BIL 



BIL 



tents of the intestinal canal, suffers a de- 

 composition ; that its alkali and saline in- 

 gredients combine with the chyle, and 

 render it more liquid, while its albumen 

 and resin combine with the excrementi- 

 tious matter, and gradually render them 

 less fluid. From the late experiments of 

 Berzelius on feces, it cannot be doubted 

 that the constituents of the bile are to be 

 found in the excrementitious matter; so 

 that the ingenious theory of Fourcroy is 

 so far probable. The bile also stimulates 

 the intestinal canal, and causes it to eva- 

 cuate its contents sooner than it other- 

 wise would do ; for when there is a de- 

 ficiency of bile, the body is constantly 

 costive. 



B1LINGUIS, in a general sense, signi- 

 fies one that speaks two languages ; but 

 in law it is used for a jury that passes in 

 any case between an Englishman and a 

 foreigner, whereof part ought to be Eng- 

 lish and part strangers. 



BILL, an instrument made of iron, edg- 

 ed in the form of a cresent, and adapted 

 to a handle. It is used by plumbers, to 

 perform several parts of their work ; by 

 basket-makers,to cut the largest pieces 

 of chesnut trees, and other wood; and by 

 gardeners, to prune trees. When short, 

 it is called a hand-bill, and when long, a 

 hedge-bill. 



BILL in trade, both wholesale and re- 

 tail, as also among workmen, signifies an 

 account of merchandizes or goods deli- 

 vered to a person, or of work done for 

 one. In those bills must be set down the 

 sums of money received on account, 

 which ought to be deducted from the 

 sum total. 



BILL of credit, that which a merchant or 

 banker gives to a person whom he can 

 trust, impowering him to receive money 

 from his correspondents in foreign coun- 

 tries. Though bills of credit be differ- 

 ent from bills of exchange, yet they en- 

 joy the same privileges ; for the money 

 paid in consequence of them is recovera- 

 ble by law. 



BILL of entry, an account of the goods 

 entered at the custom-house, both in- 

 wards and outwards. In this bill must be 

 expressed, the merchant exporting or im- 

 porting ; the quantity of merchandize, 

 and the divers species thereof; and whi- 

 ther transported, or from whence. 



BILL of exchange, a piece of paper, on 

 which is written a short order, given by a 

 merchant, &.c. for paving to such a per- 

 son, or his order, and in some countries to 

 the bearer, in a distant place, a sum of 

 money equivalent to that which such a 



merchant &c. has received in his dwell- 

 ing-house. 



BILL of lading, an acknowledgment 

 signed by the master of a ship, and given 

 to a merchant, &.c. containing an account 

 of the goods which the master has receiv- 

 ed on board from that merchant, &c. with 

 a promise to delver them at an intended 

 place for a certain salary. Each bill of 

 lading must be treble, one for the mer- 

 chant who loads the goods, another to be 

 sent to the person to whom they are con- 

 signed, and the third to remain in the 

 hands of the master of the ship. 



BILL of parcels, an account given by 

 the seller to the buyer, containing the par- 

 ticulars of all the sorts, and prices of 

 the goods bought. 



BILL of sale, is when a person, wanting 

 a sum of money, delivers goods as a se- 

 curity to the lender, to whom he gives 

 this bill, impowering him to sell the 

 goods, in case the sum borrowed is not 

 repaid, with interest, at the appointed 

 time.' 



BILL of store, a licence granted at the 

 custom-house to merchants, by which they 

 have liberty to carry, custom-free, all such 

 stores and provisions, as they may have 

 occasion for during their voyage. 



BILL of sufferance, a licence granted 

 to a merchant at the custom-house, suf- 

 fering him to trade from one English port 

 to another, without paying custom. 



BILL, bank, a private instrument, 

 whereby private persons become entitled 

 to a part in the bank stock. 



BILL, in law, a security for money, un- 

 der the hand, and sometimes the seal, of 

 the debtor. It is of two sorts, a single 

 bill without a penalty, or a bill with a pe- 

 nalty, called a penal bill ; which last is 

 all one with what we call a bond or obli- 

 gation, only it has not a condition. 



BILL denotes also a declaration, in 

 writing, expressing either some wrong 

 the complainant has suffered by the de- 

 fendant, or else a fault that the party com- 

 plained of has committed against some 

 law or statute of the realm. 



This bill is sometimes exhibited to jus- 

 tices at the general assises, by way of in- 

 dictment, or referred to others having 

 jurisdiction ; but more especially is ad- 

 dressed to the lofrd-chancelloi-jfor uncon- 

 scionable wrongs done. It contains the 

 thing or fact complained of, the damage 

 sustained, and a petition or process 

 against the defendant for redress ; and is 

 used both in criminal and civil cases. In 

 a criminal case, the words BILLA VERA 

 are indorsed by the grand jury upon a 



