KFLCC Kingdom Law 2nd Ed.

777

METRIC SYSTEM

MIDSUMMER-DAY

MICHAELMAS. The feast of the Arch angel Michael, celebrated in England on the 29th of September, and one of the usual quarter days. —-Michaelmas bead court. A meeting of the heritors of Scotland, at which the roll of free holders used to be revised. See Bell.—Mi^ ebaelntas term. One of the four terms of the English courts of common law, beginning on the 2d day of November and ending on the 25th. 3 Steph. Comm. 562. MICHE, or MICH. O. Eng. To prac tice crimes requiring concealment or secrecy; to pilfer articles secretly. Micher, one who practices secret crime. Webster. MICHEL-GEMOT. One of the names of the general council immemorially held in England. The Witenagemote. One of the great councils of king and noblemen in Saxon times. Jacob. MICHEL-SYNOTH. Great council. One of the names of the general council of the kingdom in the times of the Saxons. 1 BI. Comm. 147. MICHERY. In old English law. Theft; cheating.'' MIDDLE TERM. A phrase used in log ic to denote the term which occurs in both of the premises in the syllogism, being the means of bringing together the two terms in the conclusion. MIDDLE THREAD. The middle thread of a stream is an imaginary line drawn lengthwise through the middle of Its current MIDDLEMAN. An agent between two parties, an intermediary who performs the office of a broker or factor between seller and buyer, producer and consumer, land-owner and tenant, etc. Southack v. Lane, 32 Misc. Rep. 141, 65 N Y. Supp. 629; Synnott y. Sh'aughnessy, 2 Idaho, 122, 7 Pac. 89. A middleman, in Ireland, is a person who takes land in large tracts from the proprie tors, and then rents it out to the peasantry in small portions at a greatly enhanced price. Wharton. MIDDLESEX, BILL OF. See BILL. MIDSHIPMAN. In ships of war, a kind of naval cadet, whose business is to second or transmit the orders of the superior officers and assist in the necessary business of the vessel, but understood to be in training for a commission. A passed midshipman is one who has passed an examination and is a candidate for promotion to the rank of lieu tenant. See U. S. v. Cook, 128 U. S. 254, 9 Sup. Ct. 108, 32 L. Ed. 464. MIDSUMMER-DAY. The summer sol stice, which is on the 24th day of June, and

to the north pole, and equivalent to 39.37 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. METROPOLIS. A mother city; one from which a colony was sent out. The capital 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 of works. A board constituted in 1855 by St. 18 & 19 Vict. c. 120, for the better sewering, 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-payers. Wharton.—Metropolitan ? olice district. A region composed of New ork city and some adjacent territory, which was, for police purposes, organized as one dis trict, 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. Coram. 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, e. g., obliga tions. —Meubles menblans. In French law. The utensils and articles of ornament usual in a dwelling-house. Brown. Menm est promittere, non dimittere. It is mine to promise, not to discharge. 2 Rolle, 39.