Blacks Law Dict. 1st ed

705

LETTERS OF SAFE CONDUCT

LETTER OF CREDIT

money to any particular or unlimited amount, either to piocure the same or to pass his prom ise, bill, or bond for it, the writer of the let ter undertaking to provide him the money for the goods, or to repay him by exchange, or to give him such satisfaction as he shall require, either for himself, or the bearer of the letter. 8 Chit Com. Law, 336. A letter of credit is a written instrument, addressed by one person to another, request ing the latter to give credit to the person in whose favor it is drawn. Civil Code Cal. §2858. LETTER OP EXCHANGE. A bill of exchange, (g. «.) LETTER OP LICENSE. A letter or written instrument given by creditors to their debtor, who has failed in trade, etc., allowing him longer time for the payment of his debts, and protecting him from arrest in the mean time. Tomlins; Holthouse. LETTER OP MARQUE. A commis sion given to a private ship by a government to make reprisals on the ships of another state; hence, also, the ship thus commis sioned. LETTER OF RECALL. A document addressed by the executive of one nation to that of another, informing the latter that a minister sent by the former has been recalled. LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION. A writing whereby one person certifies concerning another that he is of good charac ter, solvent, possessed of commercial credit, skilled in his trade or profession, or otherwise worthy of trust, aid, or employment. It may be addressed to an individual or to whom it may concern, and is designed to aid the person commended in obtaining credit, em ployment, etc. See 13 How. 198. LETTER OF RECREDENTIALS. A document embodying the formal action of a government upon a letter of recall of a for eign minister. It, in effect, accredits him back to his own government. It is addressed to the latter government, and is delivered to the minister by the diplomatic secretary of the state from which he is recalled. LETTERS AD COLLIGENDUM BONA DEFUNCTI. In practice. In de fault of the representatives and creditors to administer to the estate of an intestate, the officer entitled to grant letteis ot administra tion may grant, to such persons as he ap proves, letters to collect the goods of the de AM. DICT. LAW—45

ceased, which neither make him executor LM: administrator; his only business being to col lect the goods and keep them in his safe cus tody. 2 Bl. Comm. 505. LETTERS CLOSE. In English law. Close letters are grants of the king, and, be ing of private concern, they are thus distin guished from letters patent. LETTERS OF ABSOLUTION. Ab solvatory letters, used in former times, when an abbot released any of his brethren ab omnia subjectione et obedientia, etc., and made them capable of entering into some other order of religion. Jacob. LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION. The instrument by which an administrator or administratrix is authorized by the probate court, surrogate, or other proper officer, to have the charge and administration of the goods and chattels of an intestate. LETTERS OF CORRESPONDENCE. In Scotch law. Letters are admissible in ev idence against the panel, i. e., the prisoner at the bar, in criminal trials. A letter writ ten by the panel is evidence against him; not so one from a third party found in his possession. Bell. LETTERS OF FIRE AND SWORD. See FIRE AND SWORD. LETTERS OF HORNING, in the law Scotland, are letters running in the sover eign's name and passing the signet. They are directed to messengers at arms, as sher iffs in that part, (i. e., persons specially ap pointed to perform particular duties apper taining to the office of sheriff,) to charge the person against whom the letters are directed to pay or perform in terms of the "will" of the letters, which must be consistent with the warrant on which the letters proceed. The warrant on which the letteis proceed is a decree either of the court of session or of some inferior court. Bell. LETTERS OF REQUEST. A formal instrument by which an inferior judge of ec clesiastical jurisdiction requests the judge of a superior court to take and determine any matter which has come before him, thereby waiving or remitting his own jurisdiction. This is a mode of beginning a suit originally in the court of arches, instead of the consis tory court. LETTERS OF SAFE CONDUCT. No subject of a nation at war with England can, by the law of nations, come into the realm,

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