{Retroactive law} or {statute} (Law), one which operates to
make criminal or punishable, or in any way expressly to
affect, acts done prior to the passing of the law.
Note: Statute is commonly applied to the acts of a
legislative body consisting of representatives. In
monarchies, legislature laws of the sovereign are
called edicts, decrees, ordinances, rescripts, etc. In
works on international law and in the Roman law, the
term is used as embracing all laws imposed by competent
authority. Statutes in this sense are divided into
statutes real, statutes personal, and statutes mixed;
statutes real applying to immovables; statutes personal
to movables; and statutes mixed to both classes of
property.
2. An act of a corporation or of its founder, intended as a
permanent rule or law; as, the statutes of a university.
3. An assemblage of farming servants (held possibly by
statute) for the purpose of being hired; -- called also
{statute fair}. [Eng.] Cf. 3d {Mop}, 2. --Halliwell.
{Statute book}, a record of laws or legislative acts.
--Blackstone.
{Statute cap}, a kind of woolen cap; -- so called because
enjoined to be worn by a statute, dated in 1571, in behalf
of the trade of cappers. [Obs.] --Halliwell.
{Statute fair}. See {Statute}, n., 3, above.
{Statute labor}, a definite amount of labor required for the
public service in making roads, bridges, etc., as in
certain English colonies.
{Statute merchant} (Eng. Law), a bond of record pursuant to
the stat. 13 Edw. I., acknowledged in form prescribed, on
which, if not paid at the day, an execution might be
awarded against the body, lands, and goods of the debtor,
and the obligee might hold the lands until out of the
rents and profits of them the debt was satisfied; --
called also a {pocket judgment}. It is now fallen into
disuse. --Tomlins. --Bouvier.
{Statute mile}. See under {Mile}.
{Statute of limitations} (Law), a statute assigned a certain
time, after which rights can not be enforced by action.
{Statute staple}, a bond of record acknowledged before the
mayor of the staple, by virtue of which the creditor may,
on nonpayment, forthwith have execution against the body,
lands, and goods of the debtor, as in the statute
merchant. It is now disused. --Blackstone.
Syn: Act; regulation; edict; decree. See {Law}.
3. Not invested with, or engaged in, public office or
employment; as, a private citizen; private life. --Shak.
A private person may arrest a felon. --Blackstone.
4. Not publicly known; not open; secret; as, a private
negotiation; a private understanding.
5. Having secret or private knowledge; privy. [Obs.]
{Private act} or {statute}, a statute exclusively for the
settlement of private and personal interests, of which
courts do not take judicial notice; -- opposed to a
general law, which operates on the whole community
To the public good Private respects must yield.
--Milton.
He [Alexander Hamilton] touched the dead corpse of
the public credit, and it sprung upon its feet. --D.
Webster.
2. Open to the knowledge or view of all; general; common;
notorious; as, public report; public scandal.
Joseph, . . . not willing to make her a public
example, was minded to put her away privily. --Matt.
i. 19.
3. Open to common or general use; as, a public road; a public
house. ``The public street.'' --Shak.
{Public act} or {statute} (Law), an act or statute affecting
matters of public concern. Of such statutes the courts
take judicial notice.
{Public credit}. See under {Credit}.
{Public funds}. See {Fund}, 3.
{Public house}, an inn, or house of entertainment.
{Public law}.
(a) See {International law}, under {International}.
(b) A public act or statute.
{Public nuisance}. (Law) See under {Nuisance}.
{Public orator}. (Eng. Universities) See {Orator}, 3.
{Public stores}, military and naval stores, equipments, etc.
{Public works}, all fixed works built by civil engineers for
public use, as railways, docks, canals, etc.; but
strictly, military and civil engineering works constructed
at the public cost.