Page:Black's Law Dictionary (Second Edition).djvu/756

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MAINTENANCE

lawful assistance Bayard v. McLsne, 3 Ear. (DEL) 208. "Maintenance," at common law, si nifies an unlawful taking in hand or upholdin of quarrcis or sides. to the disturbance or hindrance of common right. The lJ]ail'li"lIl.|ll1g of one side, in cousirlcrafion of some h.i .iIin to lime part of the thing in dispute, is called "(:han1pei‘ty." Cliamnerty, therefore. is a species of mainte- nance. R|l‘h.'1l'(lSOl] v. Rowiaml, 40 Conn. 570. _Lnd see aiso. Gilman v. Jones, 8? Ala. 691, 5 South 1, L. R. A. 113: Bi-can v. Bean- rhamp. 5 '1‘ B. "on. [l\_v.) 413. 17 An). Dec. Goivcn v. \'u\\r-ll. 1 Me 292; Vaughan v. Mariible 64 Air. (-11; Thurston v. Percival 1 I'i(l(. (Mass.l 410; Ilovey v. Holison. 51'. Mo. 62, Quigley v. Thompson, 53 Ind. 320.

MAJOR. An old form of "mayor." MAIRE. In old Scotch law. An officer to "hem process was directed. Otherwise

called "mnir of fie," (foe,) and classed with the "s(>rj:ind_" Skene.

In French law. A mayor.

MAJICIE. In French law. The government building of each Commune. It contains the record office of all civil acts and the list of voters; and it is there that political and municipal elections take place. Arg. Fr. Mere. Law. 566.

MAISON DE DIEU. Fr. A hospital: on ahnshouse; a monastery. St 39 E112. c. 5. Llterally, "house of GU11."

MAISTER. An old form of "master."

MAISURA. A house, mansion, or farm. Cowell.

MAITRE. Fr. In French maritime law. Master; the master or captain of a vessel. 0rd. Mar. liv. 2, tit. 1. art. 1.

MAJESTAS. Lat. In Roman law. The majesty. sovereign authority, or supreme prerogative of the state or prince. Also ii shorter form of the expression "crimcn ma- jcstntis," or "crimen lira-w 1najcstali.i," an offense against sovei'ei,zuty, or against the safety or organic life of the Roman people; i. 2., high treason.

MAJESTY. Royal dignity. A term used of kings and emperors as a title of honor.

MAJOR. A person of full age; one who is no longer E minor; one who has attained the management of his own concerns and the enjoyment of his civic rights.

In military law. The officer next in rank above a captain.

MAJOR ANNUS. The greater year; the bissextile year, consisting of 366 days. Bract. fol. $91).

MAJOR GENERAL. In military law. An offic-er next in rank above 3 brigadier

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MAKE

general, and next below a lieutenant general. and who usually commands a division or an army Corps.

Major luereditas venit nnlcuiqno unstriim a jure et legihus qnam a. parenti- bus. 2 Inst. 56. A g'l‘L'l[€l‘ inherltsnse comes to every one of us from iighi and the laws than from parents.

Major numeral in se continet mi- norem. Bract. fol. 16. The greater number contains in itself the less.

MAJORA REGALIA. The klI1g's digalty, power, and royal prerogative, an opposed to his revenne, whlch is comprised in the miuora regalia. 2 Steph. Comm 475; 1 Bl. Comm. 240.

Majors pcena nifectus qnam legilms statute est, non est lnfamls. One alT(.-€ted with a greater punishment than is pro- vldcd by law is not infamous. 4 Inst 66.

MAJORES. In Roman law and genealogical tables. The male iisceadsnts beyond the sixth degree.

In old English law. Greater persons: persons of higher condition oi- estate.

Mnjori Iummaa minor inest. In the greater sum the less is liitiiided. 2 Kent. Comm. 618; Story, Ag. 5 172.

MAJORITY. Full age; the age at which. hy law. a person is entitled to the management of his own affairs and to the enjoyment of (ivic rights. The opposite of minority. Also tile stiztils of a person who is a major in age.

In the law of elections, majority signities the greater nnmi-er of votes. When there are only two candidates, he who receives the greater uumhcr of the votes Lost is said to have a majority; when there are more than two cmupetitors for the same ollice, the person who receiies the greatest number of votes has a zzluralitu, but he has not 21 iaajorlty unless he 1'(,‘Cei\9S a greater numher of votes than those cast for all his competitors coinhiued.

In military aifoira, majority denotes the rank and commission of a major.

Majns dignnm tralliit ad so minus digmim. The more worthy draws to ilseif the less worthy. Co Litt. 43, 355D; Brant. fol. 1'75; l\'oy. Max. p. 6, max. 18.

MAJUS JUS. In old practice Greater rlght or inoie right. A plea in the old re.-il actions. 1 Reeve, Eng. Law, 476. Main: jus moralm, more mere right. Bract. fol. 31.

MAKE. 1. To cause to exist; to form, fashion, or produce; to do, perform, or exe-