Blacks Law Dict. 1st ed

772 MEUM EST PROMITTERE, ETC.

METAYER SYSTEM.

METROPOLIS. A mother city; one from which a colony was sent out. The cap> ital of a province. Calvin. METROPOLITAN. In English law. One of the titles of an archbishop. Derived from the circumstance that archbishops were consecrated at first in the metropolis of a province. 4 Inst. 94. In England, the word is frequently used to designate a statute, institution, govern mental agency, etc., relating exclusively or especially to the city of London; e. g., the metropolitan board of works, metropolitan buildings act, etc METROPOLITAN BOARD OP WORKS. A board constituted in 1855 by St. 18 & 19 Viet. c. 120, for the better sewer ing, draining, paving, cleansing, lighting, and improving the metropolis (London.) The board is elected by vestries and district boards, who in their turn are elected by the rate-pay ers. Wharton. METROPOLITAN POLICE DIS TRICT. A region composed of New York city and some adjacent territory, which was, for police purposes, organized as one district, and provided with a police force common to the whole. METTESHEP, or METTENSCHEP. In old records. An acknowledgment paid in a certain measure of corn; or a fine or pen alty imposed on tenants for default in not do ing their customary service in cutting the lord's corn. METUS. Lat. Fear; terror. In a tech nical sense, a reasonable and well-grounded apprehension of some great evil, such as death or mayhem, and not arising out of mere timidity, but such as might fall upon a man of courage. Fear must be of this de scription in order to amount to duress avoid ing a contract. See Bract, lib. 2, c. 5; 1 Bl. Comm. 131; Calvin. MEUBLES. In French law. The mov ables of English law. Things are meubles from either of two causes: (1) From their own nature, e. g., tables, chairs; or (2) from the determination of the law, a. g., obliga tions. MEUBLES MEUBLANS. In French law. The utensils and articles of ornament usual in a dwelling-house. Brown. Meum est promittere, non dimittere. It is mine to promise, not to discharge. 2 Rolle, 39.

METAYER SYSTEM. A system of agricultural holdings, under which the land is divided, in small farms, among single families, the landlord generally supplying the stock which the agricultural system of the country is considered to require, and receiv ing, in lieu of rent and profit, a fixed pro portion of the produce. This proportion, which is generally paid in kind, is usually one-half. 1 Mill, Pol. Econ. 296, 363; and 2 Smith, Wealth Nat. 3, c. ii. The system prevails in some parts of France and Italy. METECORN. A measure or portion of corn, given by a lord to customary tenants as a reward and encouragement for labor. Gowell. METEGAVEL. A tribute or rent paid in victuals. Cowell. METER. An instrument of measure ment; as a coal-meter, a gas-meter, a land meter. METES AND BOUNDS. In convey ancing. The boundary lines of lands, with their terminating points or angles. METEWAND, or METEYARD. A staff of a certain length wherewith measures are taken. METHEL. Sax. Speech; discourse. Mathlian, to speak; to harangue. Anc. Inst. Eng. METHOD. In patent law. "Engine" and "method" mean the same thing, and maybe the subject of a patent. Method, properly speaking, is only placing several things, or performing several operations, in the most convenient order, but it may sig nify a contrivance or device. Fessen. Pat. 127; 8 Term R. 106. METRE. The unit of measure in the "metric system" of weights and measures. It is a measure of length, being the ten-mill ionth part of the distance from the equator to the north pole, and equivalent to 39.87 inches. From this unit all the other denom inations of measure, as well as of weight, are derived. The metric system was first adopted in France in 1795. METRIC SYSTEM. A system of meas ures for length, surface, weight, and capaci ty, founded on the metre as a unit. It orig inated in France, has been established by law there and in some other countries, and is recommended for general use by other governments.

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