KFLCC Kingdom Law 2nd Ed.

715

LEWDNESS

LEX

and all who perform any part, however mi nute, or however remote from the scene of action, and who are leagued in the general conspiracy, are considered as engaged in levy ing war, within the meaning of the constitu tion. Const, art. 3, § 3; Ex parte Bollman, 4 Cranch, 75, 2 L. Ed. 554. LEWDNESS. Licentiousness; an of fense against the public economy, when of an an open and notorious character; as by fre quenting houses of ill fame, which is an in dictable offense, or by some grossly scandal ous and public indecency, for which the pun ishment at common law is fine and imprison ment. Wharton. See Brooks v. State, 2 Yerg. (Tenn.) 483; U. S. v. Males (D. C.) 51 Fed. 42; Comm. v. Wardell, 128 Mass. 54, 35 Am. Rep. 357; State v. Bauguess, 106 Iowa, 107, 76 N. W. 508. —Open lewdness. Lewd or lascivious behav ior practised without disguise, secrecy, or con cealment. The adjective relates to the quality of the act, not to the place nor to the number of spectators. State v. Juneau, 88 Wis. 180, 59 N. W. 580, 24 L. R. A. 857, 43 Am. St. Rep. 877; State v. Millard, 18 Vt. 574, 46 Am. Dec. 170; Comm. v. Wardell, 128 Mass. 52, 35 Am. Rep. 357. LEX. Lat. In the Roman law. Law; a law; the law. This term was often used as the synonym of jus, in the sense of a rule of civil conduct authoritatively prescribed for the government of the actions of the mem bers of an organized jural society. In a more limited and particular sense, it was a resolution adopted by the whole Ro man "populus" (patricians and plebians) in the comiUa, on the motion of a magistrate of senatorial rank, as a consul, a praetor, or a dictator. Such a statute frequently took the name of the proposer; as the lex Falcidia, lex Cornelia, etc. —Lex JBbntia. A statute which introduced and authorized new and more simple methods of instituting actions at law.—Lex JElia. Sent ia. The iElian Sentian law, respecting wills, pro posed by the consuls ^Elius and Sentius, and passed A. U. C. 756, restraining a master from manumitting his slaves in certain cases. Calvin. —Lex iEmilia. A law which reduced the of ficial term of the censors at Rome from five years to a year and a half, and provided for the discharge of their peculiar functions by the con suls in the interim until the time for a new census. Mackeld. Rom. Law, § 29.—Lex agra ria. The agrarian law. A law proposed by Tiberius Gracchus, A. U. C. 620, that no one should possess more than five hundred acres of land; and that three commissioners should be appointed to divide among the poorer people what any one had above that extent.—Lex An astasiana. A law which provided that a third person who purchased a claim or debt for less than its true or nominal value should not be permitted to recover from the debtor more than the price paid with lawful interest. Mackeld. Rom. Law, § 369—Lex Apnleja. A law giv ing to one of several joint sureties or guaran tors, who had paid more than his proportion of the debt secured, a right of action for reim bursement against his co-sureties as if a part nership existed between them. See Mackeld. Rom/ Law, § 454, note 2.—Lex Aquilia. The Aquilian law; a celebrated law passed on the

proposition of the tribune C. Aquilius Gallus, A. U. C. 672, regulating the compensation to be made for that kind of damage called "injurious," in the cases of killing or wounding the slave or beast of another. Inst 4, 3; Calvin Lex Atilia. The Atilian law; a law of Rome pro posed by the tribune L. Atilius Regulus, A. U. C 443, regulating the appointment of guardians. —Lex Atinia. The Atinian law; a law de claring that the property in things stolen should not be acquired by prescription, (usucapions.) Inst. 2, 6, 2; Adams, Rom. Ant. 207.—Lex Calpurnia. A law relating to the form and prosecution of actions for the recovery of spe cific chattels other than money. See Mackeld. Rom. Law, § 203.—Lex Cinoia. A law pro hibiting gifts or donations of property beyond a certain measure, except in the case of near kins men.—Lex Claudia. A law which abolished the ancient guardianship of adult women by their male agnate relations. See Mackeld. Rom. Law, § 615.—Lex Cornelia. The Cornelian law; a law passed by the dictator L. Cornelius Sylla, providing remedies for certain injuries, as for battery, forcible entry of another's house, etc. Calvin.—Lex Cornelia de falso. The Cornelian law respecting forgery or counterfeit ing. Passed by the dictator Sylla. Dig. 48, 10; Calvin.—Lex Cornelia de sicariig et veneficis. The Cornelian law respecting as sassins and poisoners. Passed by the dictator Sylla. Dig. 48, 8; Calvin.—Lex Falcidia. The Falcidian law; a law passed on the motion of the tribune P. Falcidius, A. U. C. 713, for bidding a testator to give more in legacies than three-fourths of all his estate, or, in other words, requiring him to leave at least one-fourth to the heir. Inst. 2, 22; Heinecc. Elem. lib. 2, tit. 22.—Lex Furia Caninia. The Furian Caninian' law; a law passed in the consulship of P. Furius Camillus and C. Caninius Gallus, A. U. C. 752, prohibiting masters from manu mitting by will more than a certain number or proportion of their slaves. This law was abro gated by Justinian. Inst. 1, 7; Heinecc. Elem. lib. 1, tit. 7.—Lex Genncia. A law which en tirely forbade the charging or taking of inter est for the use of money among Roman citizens, but which was usually and easily evaded, as it did not declare an agreement for interest to be a nullity. See Mackeld. Rom. Law, § 382».— Lex Horatii. An important constitutional statute, taking its name from the consul who secured its enactment, to the effect that all de crees passed in the meetings of the plebians should be laws for the whole people; formerly they were binding only on the plebians. Mack eld. Rom. Law, § 32.—Lex hostilia de fur tis. A Roman law, which provided that a pros ecution for theft might be carried on without the owner's intervention. 4 Steph. Comm. (7th Ed.) 118.—Lex Julia. Several statutes bore this name, b'eing distinguished by the addition of words descriptive of their subject matter. The "lex Julia de adultertis" related to mar riage, dower, and kindred subjects. The "lex Julia de cessione bonorum" related to bankrupt cies.—Lex Julia ntajestatis. The Julian law of majesty; a law promulgated by Julius Caesar, and again published with additions by Augustus, comprehending all the laws before en acted to punish transgressors against the state. Calvin.—Lex Fapia Poppsea. The Papian Poppsean law; a law proposed by the consuls Papius and Poppaeus at the desire of Augustus, A. U. C. 762, enlarging the Lex Proetoria, (q. v.) Inst. 3, 8, 2—Lex Plsetoria. A law designed for the protection of minors against frauds and allowing them in certain cases to apply for the appointment of a guardian. In a somewhat wider and more generic sense, a law (whatever its origin) or the ag gregate of laws, relating to a particular s ab ject-matter, thus corresponding to the mean-