Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 01.djvu/385

ASSAY OFFICES 307 ASSIGNATS paste with water. The cupel, being thoroughly dried, is placed in a fire clay oven. This oven, called a muffle, is set in a furnace, and when it is at a red heat the assay, consisting of a small weighted portion of the alloy wrapped in sheet lead, is laid upon the cupel. The heat causes the lead to volatilize or com- bine with the other metals, and to sink with them into the cupel, leaving a bright globule of pure metallic silver, which gives the amount of silver in the alloy operated upon. In the wet process the alloy is dissolved in nitric acid, and to the solution are added m-easured quan- tities of a solution of common salt of known strength which precipitates chlo- ride of silver. The operation is concluded when no further precipitation is obtained on the addition of the salt solution, and the quantity of silver is calculated from the amount of salt solution used. An alloy of gold is first cupelled with lead as above, with the addition of three parts of silver for every one of gold. After the cupellation is finished, the alloy of gold and silver is beaten and rolled out into a thin plate, which is curled up by the fingers into a little spiral, or cornet. This is put into a flask with nitric acid, which dissolves away the silver and leaves the cornet dark and brittle. After washing with water, the cornet is boiled with stronger nitric acid to remove the last traces of silver, well washed, and then allowed to drop into a small cru- cible, in which it is heated, and then it is weighed. ASSAY OFFICES, in the United States, government establishments in which citizens may deposit gold and sil- ver bullion, receiving in return its value, less charges. The ofiices are in New York City; Boise City, Ida.; Helena, Mont.; Denver, Col.; Deadwood, S. D.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Carson, Nev.; New Orleans, La.; Seattle, Wash,; San Fi-ancisco, Cal. ; Charlotte, N. C; and St. Louis, Mo. ASSEGAI, a spear used as a weapon among the Kafiirs of South Africa, made of hard wood tipped with iron, and used for throwing or thrusting, ASSEMBLY, CONSTITUENT, See Assembly, National. ASSEMBLY, GENERAL, an official name of the supreme ecclesiastical court of the Established Church of Scotland, of the Free Church of Scotland, of the Presbjrterian Church in Ireland, and of the two Presbyterian Churches in the United States. The term is also used in the United States to designate the dual legislative body of the several States, 21— Vol. I— Cyc the branches being commonly spoken of as the Senate and the House (of Repre- sentatives), ASSEMBLY, NATIONAL, a body set up m France on the eve of the Revolu- tion. Upon the convocation of the States-General by Louis XVI., the privi- leged nobles and clergy refused to de- liberate in the same chamber with the commons, or tiers-etat (third estate). The latter, therefore, on the proposition of the Abbe Sieyes, constituted them- selves an Assemblee Nationale, with legislative powers (June 17, 1789). They bound themselves by oath not to separate until they had furnished France with a constitution, and the court was compelled to give its assent. In the 3,250 decrees passed by the Assembly were laid the foundation of a new epoch, and having accomplished this task, it dis- solved itself, Sept. 30, 1791. The term is also applied to a joint meeting of the Senate and Corps Legislatif, for the pur- pose of electing a chief magistrate or the transaction of other extraordinary business, ASSETS' (French, assez, enough), property or goods available for the pay- ment of a bankrupt or deceased person's obligations. Assets are personal or real, the former comprising all goods, chattels, etc., devolving upon the executor as sal- able to discharge debts and legacies. In commerce and bankruptcy the term is often used as the antithesis of liabili- ties, to designate the stock in trade and entire property of an individual or an association. ASSIDEANS, CHASIDEANS, or CHA- SIDIM, one of the two great sects into which, after the Babylonian captivity, the Jews were divided with regard to the observance of the law — the Chasidim accepting it in its later developments, the Zadikim professing adherence only to the law as given by Moses. From the Chasidim sprang the Pharisees, Tal- mudists, Rabbinists, Cabbalists, etc. ASSIGNATS (as-e-nya') , the name of the national paper currency in the time of the French Revolution. Assignats to the value of 400,000,000 francs were first struck off by the Constituent As- sembly, with the approbation of the King, April 19, 1790, to be redeemed with the proceeds of the sale of the con- fiscated goods of the Church. On Aug. 27, of the same year, Mirabeau urged the issuing of 2,000,000,000 francs of new assignats, which caused a dispute in the Assembly. Mirabeau's exertions, however, were seconded by Pethion and 800,000,000 francs more were issued.