying the declaration, in summary terms, General legacy: a pecunassets of a testator. Genof a chattel has to retain payment is made not only for service or expense performed, to it, but of any balance that same line of business. Gena man was tenant per auter only (without mentioning and died without alienation by whose life it was held, he lawfully retain the possession, of occupancy, and was hence General partnership: a on all their trade and busibenefit and profit of all the stock be limited or not, or the unequal. General ship: a ship statute: a st Evtute relating all persons generally, as disstatuta General verdict: the jury in civil actions, in which or "for the defendant," and In American law. General land ofltce: a department of the government under the supervision of an officer called the commissioner of the general land ofi Bce, having charge of the surveying and selling of the public lands, and the issuing of patents for all grants under the authority of the government

Pertaining to, or designating, the genus or class, as distinguished from that which characterizes the species or individual. Universal, not particularized; as opposed to select. Obtaining commonly, or recognized universally; as opposed to particular. Universal or unbounded; as opposed to limited. Comprehending the whole, or directed to the whole; as distinguished from anything applying to or designed for a portion only. As a noun, the word is the title of a principal officer in the army, usually one who commands a whole army, division, corps, or brigade. In the United States army, the rank of "general" is the highest possible, next to the commander in chief, and is only occasionally created. The officers next in rank are lieutenant general, major general, and brigadier general.

1. Relating to a whole genus (q. v.) or kind, to a whole class or order; 3 whether of persons, relations, things, or places. Opposed (1) to local, private, or special (see 6, below): as, general or a general — custom, jurisdiction, law, practice, restraint, statute, usage, qq. v. Opposed (2) to partial: as, a general assignment, q. V. Opposed {S) to particular: as, general average, a general challenge, a general lien, qq. v. Opposed (4) to private or individual: as, a general ship, q. v. Opposed (5) to specific: as, a general — intent, legacy, malice, qq. v. Opposed (6), and chiefly, to special: as, general or a general — agent, appearance, appointment, charge, covenant, damage, demurrer, deposit, deputy, issue, executor, finding, guaranty, guardian, monition, occupant, order, owner, property, return, return-day, rule, session, sessions, tail, traverse, verdict, warranty, qq. v. 2. Belonging to, concerning, or affecting two or more persons or classes of persons, or persons in the same category; and opposed to individual: as, general — assets, creditors, meeting, partners, qq. v. 3. Common; obtaining among acquaintances or in the community at large: as, general — credit, reputation, qq. v. 4. Representing or pertaining to the public at large, whether constituting a State or the United States; State, or National: as, the general assembly, a general election, the general government, qq. v. 5. Over all others; chief, superior, head: as, in attorney-general, postmaster-general, solicitor-general. Conti-adistinguished from ■deputy, district, local, special. 1 3 Bl. Com. 445. 2R. S. § 1. See also Atchison, County Judge v. 6. Inclusive of many species or individuals; comprehensive; generic: as, a general — term, word, expression. Maxims: general words are taken in their general sense; general expressions are restrained within the subject-matter; special provisions derogate from general provisions; a general clause does not extend to things included in a prior special clause. Deceivers deal in general expi'essions; fraud lurks in general expressions; error attends upon general expressions. "Where general words follow an enumeration of particular cases, such words apply only to cases of the same kind as those expressly mentioned." Thus, a land-warrant is not to be included in an act punishing forgery of " an indenture, certificate of public stock, or debt, treasury note, or other public security." ■' See Nosci Tua, A sociis. The meaning of general words will be restricted to carry out the legislative intenf Where particular words, in a statute, are followed by words of a general character, the latter are to be restricted to the objects particularly mentioned. If the act begins with words which speak of things or persons of ah inferior degree and concludes -with general words, the latter are not to be extended to a thing or person of a higher degree. If a particular class is mentioned and general words follow, they must be treated as referring to matters of the same kind, thus subordinating general terms to the preceding particulars.^ " General words in any instrument or statute are strengthened by exceptions, and weakened by enumeration." * See further Ejusdem Generis; Videre, Videlicet,