494 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF FACTS. 



Value. The rate of worth or amount or price of a 

 commodity. . 



Venditioni K x punas. A writ directed to the sheriff, 

 commanding him to sell goods which he has taken pos- 

 session of under a writ of fieri facias, and which re- 

 main in his hands unsold. 



Vendor and Vendee. A vendor is the person who 

 sells, and a vendee the person who buys, anything. 



Venue. The county at which an action at law is in- 

 tended to be tried. 



Verdict. A verdict is the unanimous judgment or 

 opinion of the jury on the issue of fact submitted to 

 them. 



Vend. To sell ; to transfer for a pecuniary consider- 

 ation. 



Versus. Against. 



Viva Voce. By word of mouth. 



Voluntary Conveyance, or Settlement. A con- 

 veyance or settlement without any valuable considera- 

 tion. 



Voucher. A receipt or discharge. 



Void. Having no binding force or effect. 



Voidable. That which has some force or effect, but 

 which, in consequence of some inherent quality, may 

 be annulled or avoided. 



Waifs. Stolen goods which the thief has thrown 

 away or left behind him. 



Ward. An infant under the guidance and protec- 

 tion of a guardian. 



Warrant. An authority or precept from a justice, 

 commanding the apprehension of an offender, or a 

 search to be made for stolen goods. 



Warrant of Attorney. An authority given by any- 

 one to an attorney at law, to appear and plead for him ; 



or to suffer judgment to pass agninst hiir., 6y confessing 

 the action. 



Warranty. As applied to goods and chattels, may be 

 either expressed or implied ; the implied warranty onlv 

 extends to the title of the vendor. If that proves deri 

 cient, the purchaser may demand satisfaction from the 

 seller. 



Watercourse, Right of. A right to an uninterrupted 

 flow of water. 



Way, Itight of. The right of going over another 

 man's ground. 



Wages. Compensation for services. 



Waiver. The relinquishment or refusal to accept of 

 a right. 



Wares. Goods; merchandise; commodities. 



Wash Trades. Pretended trading. Trades ttiadf 

 on an open market by parties between whom there is a 

 tacit or private understanding that they shall be void. 

 Done with a view to influence prices and considered a 

 reprehensible practice. 



Watered Stock. An increase in capitalization with- 

 out a corresponding increase in assets. 



Wharfinger. The owner or keeper of a wharf. 



Will. A will is the legal written declaration of a 

 man's intentions of what he wills to be performed after 

 his death with reference to the disposition of his prop- 

 erty. It must be in writing, signed by the testator, and 

 attested by two witnesses, who must not only be present 

 and see the testator sign, but must themselves subscribe 

 the will as witnesses in the presence of the testator and 

 of each other. Without these formalities the will is in- 

 valid. A codicil is a kind of addendum or supplement 

 to a will. Its execution and attestation must be at 

 tended with the same formalities as the will itself. 



