JOINT TENANT'S JONAH. 



company paid the government for this privilege, in- 

 tending, of course, to indemnify tliemselves by their 

 profits. They paid a tax with the intention of reim- 

 bursing tliemselves, just as mi importer pays duties 

 on his goods, intending to charge the amount, with 

 a profit, in the price to (lie consumer. It was in 

 opposition to these monopolies that the doctrines of 

 free trade, as they are called, originated ; and, con- 

 sidered in reference to such monopolies, these <li>r- 

 trines are undoubtedly just, and so universally held to 

 be ; but they are extended by many much beyond 

 these limits. Where only the fund is liable, and not 

 tlif individuals who contribute it, no injustice is done 

 to the creditors of the company, provided the law 

 secures the actual payment of the fund ; for if a per- 

 son gives credit to a certain fund, knowing the risks 

 to which it is exposed by the kind of business in 

 which it is embarked, he has no ground of dissatis- 

 faction with the members of the company, or the 

 laws, though this fund should prove to be insolvent. 

 This is the most limited responsibility of the contri- 

 butors to a joint-stock. In other associations of this 

 kind, the contributors are liable to a certain amount 

 for tlie debts of the concern ; as, for instance, to 

 an additional amount equal to that of their respec- 

 tive shares of stock ; or each is liable for his pro- 

 portion of the debts, according to that of his 

 stock. There are also, in the different associa- 

 tions of this description, under the laws of different 

 countries, various conditions on which the liability 

 depends; and also various conditions, which must be 

 complied with, in managing the concerns of the com- 

 pany, in order to keep within the limit of the modified 

 responsibility. Still another description of joint-stock 

 companies is that of limited copartnerships, or com- 

 panies in which one or more of the members are 

 liable I'M solido, and the others no otherwise liable 

 than for the loss of the proportion of capital which 

 they have put into the concern. This is uniting in 

 the same company the characteristics of a corporation 

 with the most limited responsibility of individual 

 members, and those of a copartnership with an un- 

 limited individual liability. The evident advantages 

 of limited copartnerships, by giving encouragement 

 to persons depending on income, and not devoting 

 themselves personally to the prosecution of active 

 business, to devote their capital to production and 

 trade, without subjecting them to unlimited responsi- 

 bility, recommend them to adoption in every code of 

 laws. Joint-stock companies, whatever their form, 

 and however extensive or limited the liability of the 

 members, are subject to one abuse, which grows out 

 of their very nature and constitution, and cannot, 

 therefore be wholly prevented. They are liable to 

 be used, by fraudulent or over sanguine people, as 

 bubbles. The fact of their being subject to such 

 perversion, produces a strong and unjust prejudice 

 against them, in the minds of many persons. There 

 is no institution or form of association that is free 

 from abuses and perversions. The engines of greatest 

 power act the most destructively when their powers 

 are wrongly directed, or when they are deranged in 

 their action; but this is no ground of argument 

 against making use of them. It is only a reason for 

 precautions and regulations. 



JOINT TENANTS are those that hold lands or 

 tenements by one title, without partition. The crea- 

 tion of an estate in joint tenancy depends on the 

 wording of the deed or devise by which the tenant 

 claims title, and cannot arise by act of law. If any 

 estate be given to a plurality of persons, without 

 adding any restrictive, exclusive, or explanatory 

 words, this makes them immediately joint tenants 

 in fee of the lands. If there be two joint tenants, 

 and one release the other, this passes a fee without 



the word heirs. Joint tenants may make partition. 

 The one party may compel the other to make parti- 

 tion, which must be by deed ; that is to say, all the 

 parties must, by deed, actually convey and assure to 

 each other the several estates which they are to take 

 and enjoy severally and separately. Joint tenants 

 must jointly implead and be jointly impleaded with 

 others. If one joint tenant refuse to join in an action, 

 lie may be summoned and severed ; but if the person 

 severed die, the writ abates in real actions, but not 

 in personal and mixed actions. 



JOLIBA, or DJOLIBA. See Niger. 



JOLLY BOAT. See Boat. 



JOMELLI, NICCOLO; a musical composer, born 

 1714, at Aversa, in the kingdom of Naples. He 

 first studied at Naples, under Feo, and afterwards 

 under Martini at Bologna. At first, he composed 

 ballets a sort of music then so little esteemed in 

 Italy, that he did not own himself the author of his 

 first comic opera (L'Errore Amoroso), but gave it to 

 the world under the name of Valentino, a master of 

 not much reputation. This opera, which he com- 

 posed at the age of twenty-three, probably for the 

 new theatre at Naples, was crowned with great 

 applause, by which he was encouraged to continue 

 his compositions. In 1738, he wrote his Odoardo, 

 for the theatre of Florence, with still greater success!, 

 which induced him, in 1740, to go to Rome. He. 

 now wrote, from 1740 to 1748, fourteen operas for 

 Rome, of which the Astianatte, Ifigenia, and Cai 

 Mario, are particularly worthy of mention, in the 

 latter of which, the beautiful air Sposo, io vado a 

 morir, was received with the highest admiration. 

 Besides these, he composed several operas for Venice, 

 and other cities. He now received the place of 

 chapel-master in St Peter's, and composed, besides 

 several motettes, the psalm Benedictus Dominus Devs 

 Israel (Blessed Lord God of Israel), the music of 

 which is a masterpiece. The duke of Wurtemberg 

 then engaged him in his service, and Jomelli went to 

 Stuttgart, where he remained from 1748 to 1765, en- 

 joying the highest distinction, and exercising great 

 influence on German music. When he, returned to 

 Italy, John V., king of Portugal, invited him to his 

 court. Although he declined this invitation, he 

 composed a considerable number of operas for the 

 king, and sent him copies of all his subsequent works. 

 He afterwards composed two operas in Rome, both 

 of which were unsuccessful. He then removed to 

 Naples, where he met with no better success ; and, 

 August 28, 1774, he died of apoplexy, produced, as 

 is supposed, by chagrin at the success of the German 

 Schuster, and the ill reception of his own operas. 

 His Requiem and Miserere are particularly cele- 

 brated. 



JONAH (Hebrew, signifying dove, and also the 

 powerful), one of the minor prophets, son of Amit- 

 tai, and according to 2 Kings, xiv, 25, a contem- 

 porary of Jeroboam II., was born at Gath-Hepher, 

 in Galilee. In the book which bears his name, it is 

 related that he received a command from God, to go 

 and prophesy against Nineveh; but he fled to Joppa, 

 and embarked for Tarshish. The vessel being tossed 

 by a storm, it was concluded to draw lots, in order 

 to determine who was the cause of the tempest. The 

 lot fell upon Jonah, who was thrown overboard by 

 his own request, because lie had been disobedient to 

 God, but was swallowed by a large fish (according 

 to the ancient commentators, a whale; according to 

 moderns, a shark). After he had remained three 

 days and nights in the belly of the fish, the Lord 

 spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on dry 

 land. He now went to Nineveh, and prophesied its 

 destruction; but, the king and people having repent- 

 ed, Nineveh was spared. Jonah, angry at this, went 



