Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 14.djvu/672

 650 L I M L I 373,533. For the same dates the value of the exports was 26,569, 9552, and 12.516. The principal in dustries are flax spinning and weaving, and the manufacture of lace and gloves. There are also breweries, distilleries, tanneries, and flour-mills. The population in 1851 was 48,961, which in 1871 had increased to 49,980, but in 1881 had diminished to 48,246. Limerick is said to have been the ancient Regia of Ptolemy and the Rossc-dc-A T aillcagh of the Annals of Multifernan. There is a tradition that it was visited by St Patrick in the 5th century, but it is first authentically known as a settlement of the Danes, who in the middle of the 9th century made it one of their principal towns, but were expelled from it in the llth century by Brian Boroimhe. From 1106 till its conquest by the English in 1174 it was the seat of the kings of Thomond or North Minister, and, although in 1179 the kingdom of Limerick was given by Henry II. to Herbert Fitz- herbert, the city was frequently in the possession of the Irish chief tains till 1195. By King John it was committed to the care of William de Burgo, who founded English Town, and for its defence erected a strong castle. The city was frequently besieged in the 13th and 14th centuries. In the 15th century its fortifications were extended to include Irish Town, and until their demolition in 1760 it was one of the strongest fortresses of the kingdom. In 1651 it was taken by General Ireton, and after an unsuccessful siege by William III. in 1690 its resistance was terminated in October of the following year by the treaty of Limerick. The town first obtained municipal privileges in 1199, and these were confirmed and extended by Edward I. and other sovereigns. In 1609 it re ceived a charter constituting it a county of a city, and also incorpo rating a society of merchants of the staple, with the same privileges as the merchants of the staple of Dublin and Waterford. The powers of the corporation were remodelled by the Limerick Regu lation Act of 1823. The prosperity of the city dates chiefly from the foundation of Newtown Pery by Mr Sexton Pery in 1769. It returns two members to parliament. See the History by Linahan, 1866. LIMITATION&quot;, STATUTES or, are Acts of Parliament by which rights of action are limited to a fixed period after the occurrence of the events giving rise to the cause of action. This is one of the devices by which lapse of time is employed to settle disputed claims. There are mainly two modes by which this may be effected. We may say that the active enjoyment of a right or possession for a deter mined period shall be a good title against all the world. That is the method known generally as PRESCRIPTION (q.v.}. It looks to the length of time during which the defendant in a disputed claim has been in possession or enjoyment of the matter in dispute. On the other hand, the principle of the statutes of limitation is to look to the length of time during which the plaintiff has been out of possession. The point of time at which he might first have brought his action having been ascertained, the lapse of the limited period after that time bars him for ever from bringing his action. In both cases the policy of the law is expressed by the maxim Interest reipublicss ut sit finis litium. The principle of limitation was first adopted in English law in connexion with real actions, i.e., actions for the recovery of real property. At first a fixed date was taken, and no action could be brought of which the cause had arisen before that date. By the Statute of Westminster the First (3 Edward I. c. 39), the beginning of the reign of Richard I. was fixed as the date of limitation for such actions. This is the well known &quot; period of legal memory &quot; recognized by the judges in n, different class of cases to which a rule of prescription was applied. Posses sion of rights in alieno solo from time immemorial was held to be an indefeasible title, and the courts following the statutes above mentioned held time immemorial to begin with the first year of Richard I. A. period absolutely fixed became in course of time useless for the purposes of limitation, and at last the method of counting back a certain number of years from the date of the writs was adopted in the Statute 32 Henry VIII. c. 2, which fixed periods of thirty, fifty, and sixty years for various classes of actions named therein. A large number of statutes since that time have established periods of limitation for different kinds of actions. Of those now in force the most important are 21 James I. c. 16 for personal actions in general, and 3 & 4 Will. IV. c. 27 relating to actions for the recovery of land. The latter statute lias been repealed and virtually re-enacted by the Eeal Property Limitation Act, 1874, which reduced the period of limitation from twenty years to twelve, for all actions brought after the 1st January 1879. The principal section of the Act of Will. IV. will show the modus operandi : &quot; After the 31st December 1833, no person shall make an entry or distress, or bring an action to recover any land or rent but ivithin twenty years next after the time at which the right to make such entry or distress or to bring such action shall have first accrued to some person through whom he claims, or shall have first accrued to the person making or bringing the same.&quot; Another section defines the times at which the right of action or entry shall be deemed to have accrued in particular cases; e.g., when the estate claimed shall have been an estate or interest in reversion, such right shall be deemed to have first accrued at the time at which such estate or interest became an estate or interest in possession. Thus suppose lands to be let by A to B from 1830 for a period of fifty years, and that a portion of such lands is occupied by C from 1831 without any colour of title from B or A C s long possession would be of no avail against an action brought by A for the recovery of the land after the determination of B s lease. A would have twelve years after the determination of the lease within which to bring his action, and might thus, by an action brought in 1891, disestablish a person who had been in quiet posses sion since 1831. What the law looks to is not the length of time during which C has enjoyed the property, but the length of time which A has suffered to elapse since he might first have brought his action. It is to be observed, however, that the Real Propeity Limitation Act does more than bar the remedy. It extin guishes the right, differing in this respect from the other Limitation Acts, which, while barring the remedy, preserve the right, so that it may possibly become available in some other way than by action. By section 14 of the Act of Will. IV., &quot;when any acknowledgment of the title of the person entitled shall have been given to him or his agent in writing signed by the person in possession, or in receipt of the profits or rent, then the right of ths person (to whom such acknow ledgment shall have been given) to make an entry or distress or bring an action shall be deemed to have first accrued at the time at which such acknowledgment, or the last of such acknowledgments, was given. By section 15, persons under the disability of infancy, lunacy, or coverture, or beyond seas, and their representatives, are to be allowed ten years from the termination of this disability, or death (which shall have first happened), notwithstanding that the ordinary period of limitation shall have expired. By 21 James I. c. 16, actions of trespass, detinue, trover, replevin, or account, actions on the case (except for slander), actions of debt arising out of a simple contract, and actions for arrears of rent not due upon specialty, shall be limited to six years from the date of the cause of action. Actions for assault, menace, battery, wounds, and imprisonment are limited to four years, and actions for slander to two years. Persons labouring under disabilities are allowed the same time after the removal of the disability. When the defendant is &quot;beyond seas&quot; (i.e., outside the United Kingdom and the adjacent islands) a similar extension of time is allowed. An acknowledgment, whether by payment on account or by mere spoken words, was formerly sufficient to take