O V R 
83 
O V E 
all money remaining due, which he received by virtue of 
his office, before any of his other debts are paid. 
In cafe of an overfeer becoming a bankrupt, the balance 
of his account is not due till fourteen days after his year 
is expired. 
Overfeers, neglefting their duty, (hall forfeit for every 
default 20s. to the poor, to be levied by diftrefs, or be 
committed to the common gaol. (43 Eliz.) And, by 17 
Geo. II. any pariffi officer, neglefting to obferve the di- 
re<5fions of that aft, ffiall forfeit, on conviftion within 
two calendar months after the offence committed* a fnm 
not exceeding 5I. nor lefs than 40s. to the poor, by diftrels. 
By 33 Geo. III. c. 55. negleft of duty, or difobedience to 
any lawful warrant or order of any juftice, by any overleer 
of the poor or other parilh-officer, upon complaint on oath, 
lliall incur a line, impofed by two juftices at. any fpecial or 
petty feftions, not exceeding 40s. to be levied by diftrefs, 
and applied to the ufe of the poor. Overfeers are indemni¬ 
fied in the performance of their duty by 43 Eliz. 1 Jac. c. 5. 
and 21 Jac. c. 12. the benefit of which latter ftatute is ex¬ 
tended by 26 Geo. II. c. 44. 
Churchwardens (by 43 Eliz.) are called overfeers of the 
poor, and they join with the overfeers in making a poor- 
rate, &c. But t'he churchwardens, having diftinft buli- 
nels of their own, ufually leave the care of the poor to 
the overfeers only; though anciently they were the foie 
overfeers of the poor. 
It feems not to have been determined whether a juftice 
of the peace may be appointed overfeer. But it appears 
to be a prevalent opinion, that the offices of juftice of the 
peace, and overfeers of the poor, are incompatible, becaufe 
the accounts of the latter are fubjeft to the controul of 
the former. 
By 1 W. and M. c. 18. diffenting teachers, qualifying 
themfelves according to the toleration-aft, are exempted 
from being chofen or appointed to ferve as overfeers. By 
18 Geo. II. c. 15. freemen of the corporation of furgeons 
in London are alfo exempted ; fo is an alderman of Lon¬ 
don. The fame is the cafe with refpeft to attorneys and 
praftifing barrifters. It feems alfo that a clergyman is 
not liable to ferve the office of overfeer, even though he 
have no cure of fouls. An officer of the cuftoms is alfo 
exempted ; and it is faid, in Gibfon’s Codex, 215, that all 
peers of the realm by reafon of their dignity, all.clergy¬ 
men by reafon of their order, and all parliamentary men 
by reafon of their privilege, are exempted from the office 
of churchwarden. See Poor. 
To OVERSET', v. a. To turn bottom upwards; to 
throw off the bafis ; to fubvert.—Would the confederacy 
exert itfelf as much to annoy the enemy as they do for 
their defence, we might bear them down with the weight 
of our armies, and overfct the whole power of France. 
AddiJ'on on the War. 
The tempefts met. 
The failors mafter’d, and the Ihip o'erfet. Dryden. 
To throw out of regularity.—His aftion againft Cataline 
ruined the conful, when it faved the city ; for it fo fwelled 
his foul, that ever afterwards it was apt to be overfet with 
vanity. Dryden. 
To OVERSET', v. n. To fall off the bafis; to turn up- 
fide down.—Part of the weight will be under the axle- 
tree, which will fo far counterpoife what is above it, that 
it will very much prevent the overjetting. Mortimer. 
O'VERSIGHT, f. Superintendence.—They gave the 
money, being told, unto them that had the oversight of the 
houfe. zKingsu’n. 11.—Feed the flock of God, taking 
the overfcglit thereof, not by conftraint, but willingly. 
2 Pet. v. 2.—Miftake ; error.—Amongft fo many huge vo¬ 
lumes as the infinite pains of St. Auguftine have brought 
forth, what one hath gotten-greater love, commendation, 
and honour, than the book wherein he carefully owns his 
overfights, and fincerely condemneth them. Hooker's Pref. 
-^They watch their opportunity to take advantage of 
their adverfaries’ over fight. KettlewelL, 
Not fo his fon, he mark’d this overfight, 
And then miftookreverie of wrong for right. Pope. 
OVERT', adj. [ouvert, Fr.] Open; public; apparent. 
—My repulfe at Hull, was the firft overt efiay to be made 
how patiently I could bear the lofs of my kingdoms. 
K. Charles, 
To vouch this, is no proof, 
Without more certain and more overt tell, 
Than thefe thin habits and poor likelihoods. Shakefpeare. 
Overt Act, an open aft, which, by law, mult be ma- 
nifeftly proved. 3 Tn/l. 12.—Some overt aft is to be al- 
ledged in every indifttnent for high treafon. And no 
evidence (hall be admitted of any overt-aft, that is not 
exprefsly laid in the indiftment by flat. 7 Will. III. c. 3. 
Jacob's Law Di£l. —The defign of their deftruftion may 
have been projefted in the dark; but, when all was ripe, 
their enemies proceeded to fo many overt arts in the face 
of the nation, that it was obvious to the meaneft. Swift. 
To OVERTA'KE, v. a. To catch any thing by pur- 
fuit; to come up to fomething going before.—The enemy 
faid, I will purfue, I will overtake, I will divide the fpoil. 
j Exod. xv. 9.-—How muft he tremble for fear vengeance 
ffiould overtake him before he has made his peace with 
God ? Rogers. 
If I had given you this at over-night, 
S'he might have been o'ertaken; and yet file writes 
Purfuit would be but vain. SkakeJ’peare. 
I (hall fee 
The winged vengeance overtake fuch children. Shakefp. 
To take by furprife.—If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye 
which are fpiritual reftore fuch a one in the fpirit of meek- 
nefs. Gal.v i. 1.—If it fall Out that, through infirmity, we 
be overtaken by any temptation, we muft labour to rife 
again, and turn from one fin to God by new and fpeedy 
repentance. Perkins. 
To OVERTHROW/, v. a. prefer, overthrew; part, over¬ 
thrown. —To turn upfide down.—Pittacus was a wife and 
valiant man, but his wife overthrew the table when he had 
invited his friends. Bp. Taylor .—To throw down : 
The overthroren he rais’d, and as a herd 
Drove them before him. Dryden. 
To ruin ; to demolilh : 
When the walls of Thebes he O’vcrthrew ; 
His fatal hand my royal father flew. Dryden. 
To defeat; to conquer; to vanquiffi.—Our endeavour is 
not fo much to overthrow them with whom we contend, 
as to yield them realbnable caufes. Hooker. 
To Sujah next your conquering army drew ; 
Him they furpris’d, and eafily o'erthrew. Dryden. 
To deftroy; to fubvert; to mifehief; to bring to nothing. 
—Thou waikeft in peril of thy overthrowing. Eccl. xiii. 13. 
— Godoverthroweth the wicked for their wickednefs. Prov. 
O lofs of one in heav’n, to judge of wife, 
Since Satan fell, whom folly overthrew. Milton's P. L. 
O'VERTHROW, J'. The ftate of being turned upfide 
down.—Ruin; deftruftion.—Of thofe Chriftian oratories 
the overthrow and ruin is defired, not by infidels, pagans, 
or Turks, but by a fpecial refined feft of Chriftian be¬ 
lievers. Hooker. 
I ferve my mortal foe, 
The man who caus’d my country’s overthrow. Dryden . 
Defeat; difeomfiture.—From thefe, divers Scots feared 
more harm by viftory than they found among their ene¬ 
mies by their overthrow. Hayward. 
Quiet foul, depart; 
For I have feen our enemies’ overthrow. Shakefpeare. 
Degradation: 
His overthrow heap’d happinefs upon him ; 
For then, and not till then, he felt himfelf. 
And found the bleffednefs of being little. Shakefpeare^ 
OVERTHROW'S!*, 
