DEM 
satisfaction which the people, in free govern- 
ments, derive fi om the knowledge and agita- 
tion of political subjects ; such as the proceed- 
ings and debates of the senate, the conduct 
and character of ministers, the revolutions, 
intrigues, and contention of parties ; and, in 
general, from the discussion of public mea- 
sures, questions, and occurrejices. “ Sub- 
jects of this sort,’’ says the learned author 
of the “ Principles of Moral and Political 
Philosophy,” excite just enough of interest 
and emotion to afford a moderate engage- 
ment to the thoughts, without rising to any 
painful degree of anxiety, or ever leaving a 
lived oppression upon the spirits; — and 
what is this but the end and aim of all those 
amusements which compose so much of the 
business of life, and of the value of riches. 
See Government, mixed,: Constitution, 
&c. 
DEMONSTRATION, in logic, a series 
of syllogisms, all whose premisses are either 
definitions, self-evident truths, or proposi- 
tions already established. 
DEMONSTRATIVE, in grammar, a 
term given to such pronouns as serve to in- 
dicate or point out a thing. Of this num- 
ber are }dc, hccc, hoc, among the Latins ; 
and this, that, these, those, in English. 
DEMURRAGE, is an allowance made 
to the master of a ship by the merchants, 
for being detainetl in port longer than the 
time appointed and agreed for his depar- 
ture. The rale of this allowance is gene- 
rally settled in the charter party. It is now 
firmly established tliat the claim of demur- 
rage ceases, as soon as the ship is cleared 
out and ready for sailing. 
DEMURRER, is a kind of pause or 
■Stop put to the proceeding of an action 
upon a point of difficulty, which must be 
determined by the court before any farther 
proceedings can be had therein. 
He that demurs in law confesses the facts 
to be true, as stated by the opposite party; 
but denies that by the law arising upon 
those facts any injury is done to the plain- 
tiff, or that the defendant has made out a 
lawfid excuse. As if the matter of the 
plaintiff’s declaration be insufficient in law, 
then the defendant demurs to the, declara- 
tion ; if, on the other hand, the defendant’s 
excuse or plea be invalid, the plaintiff de- 
murs in law to the plea ; and so in every 
other part of the proceedings where either 
side perceives any material objection in 
point of law upon which he may rest his case. 
General demurrer being entered, it can- 
not be afterwards waved without leave of 
DEN 
the court ; but a special demurrer generally 
may, unless the plaintiff have lost a term, 
or the assizes, by the defendant’s demurring. 
And upon either a general or special 
demurrer, the opposite party avers it to be 
sufficient, which is called a rejoinder in 
demurrer, and then the parties are at issue 
in point of law ; which issue in law, or de- 
murrer, is argued by counsel on both sides; 
and if the points be difficult then it is 
argued openly by the judges of the court, 
and if they, or the majority of them, concur 
in opinion, accordingly judgment is given : 
but in case of great difficulty they may ad- 
journ into tlie Exchequer Chamber, where 
it shall be argued by all the judges. 
DENARIUS, in Roman antiquity, the 
chief silver coin among the Romans, worth 
in our money about seven-pence three far- 
things. As a weiglit, it was the seventh 
part of a Roman ounce. 
DENDRITES, or Arhorizatioiis, This 
appellation is given to figures of vegetables 
which are frequently observed in fossil sub- 
stances. They are of two kinds; the one 
superficial, the other internal. The first 
are chiefly found on the surface of stones, 
and between the strata and in the fissures 
of thosd of a calcareous nature. Stones of 
a similar kind, when very compact, some- 
times also exhibit internal arborizations ; 
such are the marbles of Hesse, of Angers- 
burg in Prussia, and of Baden-Dourlach on 
the left bank of the Rhine. 
Several of these dendrites bear a striking 
resemblance to the poplar; while others 
exhibit the straight stem, pyramidal form, 
and pendant branches of the fir. Some 
specimens of dendrites found in Switzer- 
land, represent, in a very surprising man- 
ner, plantations of willows ; and many of 
them are so beautiful, as really to appear 
the work of art. The superficial dendrites 
are mostly of a brown, changing gradually 
to a reddish yellow. Tlie internal dendii- 
tes are of a deep black. The most esteem- 
ed dendrites are those found in agates ; and 
more particularly in the sardonyx, corne- 
lian, and other precious stones brought from 
the East, and which are commonly deno- 
minated moka stones. The Oriental agates 
display the most varied and beautiful forms. 
Sometimes they exhibit the appearance of 
terraces covered with different species of 
moss, interspersed with plants of the fern- 
tribe, having large leaves, and the outlines 
exquisitely finished ; the colours are like- 
wise extremely biiliiant. 
DENEB, an Arabic term, signifying tail, 
