Blacks Law Dict. 1st ed

BATE

994

EANSOM

Ing in socage, of which there were two sorts: One when the heir was married; the other when he was not. Beg. Orig. 163. RAPUIT. Lat. In old English law. Bavished. A technical word in old indict* ments. 2 East, 30. RASURE. The act of scraping, scratch ing, or shaving the surface of a written in strument, for the purpose of removing cer tain letters or words from it. It is to be dis tinguished from "obliteration," as the latter word properly denotes the crossing out of a word or letter by drawing a line through it with ink. But the two expressions are often used interchangeably. See 18 Johns. 499. RASUS. In old English law. A rase; a measure of onions, containing twenty Hones, and each flonis twenty-five heads. Fleta, lib. 2, c. 12, § 12. RATABLE ESTATE. Within the meaning of a tax law, this term means "tax able estate;" the real and personal property which the legislature designates as "tax able." 55 Vt. 546. RATAM EEM HABERE. Lat. In the civil law. To bold a thing ratified; to ratify or confirm it. Dig. 46, 8, 12, 1. RATE. Proportional or relative value, measure, or degree; the proportion or stand ard by which quantity or value is adjusted. Thus, the rate of interest is the proportion or ratio between the principal and interest. So the buildings in a town are rated for in surance purposes; i. e., classified and indi vidually estimated with reference to their in surable qualities. In this sense also we speak of articles as being in "first-rate" or "second-rate" condition. Absolute measure, value, or degree. Thus, we speak of the rate at which public land* are sold, of the rates of fare upon railroads etc. The term is also used as the synonym of "tax;" that is, a sum assessed by govern mental authority upon persons or property, by proportional valuation, for public pur poses. It is chiefly employed in this sense in England, but is there usually confined to taxes of a local nature, or those raised by the parish; such as the poor-rate, borough-rate, etc. It sometimes occurs in a connection which gives it a meaning synonymous with "assess ment;" that is, the apportionment of a tax among the whole number of persons who are responsible for it, by estimating the

In old English law. A sum of money paid for the pardoning of some great offense. The distinction between ransom and amercia ment is said to be that ransom was the re demption of a corporal punishment, while amerciament was a fine or penalty directly imposed, and not in lieu of another punish ment. Cowell; 4B1. Comm. 380. Ransom was also a sum of money paid for the redemption of a person from captivity or imprisonment. Thus one of the feudal "aids" was to ransom the lord's person if taken pris oner. 2 Bl. Comm. 63. RANSOM BILL. A contract by which a captured vessel, in consideration of her re lease and of safe-conduct for a stipulated course and time, agrees to pay a certain sum as ransom. RAPE. In criminal law. The unlaw ful carnal knowledge of a woman by a man forcibly and against her will. Code Ga. § 4349. In English law. An intermediate division between a shire and a hundred; or a divis ion of a county, containing several hundreds. 1 Bl. Comm. 116; Cowell. Apparently pecul iar to the county of Sussex. RAPE OF THE FOREST. In old En glish law. Trespass committed in a forest by violence. Cowell. RAPE-REEVE. In English law. The chief officer of a rape, (q. v.) 1 Bl. Comm. 116. RAPINE. In criminal law. Plunder; pillage; robbery. In the civil law, rapina is defined as the forcible and violent taking of another man's movable property with the criminal intent to appropriate it to the rob ber's own use. A pi setorian action lay for this offense, in which quadruple damages were recoverable. Gaius, lib. 3, § 209; Inst. 4, 2; Mackeld. Bom. Law, § 481; Heinecc. Elem. § 1071. RAPPORT A SUCCESSION. In French law and in Louisiana. A proceed ing similar to hotchpot; the restoration to the succession of such property as the heir may have received by way of advancement from the decedent, in order that an even di vision may be made among all the co-heirs. Civil Code La. art. 1305. RAPTOR. In old English law. A rav isher. Fleta, lib. 2, c. 52, § 12. RAPTU H.SJREDIS. In old English law. A writ for taking away an heir hold

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