QUA 
parallel witli the horizon, and a breaking 
grain, running perpendicular thereto ; they 
observe by the grain where it will cleave, 
and there drive in a number of wedges, till 
they have cleft it from the rest of the rock. 
This done, they proceed to break it ; in 
order to which applying the ruler to it, 
they strike a line, and by this cut a little 
channel with their stone-axe ; and in the 
channel if the stone be three or four feet 
long, set five or six wedges, driving them in 
very carefully with gentle blows, and still 
keeping them equally forward. Having 
thus broken the stone in length, which they 
are able to do of any size within half an 
inch, they apply a square to the straight 
side, strike a line, and proceed to break it 
in breadth. This way of managing stone is 
found vastly preferable to that where they 
are broken at random : one load of the 
former being found to do the business of a 
load and a half of the latter. But it may 
be observed, that this cleaving grain being 
generally wanting in the harder kinds of 
stones, to break up these in the quarries, 
they have g'-eat heavy stone-axes, with, 
which they work down a deep channel 
into the stone; and into this channel, at the 
top, lay two iron bars between which they 
drive their iron wedges. 
Quarry, among glaziers, a pane of glass 
cut in a diamond form. Quarries are of 
two kinds, square and long, each of which 
are of different sizes, expressed by the num- 
ber of the pieces that make a foot of glass, 
viz, eighths, tenths, twelfths, eighteenths, 
aed twentieths ; but all the sizes are cut to 
the same angles, the acute angle in the 
square quarriesjbeing 77“ 19', and 67° 21' in 
the long ones. 
QUART, a measure containing the 
fourth part of some other measure. The 
English quart is the fourth part of a gallon, 
or two pints. See PAt. 
QUARTER, the fourth part of any 
thing, the fractional expression for which 
is i- Quarter, in weights, is generally used 
for the fourth part of an hundred weight, 
avoirdupois, or twenty-eight pounds. Used 
as the name of a dry measure, quarter is 
the fourth part of a ton in weight, or eight 
bushels. 
Quarter, in law, the fourth part of a 
year ; and hence the days on which these 
quarters commence, are called quarter- 
days, viz. March 25, or Lady-day ; June 24, 
or Midsiunmef-day ; September 29, or 
Michaelmas; and December 21, or St. 
Thomas the apostle’s day. On these days 
QUA 
rents on leases, &c. are usually reserved to 
be paid ; though December 25, or Christ- 
mas-day, is commonly reckoned the last 
quarter-day. 
Quarter, in astronomy, the fourth part 
of the Moon’s period : thus, from the new 
Moon to the quadrature is the first quar- 
ter ; from this to full Moon, the second 
quarter, &c. 
Quarter, in heraldry, is applied to the 
parts or members of the first division of a 
coat that is quartered, or divided into four 
quarters. 
Quarter sessions. The sessions of the 
peace is a court of record holden before 
two or more justices, whereof one is of tlie 
quorum, for the execution of the authority 
given them by the commission of the peace, 
and certain statutes and acts of parliament. 
The justices keep their sessions in every 
quarter of the year at least, and for three 
days if need be ; to wit, in the first week 
after the feast of St. Michael, in the first 
week after the Epiphany, in the first week 
after Easter, and in the first week after 
St. Thomas, and oftener if need be. 
Any two justices, one whereof is of the 
quorum, by the words of the commission 
of the peace, may issue their precept to the 
sheriff, to summon a session for Uie general 
execution of their authority ; and such ses- 
sion, holden at any time within that quarter 
of a year, is a general quarter-session, and 
the sheriff must summons a jury under their 
authority. 
There are many offences, which, by par- 
ticular statutes, belong properly to this 
jurisdiction, and ought to be prosecuted in 
this court, as the smaller misdemeanors, 
not amounting to felony, and especially 
offences relating to the game, highways, 
alehouses, bastard children, the settlements 
and provision of the poor, vagrants, ser- 
vants’ wages, apprentices, and popish recu- 
sants. Some of tliese are proceeded upon 
by indictment, and others in a summary 
way, by motion and order, which may, for 
the most part, unless guarded against by 
any particular statute, be removed into the 
Court of King’s Bench by certiorari, and 
be there either quashed or confirmed. 
The business done at quarter-sessions is 
become of the highest importance to the 
country, and the public are greatly in- 
debted to those magistrates vvho have suf- 
ficient knowledge of law to perform the 
duties of their office and give their attend- 
ance. In Ireland a practising barrjster is 
appointed at each session to assist as 
