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323 
where either of the parties suspects that the 
juror is inclined to favour the opposite party. 
1 Inst. 1 58. 
Principal challenge to the polls, is where 
cause is shewn, which if found true, stands 
sufficient of itself, without leaving any thing 
to the triers; as if the juror is under the 
age of twenty-one, it is a good cause of chal- 
lenge. 
Challenge to the polls for favour, is when 
neither party can take any principal chal- 
lenge ; but shews causes of favour, as that 
the iuror is a fellow-servant with either 
party. 
In cases of high-treason, and misprision of 
high-treason, the prisoner shall have his per- 
emptory challenge to the number of thirty- 
five. 1 Inst. 156. But with regard to petit- 
treason, murder, and other felonies, the 22 
Hen. VIII. c. 14. continues in force, which 
takes away the peremptory challenge of more 
than twenty. 
CHAM A, in zoology, a genus of shell-fish 
belonging to the order of testacea. The shell 
is thick and has two valves: there are 14 
species, principally distinguished by the 
figure of the shells. See Plate Nat. Hist, 
tigs. 107, 108. 
There is a great variety among the seve- 
ral species of chama; some being perfectly 
smooth, some striated, and some rugose, or 
even spinose ; whilst others are oblong, others 
roundish ; and some are equilateral. Among 
the species of this genus, we may reckon 
the concha Veneris, or Venus’s shell, with 
a spinose edge ; the agate chama ; and the 
cliama grvphoides and cordata. 
CHAMrEROPS, the dwarf palm, or little 
palmetto, a genus of the natural order of 
palms’. The hermaphrodite calyx is tripar- 
tite; the corolla tripetalous; there are six 
stamina, three pistils, and three mono- 
spermous plums. The male is a distinct 
plant, the same as the hermaphrodite. There 
are three species, the most remarkable of 
which is the 
Chamaerops glabra, a native of the West 
Indies, and warm parts of America, also of 
the corresponding latitudes of Asia and 
Africa. It never rises with a fall stein ; but 
when the plants are old, their leaves are live 
or six feet long, and upwards of two broad ; 
these spread open like a fan, having many 
foldings, and at the top are deeply divided 
like the ringers of a hand. This plant the 
Americans call thatch, from the use to which 
the leaves are applied. It may be easily 
raised in this country from seeds brought 
from America ; but as the plants are tender, 
they must be constantly kept in a bark- 
' stove. 
CHAMBER, in policy, the place where 
certain assemblies are held, also the assem- 
blies themselves. Of these some are es- 
tablished for the administration of justice, 
others for commercial affairs. 
Of the first kind are, 1. Star-chamber, so 
called, because the roof was painted with 
stars; the authority, power, and jurisdiction 
of which, are absolutely abolished by the sta- 
tute 17 Car. I. 2. Imperial chamber of 
Spire, the supreme court of judicatory in the 
empire, erected by Maximilian I. This 
chamber has a right of judging by appeal, 
and is the last resort of all civil affairs of the 
st ates and subjects of the empire, in the same 
manner as the aulic council of Vienna. Ne- 
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vertheless it is restrained iii several cases ; 
it takes no notice of matrimonial causes, 
these being left to the pope; nor of criminal 
causes, which either belong to particular 
princes or towns in their respective territo- 
ries, or are cognizable by all the states of 
the empire in a diet. By the treaty of Osna- 
burgh in 1648, fifty assessors were appointed 
for this chamber, whereof twenty-four were 
to be protestants, and twenty-six catholics, 
besides five presidents, two of them protest- 
ants, and the rest catholics. 3. Apostolical 
chamber of Rome, that wherein affairs relat- 
ing to the revenues of the church and the 
pope are transacted. This council consists 
of the cardinal-camerlingo, the governor of 
the rota, a treasurer, an auditor, a president, 
one advocate-general, a solicitor-general, a 
commissary, and twelve clerks. 4. Cham- 
ber of London, an apartment in Guildhall, 
where the city-money is deposited. Of the 
last sort are, 1 . The chambers of commerce. 
2. The chambers of assurance. 
The chamber of commerce is an assembly 
of merchants and traders, where the affairs 
relating to trade are treated of. There are 
several established in most of the chief cities 
of France ; and in our own country, we have 
lately seen chambers of this kind erected for 
various purposes. Chamber of assurance in 
France, denotes a society of merchants and 
others for carrying on the business of insur- 
ing; but in Holland, it signifies a court of 
justice, where causes relating to insurances 
are tried. 
CHAMBERLAIN, an officer charged 
with the management and direction of a 
chamber. 
Chamberlain. The office of lord 
great chamberlain of England is hereditary ; 
and where a person dies seized in fee ®f this 
office, leaving two sisters, the office belongs 
to both, and they may execute it by deputy, 
but such deputy must be approved of by the 
king, and must not be of a degree inferior 
to a knight. To the lord-chamberlain the 
keys of Westminster-hall, and the court of 
requests, are delivered upon all solemn oc- 
casions. He disposes of the sword of state 
to be carried before the king, when he comes 
to tire parliament, and goes on the right hand 
of the sword next the king’s person. He has 
the care of providing all things in the house 
of lords in the time of parliament. To him 
belong lively and lodgings in the king’s 
court, &c. and the gentleman usher of the 
black rod, yeoman usher, &c. are under his 
authority. 
the. lord chamberlain of the household 
has also superintendance of artificers retain- 
ed in the king’s service, messengers, comedi- 
ans, revels, music, Sec. 
Chamberlain of London is commonly the 
receiver of all rents and revenues belonging 
to that city, and has great authority in mak- 
ing and determining the rights of’ freemen, 
and regulating matters concerning appren- 
tices, orphans, See. 
Chamberlain of Chester, when there is no 
prince of Wales and earl of Chester, receives 
and returns all writs coming thither out of 
any of the king’s courts. 
CHAMBRANLE, among builders, an 
ornament of stone or wood bordering the 
three sides of doors, windows, and chimneys. 
CHAMFER, or Chamfret, in archi- 
tecture, an ornament consisting of half a 
Ss2 
scotia, being a kind of a small furrow or 
gutter on a column, called also scapus, stria. 
Sec. 
CHAMPAIN, or point chamfain, in 
heraldry, a mark of dishonour in the coat of 
arms of him who kills a prisoner of war alter 
he has cried quarter. 
CHAM PARTY, or Champerty, is the 
unlawful maintenance of a suit, in conside- 
ration of some bargain to have part of the 
iands or thing in dispute, or part of the gain. 
By stat. 33 Ed. 1. st. 3. both the cham- 
partor, and he who consents thereunto, shall 
be imprisoned three years, and make line at 
the king’s pleasure. 
CHAMPION, a person who undertook a 
combat in the place or quarrel of another ; 
and sometimes the word is used for him who 
fought in his own cause. It appears that 
champions, in the just sense of the word, were 
persons who fought instead of those that, by 
custom, were obliged to accept the duel, but 
had a just excuse for dispensing with it, as 
being too old, infirm, or being ecclesiastics, 
and the like. Such causes as could not be 
decided by the course of common law were 
often tried by single combat; and he who 
had the good fortune to conquer, was always 
reputed to have justice on his side. Cham- 
pions who fought for interest only were held 
infamous; these hired themselves to the no- 
bility, to fight for them in case of need, and 
did homage for their pension. When two 
champions were chosen to maintain a cause 
it was always required that there should be a 
decree of the judge to authorise the combat: 
when the judge had pronounced sentence, 
the accused threw a gage or pledge, origi- 
nally a glove or gauntlet, which being taken up 
by the accuser, they were both taken into 
safe custody till the day of battle appointed 
by the judge. Before the champions took 
the field, their heads were shaven to a kind 
of crown or round, which was left at the top : 
then they made an oath that they believed 
the person who retained them, to be in the 
right, &c. They always engaged on foot, 
and with no other weapon than a club and a 
shield, which weapons were blessed in the 
field by the priest, with great ceremony ; and 
they always made an offering to the church, 
that God might assist than in the battle. 
The action began with railing, and giving 
eaeffi other ill language; and at the sound of 
a trumpet, they went to blows. After the 
number of blows or encounters expressed in 
the cartel, the judges of the combat threw a 
rod into the air, to advertise the champions 
that the combat was ended. If it lasted till 
night, or ended with equal advantage on both 
sides, the accused was reputed the victor. 
If the conquered champion fought in the 
cause of a woman, and it was a capital of- 
fence, the woman was burnt, and the cham- 
pion hanged. If it was the champion of a 
man, and the crime capital, the vanquished 
was immediately disarmed, led out of the 
field, and hanged, together with the party 
whose cause he maintained. If the crime 
was not capital, he not only made satisfaction, 
but had his right hand cut off : the accused 
was to be close confined in prison, till the 
battle was over. 
Chamfion of the king, a person whose 
office it is, at the coronation of our kings, to 
ride armed into Westminster-hall, while the 
king is at dinner there, and, by the procla- 
