CON 



CON 



Nova Zembla, and the lands of Jesso. 

 The fourth comprehends Nexv Holland, 

 &c. 



CONTINGENT, something casual or 

 uncertain. Hence future contingent, in 

 logic, denotes a conditional event which 

 may or may not happen, according as cir- 

 cumstances fall out. 



CoNTixiK.vr is also a term of relation 

 for the quota that falls to any person upon 

 a division. Thus each prince in German/, 

 in time of war, was formerly obliged to 

 furnish so many men, so much money and 

 ammunition, for his contingent. 



CONTINGENT ute, in law, is an use li- 

 mited in a conveyance of lands which may 

 or may not happen to vest, according to 

 the contingency mentioned in the limita- 

 tion of the use. And a contingent re- 

 mainder is when an estate is limited to 

 take place at a time to come, on an un- 

 certain event. 



CONTINGEST legacy, is a legacy which 

 may or may not happen. If a legacy be 

 left to one when he shall attain, or if he 

 shall attain the age of twenty-one years, 

 this is a contingent legacy, and if the lega- 

 tee die before that time, the legacy shall 

 not vest. But a legacy to one, to be paid 

 when he attains the age of twenty-one 

 years, is a vested legacy ; an interest 

 which commences in pr<esenti, although it 

 be tolvenilum infuticro : and if the legatee 

 die before that age, his representatives 

 shall receive it out of the testator's per- 

 sonal estate, at the same time that it 

 would have become payable in case the 

 legatee had lived. 



CONTINUANCE of a writ or action, is 

 its continuing in force from one term to 

 another, where the sheriff has not re- 

 turned a former writ issued out in the 

 same action. With respect to continu- 

 ances, the court of King's Bench is not 

 to enter them on the roll till after issue 

 ordemurrer, and then they enter the con- 

 tinuance of all on the back, before judg- 

 ment 



CONTINUED proportion, in arithmetic, 

 is that where the consequent of the first 

 ratio is the same with the antecedent of 

 the second , as 4 : 8 :: 8 : 16, in contra- 

 ils' inction to discrete proportion. 



CONTORTION, in medicine, has many 

 significations. 1. It denotes the iliac pas- 

 sion. 2. An incomplete dislocation, when 

 a bone is in part, but not entirely, forced 

 from its articulation. 3. A dislocation of 

 vertebrae of the back sideways, or a 

 crookedness of these vertebrsr. And, 4. A 

 disorder of the head, in which it is drawn 

 towards one side, either by a spasmodic 



contraction of the muscles on the same 

 side, or a palsy of the antagonist muscles 

 on the otlit-r. 



CONTORT JE, inTioUny, twisted plants. 

 Tlie name of the thirteenth order in Lin- 

 nxtis's fragments of a natural method, 

 consisting of plants which have a single 

 petal that is twisted or bent toward one 

 side. This order is divided into plants 

 with twisted Mowers, having five stamina 

 and one style ; and plan:s with twisted 

 flowers, having five stamina and scarce 

 any style ; of the first, the genus Vinca, 

 periwinkle, is an example ; of the se- 

 cond, Apocynum, dog's-bane, is an ex- 

 ample. 



CONTORTED, in natural history, twist- 

 ed, or incumbent on each other in an ob- 

 lique direction. 



CONTOUR, in painting, the out-line, 

 or that which defines a figure. 



CONTRABAND, in commerce, a pro- 

 hibited commodity or merchandise, bought 

 or sold, imported or exported, in preju- 

 dice to the laws and ordinances of a 

 state, or the pubh'c prohibitions of the 

 sovereign. Contraband goods are not 

 only liable to confiscation themselves,' 

 but also subject all other allowed mer- 

 chandise found with them in the same 

 box, bale or parcel, together with the 

 horses, waggons, fcc. which conduct 

 them. There are contrabands likewise, 

 which, besides the forfeiture of the goods, 

 are attended with several penalties and 

 disabilities. 



In this country, there arc two principal 

 contrabands for exportation, wools and 

 live sheep, which all strangers are pro- 

 hibited from carrying out of the country ; 

 the other, that of sheep skins and calf 

 skins. Sec CUSTOMS. 



CONTRACT, in a general sense, a mu- 

 tual consent of two or more parlies, who 

 voluntarily promise and oblige themselves 

 to do something, pay a certain sum, or 

 the like. All donations, exchanges, leases, 

 &c. are so many different contracts. 



COSTHACT, in common law, an agree- 

 ment or bargain between two or more 

 persons, with a legal consideration or 

 cause ; as where a person sells goods, 

 8bc. to another for a sum of money ; or 

 covenants, in consideration of a certain 

 sum, or an annual rent, to grant a lease 

 of a mehsu^gi*, &c. Contracts are two- 

 fold, either express or implied. Express 

 contracts are where the terms of the 

 agreement are openly uttered, as, to pay 

 a stated price for certain goods. Implied, 

 are such as reason and justice dictate, 

 a.id which, therefore, the law presumes 



