Blacks Law Dict. 1st ed

TOWN

1180

TBADAS IN BALUUM

cies of cities, boroughs, and common towns. 1 Bl. Comm. 114. In American law. A civil and political division of a state, varying in extent and im portance, but usually one of the divisions of a county. In the New England states, the town is the political unit, and is a municipal corporation. In some other states, where the county is the unit, the town is merely one of its subdivisions, but possesses some powers of local self-government. In still other states, such subdivisions of a county are called "townships," and "town" is the name of a village, borough, or smaller city. A village and a town are not identical. A vil lage is ordinarily less than a town, and more occu pied by agriculturists; yet the two cannot be defi nitely distinguished by the size of the place or em ployment of the inhabitants. 46 Iowa, 256. TOWN CAUSE. In English practice. A cause tried at the sittings for London and Middlesex. 3 Steph. Comm. 517. TOWN-CLERK. In those states where the town is the unit for local self-govern ment, the town-clerk is a principal officer who keeps the records, issues calls for town meetings, and performs generally the duties of a secretary to the political organization. TOWN COLLECTOR. One of the offi cers of a town charged with collecting the taxes assessed for town purposes. TOWN COMMISSIONER. In someof the states where the town is the political unit, the town commissioners constitute a board of administrative officers, charged with the general management of the town's business. TOWN-CRIER. An officer in a town whose business it is to make proclamations. TOWN-HALL. The building maintained by a town for town-meetings and the offices of the municipal authorities. TOWN-MEETING. Under the munic ipal organization of the New England states, the town-meeting is a legal assembly of the qualified voters of a town, held at stated in tervals or on call, for the purpose of electing town officers, and of discussing and deciding on questions relating to the public business, property, and expenses of the town. TOWN ORDER or WARRANT. An official direction in writing by the auditing officers of a town, directing the treasurer to pay a sum of money.

TOWN POUND. A place of confine ment maintained by a town for estrays. TOWN PURPOSE. When it is said that taxation by a town, or the expenditure of the town's money, must be for town pur* poses, it is meant that the purposes must be public with respect to the town; i. e., con cern the welfare and advantage of the town as a whole. TOWN- REEVE. The reeve or chief offi cer of a town. TOWN TAX. Such tax as a town may levy for its peculiar expenses; as distin guished from a county or state tax. TOWN TREASURER. The treasurer of a town which is an organized municipal corporation. TOWNSHIP. 1. In surveys of the public land of the United States, a "township" is a division of territory six miles square, con taining thirty-six sections. 2. In some of the states, this is the name given to the civil and political subdivisions of a county. See TOWN. TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE. One of a board of officers to whom, in some states, af fairs of a township are intrusted. TOXICAL. Poisonous; containing poi son. TOXICOLOGY. The science of poisons. TRABES. Lat. In the civil law. A beam or rafter of a house. Calvin. In old English, law. A measure of grain, containing twenty-four sheaves; a thrave. Spelman. TRACEA. In old English law. The track or trace of a felon, by which he was pursued with the hue and cry; a foot-step, hoof-print, or wheel-track. Bract, fols. 116, 1216. TRACT. A lot, piece, or parcel of land, of greater or less size, the term not importing, in itself, any precise dimension. See 28 N. J. Law, 45. Tractent fabrilia fabri. Let smiths per form the work of smiths. 3 Co. Epist. TRADAS IN BALLIUM. You deliver to bail. In old English practice. The name of a writ which might be issued in behalf of a party who, upon the writ de odio et atia, had been found to have been maliciously ac cused of a crime, commanding the sheriff that, if the prisoner found twelve good and

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