Bill

A formal statement or declaration in writing; a formal written. statement of complaint to a court of justice; a declaration by a coui-t to its ofl Bcers, in the nature of process; a record or written statement of proceedings in* an action; a written statement of a debt, demand or contract; a draft of a law submitted to a legislative body for enactment; a solemn and formal written declaration of popular rights and liberties. Bill of adventure: a writing signed by a merchant or ship-owner to the ef Eect that goods on board in his name are the property and at the risk of another to whom he is bound to account only for the proceeds. Bill of attainder: an act of the legislature attainting a person or persons named in it v. Attainder. Bill of costs: an itemized statement of the costs awarded a party in an action, v. Costs. Bill of credit: paper issued by the authority of a state, on the faith of the state, and designed to circulate as money; a letter giving a person credit with the agent or correspondents of the maker. Bill of exceptions: a statement of the directions given or decisions made by the judge during the the purposes of a review by the court in banc or by the court above. Bill of exchange: a written order or request from one person to another to pay a certain sum of money to a third person, or his order or bearer. The first person is called the drawer; the second, the drawee — upon acceptance, the acceptor; the third, the payee; a person to whom the payee indorses, the indorsee; and the person in actual legal possession the holder. Bill of health: a certificate from the proper authorities as to the state of health of a ship's company at the time of her leaving port, and the health of the port itself. Bill ot indictment: a written accusation of one or more persons, of some crime or misdemeanor, presented to a grand jury. If the jury find the accusation supported by evidence, they return the bill indorsed " a true bill," and the bill is then called an indictment; if not supported, they return the bill indorsed " not a true bill," or " not found," or, as anciently, " ignoramus " (we do not know). Bill of lading: a writing given by the master of a vessel, or by other common carrier, acknowledging the receipt of goods and undertaking for their conveyance. It is a symbol of the goods, property in which will pass, subject to certain liens, upon transfer of the bill. Bill of mortality: a written statement or account of the number of deaths (or births and deaths) which have occurred in a certain district during a given time. Bill of pains and penalties: a special legislative act inflicting a punishment less than death, without a conviction by ordinary judicial proceedings, for some high offense, like treason or felony. Bill of parcels: an itemized account of the goods in a package or parcel of goods sold, — usually delivered with the parcel. Bill of particulars: an itemized statement of the demand for which an action is brought, or of a defendant's set-off against such demand. Bill of rig'hts: a formal public declaration of popular rights and liberties, expressed in the form of a statute, or promulgated as a part of a constitution; particularly the statute of 1 W. & M. st.

2, 0. 2.

Several of the states have adopted such bills as a part of their constitutions. Bill of sale: ah assignment, in writing, of chattels personal; in particular of a vessel. Bill payable: a promissory note or an accepted bill of exchange whereby a merchant has undertaken to pay money. Bill penal: a single bill framed with a penalty, formerly in common use, but now generally superseded by penal bonds. Bill receivable: a promissory note or an accepted bill of exchange which a merchant holds. Bill single: a written engagement under seal, for the payment of money, either on demand, or at a future day, formerly in common use, but now for the most part superseded by the modern bills and notes, v. Single Ull.

In English law

Bill of indemnity: an act of parliament passed at license granted at the "custom-house to merchants to carry such stores and provisions as are necessary for their voyage, free of duty. Bill of sufferance: a license granted at the custom-house to a merchant to trade from one English port to another vpithout paying custom.

In old English law

Bill, or Original bill. The old most usual beginning of actions in the King's Bench, the original verit being dis-i pensed with. It was a written statement of the plaintiff's cause of action, always alleging a trespass as the ground, in order that the court might entertain the action. It resembled the modern declaration, and was sometimes called a plaint. Bill of debt: a written engagement by a merchant to pay money on demand or at a specified time, — a general term including both bonds and negotiable paper. Bill of Middlesex: a civil process peculiar to the King's Bench, by which the court, sitting in Middlesex, acquired jurisdiction without an original writ. It was founded on a fiction of trespass within that county, of which that court had jurisdiction; and upon return non est a writ of latitat issued to the county where the defendant was, alleging that he there lurked, etc. Bill of pri Tilege: a process which formerly was the established method of proceeding against attorneys and officers of courts, who were not liable to arrest In Scots law. Bill cliamber: a department of the court of session which has jurisdiction of petitions for suspension, interdict, etc Bill of adTOcation: a bill by which the judgment of an inferior court is appealed from, or brought under review of a superior. Bill of health: an application by a person in custody for a discharge because of ill-health. In French law. Bill of gross ad Tcntnre: any written instrument containing a contract of bottomry or other maritime law.