*8 B J 
BiLi.fignines nlfa n paper, either written or printed, 
which is ported up inTonie open and public place, to give 
notice ot the'faie of any merchandize or (hip, of the (ail-, 
ing of any veil'd into foreign parts, Sec. See. 
Bill, inlaw, a declaration in writing, exprefling ei¬ 
ther the wrong-the complainant hath fullered by the party 
complained Of, or elfe forne.fault committed againft Come 
law or liatute of the realm. It contains the fail complained 
of, the damage Curtained, and petition of procefs againft 
the defendant for redrels; and it is made'ufe of as well in 
criminal as in civil matters. In criminal cafes, when a 
grand jury upon a prefentment or indictment find the fame 
to be true, tiiey indotfe on it billa vera ; and thereupon 
the offender is (aid to (land indidled of the crime, and is 
hound to make anfwer unto it: and, if the crime touch the 
life of the perfon indicted, it is then referred to the jury 
of life and death, viz. the petty jury, by whom if he be 
found guilty, then he (hall ftand convidted of the crime, 
and is by the judge condemned to death. Term, de Ley , 86. 
3 Injl. 30. Many of the proceedings in the court of King’s 
Bench are by bill : it is the ancient form of proceeding, 
and was, and yet fhould be, filed in parchment, in all 
diit-s, not by original. The declaration is a tranfeript of 
it, or luppofed lo to be. 
Bill, is alfo a common engagement for money given 
by one man to another ; being fometimes with a penalty, 
called penal bill, and fometimes without a penalty, then 
culled a Jingle bill, though the latter is mod frequently ufed. 
By a bill we ordinarily underftand a (ingle bond, without 
^condition ; and it was formerly all one with an obliga¬ 
tion, Cave only its being called a bill when in Englilh, and 
an obligation when in Latin. Weft.. Symbol, lib. z.JeEl. 146, 
Where there is a bill of 100I. to be paid on demand, it is 
a duty prefently, and there needs no adhial demand. Cro. 
Eliz. 548. And a (ingle obligation or bill upon the feal- 
ing and delivery, is debitum in prajenti, though folvendum 
i.i future. On a collateral promife to pay money on de¬ 
mand, there mud be a fipecial demand ; but between the 
parties it is a debt, and (aid to be diffidently demanded 
by the action : it is otherwife where the money is to be 
paid to a third perfon ; or where there is a penalty. 3 Kcb. 
176. If a perfon acknowledge himfelf by bill obligatory 
to be indebted to another in the fum of 50I. and by the 
fame bill binds him and his heirs in iool. and (ays not to 
whom he is bound, it (hall be intended he is bound to the 
perfon to whom tiie bill is made. Rol. Abr. 148. A bill 
obligatory written in a book, with the party’s hand and 
feal to it, is good. Cro. Eliz. 613. Thefe kinds of bills 
are now fuperfeded in ufe, the (ingle bills by the more 
modern Bills of Exchange, and the penal bills by 
Bonds or Obligations. 
Bill in Parliament. See Parliament. 
Bill in trade, both wholefale and retail, and among 
workmen, is an account of merchandize or goods delivered 
or of work done and performed, &c. 
Bill of Appeal, fee Appeal. 
Bill of Attainder, fee Attainder. 
Bill of Credit, J'. A licence or authority, given in 
writing, from one perfon to another, very common among 
merchants, bankers, and thofe who travel, empowering 
a perfon to receive or take up money of their correfpon- 
tients, moftly in foreign countries, but fometimes inland. 
The ufual form of a bill of credit is as follows : “ This 
prefent writing witneffeth, That I, A. B. of London, mer¬ 
chant, do undertake, to and with C.D. of, Sec. merchant, 
his executors and adminiftrators, that if he the laid C. D. 
do deliver, orcaufe to be delivered, unto E. F. of, &c. or 
to his ufe, any lum or fums of money amounting to the 
fum of, Sec. of lawful Britilh money, and (hall take a bill 
under the hand and feal of the laid E. F. confeffing and 
(hewing the certainty thereof; that then I, my executors 
or adminiftrators, having the fame bill delivered to me or 
them, fhall and will immediately, upon the receipt of the 
fame, pay, or caufe to be paid, unto the faid C. D. his 
executors” or aftigns, all fueh fums of money as fhall be 
h u 
contained in the faid hill; at, See, For which payment 
in manner and form aforefaid, 1 hind my (elf, my execu¬ 
tors, adminiftrators, and aftigns, by thefe prefents. I11 
witnefs, Sec. 
Bill of Entry, an account of the goods entered at 
the cuftom-houfe, both inwards and outwards. In this 
bill muft be expreffed, the merchant exporting or import¬ 
ing ; the quantity of merchandize, and the divers .fp'ecies 
thereof; and whither tranfported, or from whence. 
Bill of Exceptions to Evidence. At common 
law a writ of error lay, for an error in law, apparent in the 
record, or for error in fact, where either party died before 
judgment; yet it lay not for an error in law not appearing 
in the record ; and therefore, where the plaintiff or de¬ 
mandant, tenant or defendant, alleged any thing ore tenns, 
which was over-ruled by the judge, this could not be 
afligned for error, not appearing within the record, not 
being an error in fadt, but in law; and fo the party grieved 
was without remedy, zlnjl. 426. And therefore by the 
flat, of Weft. 2. 13 Edw. I. c. 31, “When one impleaded 
before any of the jullices, alleges an exception, pray¬ 
ing they will allow it, and if they will not, if he that al¬ 
leges the exception writes the fame, and requires that the 
juftices will put to it their feals* the juftices (hall fo do; and 
if one will not, another fhall ; and if, upon complaint 
made of the juftice, the king caufe the record to come be¬ 
fore him, and the exception be not found in the roll, and 
the plaintiff (hew the written exception, with the leal of 
the juftice thereto put, the juftice ftiall be commanded 
to appear at a certain day, either to confefs or deny his 
feal, and if he cannot deny his feal, they (hall proceed to 
judgment according to the exception, as it ought to be al¬ 
lowed or difallowed.” This ftatute extends to the plain¬ 
tiff as well as defendant, alfo to him who comes in loco 
tenentis , as one that prays to be received, or the vouchee ; 
and in all actions whether real, perfonal, or mixt. The 
ftatute extends not only to all pleas dilatory and peremp¬ 
tory, but to prayers to be received, oyer of records and 
deeds, Sec. alfo to challenges of jurors, and any material 
evidence offered and over-ruled, zlnjl. 427. Dyer, 231. 
Ray in. 4S6. 
The exceptions ought to be put in writing Jedente curia, 
in the prefence of the judge who tried the caufe, and 
figned by the counfel on each fide; and then the bill muft: 
be drawn up and tendered to the judge that tried the caufe 
to be fealed by him ; and, when figned, there goes out a 
jcire facias to the fame judge ad cognofcendum feriptum, and 
that is made part of the record, and the return of thejudge 
with the bill itfelf, muft be entered on the iffue-roll; and, 
if a writ of error be brought, it is to be returned as part 
of the record. 1 Nclf. Abr. 373. If a bill of exceptions is 
drawn up, and tendered to the judge for fealing, and he 
refutes to do it, the party may have a compulfory writ 
againft him, commanding him to feal it, if the faff al¬ 
leged be truly (fated : and if he returns that the fadt 
is untruly (fated, when the cafe is otherwife, an adfion 
will lie againft him for making a falfe return. 3 Comm. 372. 
If one of the juftices fets his feal to the bill, it is diffi¬ 
dent ; but, if they all refufe, it is a contempt in them all. 
zlnjl. 427. Raym. 182. S. P. 2 Lev. 327. S. P. 
When a bill of exceptions is allowed, the court will not 
differ the party to move any thing in arreft of judgment 
on the point on which the bill of exceptions was allowed. 
1 Vent. 366. z Jones, 117. A bill of exceptions is in the 
nature of an appeal ; examinable, not in the court out of 
which the record iflues for the trial at Nrft Prius, but in 
the next immediate fuperior court, upon a writ of error 
after judgment given in the court below. 3 Comm. 372. 
Thefe bills of exceptions are to be tendered before a ver- 
didt is given; and extend only to civil actions, not to crimi¬ 
nal. But in 1 Leon. 5, it was allowed in an indiffment for 
trefpafs; and in 1 Vent. 366, in an information in nature of 
a quo warranto. Bills of exceptions have been feldom ufed, 
fince the liberality pradtifed by the courts in granting nqw 
trials. 
Bilx, 
