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in a house. 1 Wnshb. Real Prop. 99.-Fire district. One of the districts into which E.

cicv may be (and commonly is) divided for the purpose of more efficient service by the fire department in the extinction of fires. Des Moines V. Gilchrist, 67 Iowa, 210, 5 N. W. l3G.—l-"ire Insurance. See lssnir.-wcE.—I‘h-e urdenl. see Onon.\L.—I‘ii-a policy A policy of fire insurance. See INSURANCE. Pu-e-proof. To siiy of any article that it is "fire-proof" conveys no other idea than that the material out of will ' is formed is incombustible. To say of building that it is fire-proof excludes the idea that it is of wood, and necessarily implies that it is of some substance fitted for the erection of lire-proof buildings. To say of £1 certain portion of a building that it is lire-proof suggests a comparison lietvieen that portion and other ports of the building not so character?/ed. and won ints the conclusion that it is of a diffr-runt miteiizii. ‘Hickey v. Mnrreli. 102 N Y. 47:9. 7 N E. I‘.2l. 55 Am. ltcp. 82-l.—Fire- wood. Wood suitable for fuel. not illllllillllg standing or felled timber which is suitable and ml ilile for other purposes. Hogan v. Hogan. 102 Mich. 6-11. 61 N W. 73.

E‘-

FIRLOT. A Scotch measure of capacity, containing two gallons and a pint. Spelnian.

FIRM. A partnership; the group of persons constituting a partnership. The name or title under winch the members of it part- nership trai act business.—People v. Strauss, 97 ill. .- 1 . a. Boyd v. Thuinpson. 153 Pa. 82. 25 At]. 769, 3-} din. St. Rep. 685: LIC- Coslier v. Banks, 84 Md. 292. 35 Atl. 9725.

FIRMA. In old English law. The contract of lease or letting; also the rent (or form) reserved upon a lease of lands, which was frequently payable in provisions, but sometimes in money. in which iotter case It was called "rilba flrriro." White rent. A messuage, with the house rind garden belonging thereto. Also provision for the table; a ban- quet: a trlbute towards the entertainment of the king for one night.

—Fi.r-ma feodi. In old English law. or lease of a fee; a fee—f.srni.

A farm

FIRMAN. A Turklsh word denoting ii decree or grant of privileges, or passport to a traveler.

The right of I] tenant to his lands and tenements. Cowell.

FIRMARIUM. In old records. ‘A place In monasteries, and elsewhere, where the poor were received and supplied with food. Spelmiin. Hence the word "infirmary."

IIRMAFIUS. L. Let. A femior. A lessee of a term. Flrniarii comprehend all such us hold by lease for life or lives or for year, lu_- deed or without deed. 2 Inst. 14-1. 145; 1 W'ishb. [teal Prop. 10?.

FIRMATIO.'''}} The due season. supplying with food. Cowell.

A150 3.

FIRME. In old records. A farm.

501

FIRST

Firmior et potentior est operatic le- gls quam dispositin lzominil. The operation of the law is firiiier and more powerful [or emcacinris] than the disposition of man. Co. Litt. 102a.

FIRMITAS. In old English law. An assurance of some privilege, by deed or charter.

FIRMLY. A statement that an afliant "firiiiiy believes" the contents of the :rflida- vit imports a strong or high degree of be- lief, and is equivalent to saying that he "verily" believes it Bradley v. Eccles, 1 Browne (Pa) 258; Thompson v. White, 4 Serg. & R. (Pa.) 137. The operative words in a hand or recognizance, that the obligor is held and "firmly bound." are equivalent to nn acknowledgment of indebtedness and promise to pay. Sh-attuck v. People. 5 Iil.

FIRMURA. In old English law. Liberty to scour and repair a miil-dam, and carry iiwiry the soil, etc. Blount.

FIRST. Initial; leading; chief; preceding all others of the some kind or class in sequence, (numerical or chronological :) entitled to priority or preference above others. Reflfllflll v. Railroad Co., 33 N. J. Fq. 165; Thompson v. Grand Gulf R. & B. 00., 3 How. (Miss) 247, 34 Am. Dec. 81; I-Iapgood V. Brown, 102 Mass. 452. G

—Fi1-at devisee. The person to whom the estate is first given by the "Ill, the term "next devisee" refer-ring to the person In whom the remainder is given. Young v. Hr-liinson, 5 N. J. Law. US‘): Wiicox v. Heywood. 12 It. I. 198. —First fruits. In English ecclesiastical law. H The hr-st year‘s whole profits of every benefice or spiritual living, anciently paid by the incumbent to the pope, but afterwards transferred to the hind culled "Queen Anne's Borinty." for icnreasing the revenue from poor livings. In fcudai law. One year's profits of land which belonged to the king on the death of E tenant I in cnpite; otherwise ciilied "pi-imcr aoisiii-." One of the incidents to the old feudal tenures. 2 Bl. Forum. 66, 67.—First heir. The person who will be first entitled to succeed to the title to an estate after (he termination of :1 life cstatc or estate for years. Winter v. Pcrratt. 5 Barn. & C. 4S.—Fix-st impression. A crise is J

by any existing precedent —Fix-st 1_!\l1'l'JzaSeX'. In the law of descent. this term signifies the ancestor uho first acquired (in any other than by inheritance) the estate which mains in his family or descendants. Blair v. K Adams (C. C.) 59 Fed. ‘347.—I‘ix'nt of ex- change. Wherc a set of bills of exchange is drawn in duplicate or triplicate, for greater safety in their transmission. all being of the same tenor, and the intention being that the ac- reptsrice and payment of any one of them (the first to urrive safely) shall cancel the orhers of L Lire set they are called individually the "first of exchange." "second of exchange." etc. See Bank of Pittsburgh v. Neal, 22 How. 96. 110,

16 L‘ Ed. 323.

As to first "Corisin." "Distress," "Lien," and "Mortgage," see those rifles. M