HERISSON. 818 HERITABLE JURISDICTIONS. Clmie contemporaine (1S(U); L'espril chinois et I'esprit europcen (180!)) : Journal d'lin inter- prete en Chine (1885) ; Journal de la ctimpagne d'ltalie (1889); and Lcs responsahilitcs de I'ann^e terrible (1891). HERISTALL, hei'i-stal. A to i in the Prov- ince of Li&ge. Belgium. See Heest^vi,. HERITABLE BOND, or Heritable Secl-- RITY. In Scottish law. :i bond or other obligation secured by a pledge or conveyance of heritable, i.e. real, property. In modern times it has taken on the form of the English and American mort- gage of real property. See Mortgage. HERITABLE JURISDICTIONS. A remark- able class of criminal jurisdietious held heredita- rily from the Crown of Scotland. These jurisdic- tions amounted to upward of a hundred in num- ber, and consisted of sherifl'ships. stewartries. con- stabularies, but principally of regalities and bailleries, with some offices of distinction. One of the more impoiiant was the office of the Lord Jus- tice-General, and the Lordship of Argyle and the Isles, both belonging to the family of Argylc. In virtue of their lereditary rights the possessors of these jurisdictions exercised an arbftrary power over vassals and others within the limits of their domain, and could punish thera by fines, scourg- ing, imprisonment, and even in some cases put them to death, without interference of the com- mon law. As I'epugnant to social policy, and more particularly with the view of extinguishing the autliority of Highlaml chiefs over their clans, these heritable jurisdictions were abolished by act of Parliament in 1747 (20 Geo. II., c. 43), the possessors receiving ])ayment for the esti- mated value of their rights. The abolition of these jurisdictions was followed by the appoint- ment of sheriffs and the placing of the adminis- tration of the law in Scotland upon a uniform and modern basis. Consult Hume, Commentaries OH the Laic of Scotland Respecting Crimes (Edin- burgh, 1844).
