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* COMMISSION. 213 COMMISSION MERCHANT. under statute for carrying out provisions of treaties and conventions. (2) Commissions per- forming international functions, in the nature of conference or arbitration boards. Examples of the first class in the United States are the commissions created (a) under the Treaty of 1819 with Spain, ceding Florida, by which the Government sought to adjust citi- zens' claims growing out of the preceding un- friendly relations; (b) under the Treaty of 1826 with Great Britain, to distribute the indemnity for slaves deported in derogation of Art. 1 of the Treaty of Ghent; (c) under the Treaty of 1831 with France, to distribute the indemnity paid for the Spoliation Claims; (d) under the Treaty of 1871 with Great Britain, to distribute the Alabama Claims award. Commissions of the second class have been the usual agencies for effecting arbitq'ations, and, according to their nurpose and the authority of their members, may be either merely for con- ference or for the determination of methods of reaching settlement of disputed questions, or may themselves have the power to adjudicate the issues in controversy. In the latter case they may be composed solely of representatives of the States concerned, or they may include neutral parties selected by these States to act as lunpires. During the nineteenth century ar- bitration as a method of settling international differences steadily increased. The United States has been a party to no less than sixty-eight ad- justments of this character, and except for the train of circumstances resulting in the War of 1812, all differences between this countiy and Great Britain have been so adjusted. See Ala- BAM.v Claims; Arbitration (International); Bering Sea Controverst, and consult the au- thories there cited. COMMISSION, JIiLiTARY. A certificate of authority or rank; or both. Jlilitary rank is defined in the United States Army Regulations as "that character or quality bestowed on mili- tary persons, which marks their station, and confers eligibility to exercise command or author- ity in the military sen'ice within the limits pre- scribed by law." To such military persons com- missions are granted only by the President of the United States and published through the Adju- tant-General's department. Commissions in Euro- pean armies are usually distributed among the graduates of the national military preparatory or training colleges, according to the results of competitive examinations. They are universally restricted, however, even in republican France, to men of good birth or wealthy heritage. In the British Army, formerly, commissions were obtainable by purchase — a condition of things which became more and more undesirable as the science of war advanced, and thorough prepara- tory education and training became necessary. It was not until 1871 that the system was abol- ished by the Gladstone Government in the face of great opposition, and the present condition of things inaugurated. The prices of commissions rose gradual!^ from the time of Charles II. until the Crimean War of 18.54. at which period they ranged in value from £450 for a commission as ensign of infantry of the line, to £0000 for that of lieutenant-colonel of Foot Guards. See Abmy Obganiz.tion : R. k and Command. COMMISSIONAIRE, kom-mish'nn-ar', Fr. pron. ku'mesyo'iiar' ( Fr., connnissioner). An attendant at Continental hotels, employed to perform certain miscellaneous services, such aa to attend at the arrival of railway trains and steamboats to .secure customers, take charge of luggage, see it passed through the custom-house, and send it on to the hotel, etc., for all which they charge a fee. In Paris they are generally respectable and intelligent, and speak English with tolerable fluency. In other parts of the Continent, as in Germany and Austria, there is also a class called commissionaires, who are analogous to the American messenger boys. They are employed by companies and are uni- formed, but one may not call them up by telephone or signal as here, it being their cus- tom to solicit sen'ices upon the street. A corps of commissionaires, consisting originally of dis- abled soldiers who had retired with a pension, was founded in Great Britain in ISo!), the service' of which now extends throughout the large cities. The men are employed in the most varied capaci- ties where high qualifications are required, and may be engaged for permanent or temporary ser- vice. The corps numbered over 2500 in 1900. COMMISSIONER (from JNIL. commissarius, one intrusted with a commission). Most com- monly a person appointed for public service by a commission or mandate of a political authority; but also, sometimes, any one of certain officers elected by popular vote. The term is generally employed to describe an appointive otficer who has charge of some branch of a department of government and who is subject to the supervision of a higher official or public board, as a com- missioner of water-supply of a municipality, who is usually under the control of the mayoV or common council. It is the almost invariable title of persons appointed by the Government to carry on or supervise some special public work of a transitory nature, as to investigate the con- ditions and resources of a colony. Commissioner op Assize, in English law, is one to whom a commission is issued by the Crown, directing him to 'take the assizes'; that is, to act as a justice in hearing certain actions in specified judicial circuit-s. It may issue to a barrister or sergeant at law as well as to a regularly appointed judge. The practice of ap- pointing these commissioners arose during the reign of Edward I., becaxise of the lack of regu- lar courts in the various parts of the country. By the Supreme Court of .Judicature Act of 1873. one exercising jurisdiction under a com- mission of assize is deemed to constitute a court of the High Court of Justice, having all the powers of that court. See Assize; High Court OF Justice. Commissioner of Deeds is a person author- ized by the State to take acknowledgments of the execvition of legal instruments and administer certain oaths voluntarily taken out of court. His powers vaiy in each jurisdiction, and are somewhat similar to, but usually more limited than, those of a notary public. See Notaey PuiiLic. COMMISSIONERS, Hoard of Navy. See United St.^tes. .Yin-;/. COMMISSIONERS OF THE NAVY. See Admiral; also Navies, section devoted to Great Britain. COMMISSION MERCHANT. A person, called also a factor, employed to sell goods con-