Attainder. The stain, forfeiture, and corruption of blood, which arise on a person being condemned for certain crimes.

B.

Bail. The security given for the release of a prisoner from the custody of an officer. The persons who become responsible for the appearance of the prisoner when demanded by the officer or by the court. Bailee. The person to whom goods are committed in trust for a specified object. He has a temporary possession, and a qualified interest in them, until the object is accomplished.

Bailment. A delivery of goods in trust for some special object or purpose, on a contract, expressed or implied, that the trust shall be faithfully executed and the goods re-delivered on fulfilling the conditions attached.

Bailor. One who delivers goods to another in trust for a particular purpose.

Ballot. A piece of paper or other thing used in voting. The act of voting with balls or tickets.

Bankrupt. A person who is unable to pay his debts, and of whom it has been so declared by a court. One who fails in business, and becomes insolvent.

Bequest. A gift of personal property by a last will and testament. A legacy.

Bond. A writing signed and sealed, by which a person binds himself, his heirs and assigns, to pay a certain sum of money on or before u future day appointed, on the failure of certain conditions therein stated.

Burglary. The breaking and entering into a dwelling-house or other building of another person, with intent to commit a felony, whether the felonious purpose be accomplished or not.

Cabinet.

C.

The constitutional advisers of the chief executive officer of a State or nation, taken collectively. For instance, in the United States, the Secretary of State, and several other officers, are called cabinet officers.

Census, An official registration of the inhabitants of a country, the value of their estates, and other general statistics of public interest. Check. A written order, usually drawn on a banker, for the payment of a sum of money therein specified.

Client. The employer of an attorney or counselor at law to transact professional business, usually in the course of judicial proceedings.

Codicil. A supplement, or addition, to a will, forming a part thereof, and executed with the same formalities.

Commerce. The exchange of merchandise or commodities between different places, countries, or communities.

Concurrent. Joint and equal. Existing together, and operating on the same objects. With equal authority.

Confiscation. The act of the government in appropriating the property of an individual, as a penalty, to the public use.

Consanguinity. Relation by blood. Relationship of persons de scended from a common ancestry, distinct from relationship by marriage.

Consignee. A person to whom goods or other things are sent, in trust, for sale or superintendence. A factor.

Consignment. The act of consigning goods or other things. The goods or property sent to a consignee.

Consignor. A person who makes a consignment.

Conspiracy. An unlawful combination of persons for any purpose. Constable. An officer of the peace having power, and bound, to execute the warrants and other processes of judicial officers.

Constituent. A person who appoints another to act for or represent him. A Congressman's constituency are the people of his district. Constitution. The fundamental law of a country, whether expressed

in a written document, or implied in the institutions and usages of the government.

Contraband. Merchandise or traffic prohibited in time of war. Contract. An agreement between two or more parties competent to

contract, based on a sufficient consideration, promising to do or not to do certain things possible to be done, which things are not prohibited by law. Conversion. An unlawful or wrongful appropriation, by one person, of the personal property of another.

Conveyance. The legal transfer of the property of one person to another. An instrument in writing by which this is done.

Convict. A person found guilty of a crime by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Conviction. The act of convicting by the verdict of a jury and judg ment of a court.

Copartner. A person who is jointly concerned with others in any business-transactions. A member of a partnership.

Copartnership. A joint interest between two or more persons in pecuniary or business matters.

Coroner. An officer whose duty it is to summon a jury to inquire into

the cause and manner of sudden or suspicious deaths, produced by violence or otherwise. In certain cases, he acts as sheriff. Corporation. A body politic or corporate, composed of many individ

uals, formed and authorized by law, and empowered to act in many respects as a single person, capable of suing and being sued, holding property, conveying the same, and transmitting it to their successors. Corporator. A member of a corporation.

Counsel. One who gives legal advice professionally. Advice and aid given in legal proceedings.

Counselor. A person authorized by law to give legal advice professionally, and to manage causes in court.

Court. One or more persons sitting for the trial of causes in a judicial capacity.

Covenant. A contract in writing, usually under seal, though not neces

sarily.

Covenantee. The person to whom a covenant is made.

Covenantor. The person who makes the covenant.

Crime. An offense against the laws of the land, to which a penalty is attached.

Criminal. A person who has been judicially adjudged guilty of a crime.

D.

Debt. A sum of money due.

Debtor. A person who owes another a debt.

Decree. A decision, order, sentence, or judgment, by a court or magis

trate.

Deed. An instrument in writing, under seal in due form of law, conveying title.

Defaulter. One who is deficient in his accounts.

pear in court when properly called.

One who fails to ap

Defendant. A person against whom suit is brought in a court.

Defense. The method adopted by the defendant to protect himself against the plaintiff's action.

Demise. The conveyance of an estate in fee, or for a limited period

specified.

Demurrer. An admission of facts as stated by the opposite party, but a denial of the legal consequences which that party claims.

Deponent. A person who makes a deposition or affidavit.

Deposition. Testimony committed to writing, under the proper legal
forms, to be afterwards used on the trial of a cause.
Descent. Transmission by succession or inheritance.
Devise. A disposition of real property by will.

Devisee. A person to whom a devise is made.
Devisor. The person who makes a devise.

Disfranchisement. Deprivation of the rights of citizenship; as of

voting, or holding office.

Divorce. A legal dissolution of the marriage-contract.

Domicile. An abode or mansion.

Donation. A gift.

Permanent residence.

Donee. The person to whom a gift is made.

Donor. The person who makes a gift.

Dower. The right of the widow to the use of a certain portion of the rear estate of which her husband was seized during marriage. Duress. A state of compulsion induced by fear or restraint.

E.

Edict. An order issued by a sovereign to his subjects.

Ejectment. A process of dispossession or expulsion.

Elector. One who has the right to vote; also one chosen to cast the vote of his constituency for the President and Vice-President of the United States.

Embargo. A detention of ships and vessels, by order of government, from sailing out of port; generally on account of impending war or public danger. Embezzlement. Fraudulent appropriation to one's own use of personal property intrusted to him by another for a particular purpose. Emblements. The produce or fruits of land sown or planted. Endowment. A permanent provision for the support of a person or an institution.

Equity. Definition of, 290.

Estate. The interest which one has in property of any kind.

Execution. A judicial writ empowering an officer to carry a judgment into effect. The signing and sealing of a legal instrument, as a deed or will.

Executor. The person to whom the execution of a will is intrusted by the testator.

F.

Fealty. Fidelity to one's government. Loyalty. Allegiance.
Fee. An unconditional estate of inheritance transmissible to heirs.
Felon. One who has been convicted of felony.

Felony. A heinous crime punishable by imprisonment or death.
Fine. A sum of money imposed by a court for commission of crime.
Foreclosure. The process of enforcing collection of a mortgage.

Forgery. Fraudently making or altering a writing, or making a thing in imitation of another, with intent to deceive or defraud.

Fratricide. A murderer of a brother or sister.

Fraud. Deliberate deception for the purpose of obtaining unfair and unlawful advantage in business-matters.

Freehold. An estate in real property, for life or in fee.
Freeholder. The owner of a freehold.

G.

Government. The manner in which sovereignty is exercised. The administration of the laws.

Grand Jury. A body of men, not less than twelve, nor more than twenty-three, summoned according to the forms of law, attending upon court for the purpose of inquiring into the commission of crimes within their jurisdiction. They find indictments against criminals, and present them to the court.

Grant. A transfer of property by deed or writing.
Grantee. The person to whom a grant is made.

Grantor. The person who makes a grant.

Guardian. One who has the lawful supervision of the person and business-affairs of an infant or other incompetent person.

H

Habeas Corpus. Literally, you may have the body. A writ having for its object to bring a party before a court or judge, especially with a view to inquire into the cause of a person's imprisonment or detention by another. If the person is found to be unlawfully restrained of his liberty, he will be discharged; if not, he will be remanded to prison or custody.

Heir. One who receives, inherits, or is entitled to, the possession of any property after the death of its owner. One to whom property descends by inheritance.

Homestead. One's dwelling-place, with that part of his real estate immediately surrounding it.

I.

Illegal. Contrary to law. Unlawful.

Impeachment. An arraignment of a public officer, under a written,

formal accusation of corruption in office, or of crimes and misdemeanors for which he ought to be removed from office.