WEST SAXON LAGE. The laws of the West Saxons, which obtained in the counties to the south and west of England, from Kent to Devonshire. Blackstone supposes these to have been much the same with the laws of Alfred, being the municipal law of the far most considerable part of his dominions, and particularly including Berkshire, the seat of his peculiar residence. 1 Bl. Comm. 65.
WETHER. A castrated ram, at least one year old. In an indictment it may be called a "sheep." Rex v. Birket, 4 Car. & P. 216.
WHALE. A royal fish, the head being the king's property, and the tail the queen's. 2 Steph. Comm. 19. 448, 540.
WHALER. A vessel employed in the whale fishery.
WHARF. A perpendicular bank or mound of timber, or stone and earth, raised on the shore of a harbor, river, canal, etc., or extending some distance into the water, for the convenience of lading and unlading ships and other vessels. Webster.
A broad, plain place near a river, canal, or other water, to lay wares on that are brought to or from the water. Cowell.
A wharf is a structure erected on a shore below high-water mark, and sometimes extending into the channel, for the laying vessels alongside to load or unload, and on which stores are often erected for the reception of cargoes. Deane v. Broad Street Ass'n, 6 Mass. 332; Langdon v. New York, 93 N.Y. 151; Dubuque v. Stout: 32 Iowa, 47: Geiger v. Filor, 8 Fla. 332; Palen v. Ocean City, 64 N. J. Law, 669, 46 Atl. 774.
WHARFAGE. Money paid for landing wares at a wharf, or for shipping or taking goods into a boat or barge from thence. Cowell.
Strictly speaking, "wharfage" is money due, or money actually paid, for the privilege of landing goods upon, or loading a vessel while moored from, a wharf. 1 Brown, Adm. 37.
WHARFINGER. one who owns or keeps a wharf for the purpose of receiving and shipping merchandise to or from it for hire.
WHEEL. An engine of torture used in medieval Europe. on which a criminal was bound while his limbs were broken one by one till he died.
WHEELAGE. Duty or toll paid for carts, etc., passing over certain ground. Cowell.
WHEN AND WHERE. Technical words in pleading, formerly necessary in making full defense to certain actions. privileged from arrest Wharton.
WHENEVER. This word, though often used as equivalent to "as soon as," is also often used where the time intended by it is, and will be until its arrival, or for some uncertain period, at least, indeterminate. Robinson v. Greene, 14 R. I. 188.
WHEREAS. A word which implies a recital of a past fact. The word "whereas," when it renders the deed senseless or repugnant, may he struck out as impertinent, and shall not vitiate a deed in other respects sensible.
WHIG. This name was applied in Scotland, A. D. 1648, to those violent Covenanters who opposed the Duke of Hamilton's invasion of England in order to restore Charles I. The appellation of "Whig" and "Tory" to political factions was first heard of in A.D. 1679, and, though as senseless as any cant terms that could be devised, they became instantly as familiar in use as they have since continued. 2 Hall. Const. Hist. c. 12; Wharton.
WHIPPING. A mode of punishment, by the infliction of stripes, occasionally used in England and in a few of the American states.
WHIPPING-POST. A post or stake to which a criminal is tied to undergo the punishment of whipping. This penalty is now abolished, except in a few states.
WHITE. A Mongolian is not a "white person," within the meaning of the term as used in the naturalization laws of the United States; the term applies only to persons of the Caucasian race. In re Ah Yup, 5 Sawy 155. Fed. Cas. No. 104.
WHITE ACRE. A fictitious name given to a piece of land, in the English books, for purposes of illustration.
WHITE BONNET. In Scotch law. A fictitious offerer or bidder at a roup or auction sale. Bell.
WHITE MEATS. In old English law. Milk, butter, cheese, eggs, and any composition of them. Cowell.
WHITE RENTS. In English law. Rents paid in silver, and called "white rents," or "redditus albi," to distinguish them from rents payable in corn, labor, provisions, etc., called "black-rent" or "black-mail."
WHITE SPURS. A kind of esquires. Cowell.
WHITEFRIARS. A place in London between the Temple and Blackfriars, which was formerly a sanctuary, and therefore privileged from arrest. Wharton.
WHITEHART SILVER. A mulct on certain lands in or near to the forest of
