bill 
3. In lau; a mime fjivon lo several papers in 
lawsuits; particularly, when used alone, to the 
hill in c</lilll/ or bill <;/' iliilli-tln/iil (see below). 
It is a statement ot complaint, an, I couuiii- th, t:ic( com- 
plained i>f, the diiniUKi' unstained, and a petition orprocesa 
anainst I he defendant tor redivs.-. It is used both inequity 
ami in criminal cases. In Sw low, Trr summary appll- 
i :ilioii in writing by way of prtition tii the Court of Ses- 
Ion, Is called 
4. In i-<i in., a written statement of the names, 
quantities, and prices of articles sold by one 
person to another, with the date of sale, or a 
statement of work done, witli the amount 
churned; un aeemnit of money claimed for 
goods supplied or services rendered. 
U |iy, plea.se, nia'uiii, it is only thy little bill, a very 
small arrount, I wanted tht'c to settle. 
Quoted iii IM!II llllaii<l'it Sydney Smith, vil. 
6. An acknowledgment of debt ; a promissory 
note: now obsolete except us sometimes used, 
especially in the United States, for bunk-note. 
See 10. 6. A bill of exchange (which see, 
below). 7. Any written paper containing a 
statement of particulars : as, a bill of charges 
or expenditures; a bill of fare or provisions, 
etc. 8. A form or .draft of a proposed statute 
presented to a legislature, but not yet enacted 
or passed and made law. In some cases statutes are 
calli'il ixih, but usually they are qualified by some de- 
scription : as, a bill of attainder. 
9. A paper written or printed, and intended 
to pave public notice of something, especially 
by being exhibited in some public place : an ad- 
vertisement posted ; a placard. 10. A bank- 
note : usually with its amount : as, a five-dollar 
bill. [U. S.J Accommodation bill. See accommo- 
dation. Appropriation bill. See appropriation. Aft. 
proved bill or note. See iippnwi. Bank post-bill, 
a bill for a sum not less than 10 issued by the Bank 
of England without charge, payable at seven days' sight 
and accepted at time of drawing, for convenience in re- 
mitting l>\ post. Bills of this kind originated in 1738, 
\vhen mail-robberies were frequent in England, and are 
not now in use. Bill In equity, in an equity suit, the 
pleading in which the plaintiff sets forth the circum- 
stances on which he bases his claim for relief. It corre- 
sponds to the complaint or declaration at common law. 
Bill Of adventure, a writing signed by a merchant. 
ship-owner, or master to show that goods shipped on board 
a certain vessel are at the venture of another person, he 
himself being answerable only for their delivery. Bill Of 
credit, (a) A letter sent by an agent or other person to 
a merchant requesting him to give credit to the bearer for 
goods or money, (b) Paper issued by the authority and 
on the faith of a State to be circulated as money. The 
Constitution of the United States (Art. I. 10) provides 
that no State shall emit bills of credit, or make anything 
but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts. 
Mr. Bancroft shows by a careful upturning of the colo- 
nial records that bills of credit were nothing else than 
Government legal- tender notes. The Century, XXXII. 160. 
Bill Of debt, an old term including promissory notes and 
bonds for the payment of money. Bill Of entry, a writ- 
ten account of goods entered at tile custom-house, whether 
imported or intended for export. Bill Of exceptions. 
See exception. Bill Of exchange, an order in writing, 
addressed by one person to another, to pay on demand or 
at a fixed or determinable future time a certain sum in 
money to a specified person or to his order. Every com- 
pleted bill of exchange should bear on its face the follow- 
ing : (a) three names, namely, those of the drawer, the 
drawee, and the payee ; (6) the sum to be paid ; (c) two 
dates, namely, the date of drawing and a time for pay- 
ment or the means of determining the time, as where the 
bill is payable at sight or a certain time after sight, that 
is, presentment ; (d) the place where It is drawn. If the 
drawer ami drawee are the same person, even in legal 
effect of name, as where a corporation by one officer 
draws on itself by naming another officer, as such, as the 
payee, the paper is not a bill of exchange, but a mere 
draft or promissory note. The drawer and the payee, 
however, may be the same, as where one draws to his own 
order and indorses to a third person. If the paper is not 
payable absolutely, as where it is expressed to be paya- 
ble only out of a particular fund, it is not a bill of ex- 
change ; but a payment absolutely ordered may be di- 
rected to be charged to a particular account of the drawer. 
The words " value received" are usually inserted, but are 
not essential to validity. The drawee of a bill becomes 
liable by accepting it. usually done by writing his name 
across its face, and be is thereafter called the accepter; but 
a bill is negotiable before acceptance. In a foreign bill 
of exchange, the drawer and drawee are residents of differ- 
ent countries. In this respect, in the United States, the 
residents of the dilteretit states are foreign to one another. 
Bills Of exchange acts, a short name by which are 
known several British statutes (1871, 1H7H, and 1882), the 
last of which en, titles the whole body uf British law re- 
lating to negotiable piper. B1H of fare, in a hotel or 
restaurant, a li>t of dishes to be served in tine course at a 
regular meal, or which may be ordered. BUI Of health, 
a certificate signed by a consul or other authority as to 
the health of a ship's company at the time of her clear- 
ing any port or place. A cl> itn hill imports that the ship 
sail-''! at a time when no infectious disorder was supposed 
to e\i-t; a Miv/rfc,/ or ti'in-h- d hill imports that there 
were rumors of such a disorder, but that it had not ap- 
l>r:n et! ; iiftnil hill, or tile absence of a clean bill, imports 
that the place of departure was infected when the vessel 
left. Bill of Indictment, see imiietuift.--wi of 
lading, a receipt for goods delivered to a carrier for 
transportation. It is usually of ^omls shipped on Iniard 
of a vessel and signed liy the master of the vessel, ac- 
knowledging the receipt of the goods, and usually prom- 
ising to deliver them in good condition at the place di. 
568 
rrctcd, dangers of thr sea, the art of <Jod, perils of war, 
etc., rxccpt<-<i. In !"[ i'_-n Hint.- tln-> ;u r u>ii;ill> drawn 
up In triplirat-'s. i>m- "t' wliiHi ^"o tn (lit- .-liipprr, one to 
tin- conngnee, ;md "ii.- is ivt;iint_'d by the maMrr. "ftm 
abbreviate! It. L. Bills Of Lading Act. a liritish stat- 
ute of l-i..." t , \r--tiM_' n-lit> under bills of lading in th<- 
consignee or itnlni --r. !>uf i>-.-i-\iny rik'ht of *toppji^c in 
tnmtiitu ami claims for freight. Similar statutes in otln r 
jurisdictions are variously known. Bill Of mortality. 
S. . mm tniitif. Bill Of parcels, :m account Kiv--u by tin- 
seller to the buyer, cuiitaininu particulars of the oo.g 
bought and <>f their prices; an invoice. BUI of particu- 
lars, a writing setting forth in detail the partteiuan of a 
nutter stated in a more, general form in a pleading. Bill 
Of Rights. (") An logUlb statute of Itw* (1 Win. and 
Mary, Sess. 2, c. 2)deelarinu r the rights and liberties of the 
subject, and settling the *u<v.^siMi, of tbtefOW&la William 
of'Oraimc and Mary, and to the rightful heirs of the lat- 
ter, but excluding any beinj; Konntn Catholics; it also 
provided that Protestants might have in their possession 
anus for defense suitable to their conditions. (/;) A simi- 
lar statement or declaration of personal rights in the 
constitution of a State of the American Union, and incor- 
porated in the amendments to the Constitution of the 
United States. BUI Of sale, a formal instrument for 
the conveyance or transfer of personal chatteU, as house- 
hold furniture, stock in a shop, shares of a ship, or the like. 
It is often given to a creditor in security for money bor- 
rowed, or an obligation otherwise incurred. When it ex- 
pressly empowers the receiver to Bell the goods if the 
money is not repaid with interest at the appointed time, 
or the obligation not otherwise discharged, the contract 
is commonly called in the United States a chattel tnort- 
gage, not a bill of sale. Bills of sale acts, a name given 
to several English 8tatutes(lB78, 1S79, 1882, and 1883), regu- 
lating bills of sale, especially when given without trans- 
ferring possession of the property, and requiring a schedule 
and registration, for the prevention of fraud on creditors. 
BUI Of sight, a form of entry at a custom-house by 
which goods respecting which the importer haa not the 
full particulars may be provisionally landed for examina- 
tion. Bill of stores, a license granted at a custom-house 
to merchant -ships to carry stores and provisions for their 
voyage duty-free. Bill Of sufferance, a coasting license 
to trade from port to port without paying customs duty, 
the dutiable goods being loaded and landed at sufferance 
wharfs. BUI payable, bill receivable, a bill of ex- 
change, promissory note, or other commercial paper. It 
is called a bill payable by the person who is to pay it, and 
a bill receivable by the person who holds it. Separate ac- 
counts under these names are usually kept in mercantile 
books. Blacks tone 's Hard-labor Bill, an English stat- 
ute of 1779 (19 Geo. III., c. 74) relating to the transporta- 
tion, imprisonment, and punishment of convicts. It es- 
tablished " penitentiary houses," required that prisoners 
should be put to severe work according to their ability 
and be separately connned when at rest, and prescribed 
minute regulations for their care and control. Bland 
Silver Bill, a United States statute of 1878 (20 Stat, 25) : 
so called from its author, Kichard P. Bland, a member of 
the House from Missouri. It reestablished the silver dol- 
lar containing 412} grains troy of standard silver as a legal 
tender; but its special feature was a clause requiring the 
Treasury to purchase every month not less than two mil- 
lion nor more than four million dollars' worth of silver 
bullion and to coin it into dollars. Boston Port Bill, an 
English statute of 1774 (14 Geo. III., c. 19) incited by the 
destruction of tea in Boston harbor. It closed the port of 
Boston to trade, allowing the admission only of food and 
fuel brought from other parts of America. Creditor's 
bill. See creditor. Deceased Wife's Sister Bill, a bill 
repeatedly introduced into the British Parliament to ab- 
rogate the rule of English law which forbids a widower U) 
marry the sister of his deceased wife. Owing to opposi- 
tion, chiefly on the part of the clergy, it has not up to this 
time (1889) become a law. Deficiency bill, (a) A short 
loan or advance made to the British government by the 
Bank of England whenever the taxes received are insuf- 
ficient to pay the dividends due on government stocks. 
(b) A legislative hill appropriating an amount of money 
required to make up the deficiency of a previous appro- 
priation which has proved inadequate. Exchequer 
bill. See exchequer. General Deficiency Bill, the 
name of that one of the appropriation bills passed by 
Congress which covers the deficiencies of previous appro- 
priation bills. Home-Rule Bill, a bill introduced into 
the British Parliament by Mr. Gladstone, in 1886, to pro- 
vide a separate parliament for Ireland. It was defeated 
in its second reading, June 7, 1886. Jew Bill, an English 
statute of 1753 (repealed in 1754) enabling Jews who were 
foreigners to be naturalized without first partaking of the 
sacrament. Kansas-Nebraska Bill, an act of the Uni- 
ted States Congress of 1854 for the organization of the Ter- 
ritories of Kansas ami Nebraska- It abrogated that pro- 
vision of the Missouri compromise of 18*20 which forbade 
slavery north of latitude 36' 30* (the southern boundary of 
Missouri), left the decision of all questions as to slavery 
in the Territories or States formed from them to the rep- 
resentatives of the people residing there, extended the 
fugitive-slave law to these Territories, and allowed appeal 
in cases affecting the title to slaves from the local courts 
to the United States Supreme Court. The political conse- 
quences of the bill were most important, causing the de- 
struction of the Whig party and the struggle between the 
roslavery and antislavery parties for the control of the 
erritories, which culminated in the war of secession and 
the total abolition of slavery. Original bill in equity, 
in fair, a bill of complaint originating a litigation; one 
not connected with a previous bill, as distinguished from 
one growing out of a matter before litigated in the court 
by the same person standing in the same interests. Pen- 
dleton BUI, a United states statute of l^'i (> Stat., 403) 
regulating mid improving the civil service: so called after 
its promoter. Senator lieorge H. Peiidleton of Ohio. It 
provides far tm competitive examination of applicants for 
olhre, and their appointment to vacancies according to 
their grade as established )v the examining i-Mininission. 
Poland Bill, a United States statute of 1S74 (18 Stat, 
Q called after it author, Luke P. Poland, a member of 
the House of Representatives from Vermont, the design of 
which was to render etfeetive the authority of the "iti.-ers 
ami courts of the United states in the Territory of I lah. 
by prescribing the duties uf the United States marshal 
billet 
and attorney , the jurisdiction "f the courts, tin- impanel- 
ing of jurii-s, appeals, etc.- -Private bill, ana< tof a legis- 
lature which deals with f .1 -.iiiL-lr individual 
or awociation, or of a ^ronj, of m,!i\ iduals. as distinguish- 
ed (rum -aitccting tin- community generally, or all ]T- 
olis of a specified claw) or 1m ality. It i regarded rather 
as In the nature of a judicial award or decree than as ft 
statute or law. To enter a bill abort. See enter. To 
note a bill of exchange. SIT jmte, r. f. (For other 
not,-, I I, ill, on ],:irtii nlar subjects, such as Kr.form Hill, tee 
ih, v. ord characterizing tin- liill. KorothiTs l>< < r known 
t.y the term <!>!. *ttn!. , etc., 866 those Words. ) 
bill 3 (bil), r. t. [< bills, .] i. TO enter in a 
bill ; make a bill or list of; charge or enter in 
an account for future payment : as, to bill goods 
or freight to a consignee ; to bill passengers in a 
stage-coach; to bill a customer's purchases. 
See book, r. t. 
Parties in the United States having uond to ship to 
i 01, ;i may, as heretofore, have tin in i,ill,:l to Yokohama 
by American or other lines and then rebilled to Corea. 
U. S. COM. Rep., No. 73, p. cxil. 
2. To advertise by bill or public notice ; an- 
nounce on a play-bill: as, he was billed to 
appear as Othello. 
bill 4 (bil), n. [Var. of E. dial, beel, beal, < leal, 
v., var. of bell*.] A bellow or roar: applied to 
the boom of the bittern. 
The bittern's hollow bill was heard. 
Wordmmrth, Evening Walk. 
billage 1 (bil'aj), n. [E. dial., prob. < ML. bir- 
legia: see by-late.] A method of settling dis- 
putes about boundaries by arbitration. [Local, 
Eng. (Kent).] 
billage^t, and v. A corruption of bilge. 
billard (bil'Srd), n. [See bil.] A local Eng- 
lish name of the coalfisb. 
Billbergia (bil-ber'ji-ii), n. [NL., named after 
J. Gr. Billberg, a Swedish botanist.] A genus 
of epiphytic plants, natural order Bromeliacea;. 
There are 20 species, with crowded spinosely serrate leaves 
and panicled or racemose flowers. They grow on trees in 
tropical America, and have been Introduced Into hothouses 
for the sake of their beautiful and fragrant flowers. 
bill-board 1 (bil'bord), n. K bilft + board.] 
Naut., a projection sheathed with iron placed 
abaft the cathead, 
for the bill of the an- 
chor to rest on. See 
anchor-lining. 
bill-board" (bil'- 
bord), n. [< bills + 
board.] A board or 
tablet on which ad- 
vertising bills or pla- 
cards may be posted. 
bill-book (biVbuk), 
n. A book in which 
a merchant keeps a 
I, Bill-board ; 3, Bill-port. 
record of the details of his bills of exchange, 
promissory notes, etc., payable and receivable. 
bill-broker (bil'brp'ker), n. One whoso busi- 
ness it is to negotiate the discount of bills of 
exchange, either simply as agent or by buying 
and selling again, with or without a guaranty. 
[British.] 
bill-Chamber (bil'cham"bcr), n. [< bilP + 
chamber.] A department of the Court of Ses- 
sion in Scotland in which one of the judges 
officiates at all times during session and vaca- 
tion. All proceedings for summary remedies or for pro- 
tection against some threatened action, as, for example, 
interdicts, begin in the bill-chaml>er. The process of se- 
questration or bankruptcy issues from this department of 
the court. 
billed (bild), a. [ME. billid; < bilfl + -e(P.] 
Furnished with or having a bill or beak: used 
chiefly in composition : as, a short-billed bird. 
billementt, n. See biliment. 
billeti (bil'et), . [< ME. billette, < AF. billette 
(ML. billeta, F. billet, billette), dim. of bilk, a 
writing: see bill 3 .] 1. A small paper or note in 
writing ; a short letter or document. 
I got your melancholy Lillet liefore we sat down to din- 
ner. Sterne, Letters, Ixxxiv. 
2. A ticket given by a billet-master or other 
officer directing the person to whom it is ad- 
dressed to provide board and lodging for the 
soldier bearing it. 
The soldiers distributed themselves among the houses 
of the most opulent citizens, no one escaping a billet who 
was rich enough to receive such company. 
Motley, Dutch Republic, II. 547. 
Hence 3. The place where a soldier is lodged ; 
lodging; accommodation. 4. The place (mark- 
ed by a numbered hammock-hook) assigned to 
each of the crew of a man-of-war for slinking 
his hammock. Hence 5. A place, situation, 
position, or appointment: as, he is looking 
for a, billet. [Vulgar.] 6f. A ballot or vot- 
ing-paper Act Of Billets (Scotch Parliament. 1662X 
a measure by which the twelve persons exempted from 
