Page:Black's Law Dictionary (Second Edition).djvu/696

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KING’S CHAMBERS

per bench." It consisted of a chief justice and three pnisne justices, who were by their otbce the sovereign conse1'\ ators of the peace and snprenie coroners of the land. It was a remnant of the auto regis, and was not originally fixed to any certain piace, but might loilow the ki.ng’s person, though for some centuries past it usually sat at West- minster. It had a very extended jurisdiction both in criminal and civil causes; the former in what was cai.ied the "crown side" or "crown office," the latter in the "plea side," of the court. Its civil juiisdiu:ion was grad- ually enlarged until it embraced all species of pcisonai actions. Since the judicatnre ac-ts, this court constitutes the "kings bench di- Vision" of the "high courl: of justice." See 3 Bi Con.1in. 41-43.

KING'S CHAMBERS. Those portions of the seas. adjacent to the coasts of Great ]3ill.llll, which are inciosed within headlands so as to be cut on‘ from the open sea by im- aginury straight hnes drawn from one prom- ontory to another.

KING'S CORONER AND ATTORNEY. An niiicer of the court of king's bench, usu- ally called "the master of the crown office," wlinse duty it is to fiie Infurmations at the suit of a private subject by direction of the court. 4 Bl. Comm. 308, 309; 4 Steph. Comm. 374, 378.

KING'S COUNSEL. Barristers or ser- jeants who have been cziiied within the bar and selected to be the kings connsc-i. They answer in some measure to the advucati fisi-4, or advocates of the revenue, among the Ito- mans. They must not be employed against the Cll)¥\l] without speciai leave, which is, iioweier, always gianted, at a cost of about nnie pounds. 3 Bl Comm. 27.

KING-‘S EVIDENCE. When several persons are charged with a ciliiie, and one of them gives evidence against his accomplices. on the promise of being granted a pardon, he is said to be admitted king’s or (in America) state's evidence. 4 Stcph. Comm. 395; Sweet.

KING'S PROCTOR. A proctor or solicitor representing the crown in the former practice of the courts of probate and divorce. in petitions for dissolution of marriage. or for declarations of nuility of mariiage, the kings proctor may, niider the direction of the attorney general, and by leave of the court, intervene in the suit for the purpose of proving collusion between the parties. Mozley & W'hil:iey.

KING'S REMEMBEANGER. An officer of the central office of the English su- preme court. Formerly he was an officer of the exchequcr, and had important duties to

688

KLEPTOMANIA

perform in protecting the rights of the crown: e. y., by instituting proceedings for the recovery of land by writs of intrusion, (q. i:.,) and for the recovery of legacy and succession duties; but of iate years administratlye changes have lessened the dlllltd of the oilice. Sueet.

KINGDOM. A country where an officer called a "kin-.3" exercises the powers of government, whether the same be absoiute or limited. Woilr. Inst. Nat. § 994. In some kingdonis, the executive officer may be 1 woman, who is caiied I "queen."

KINGS-AT-ARMS. The principal ber- ald of England was of old designated "king of the hc-raids," I title which seems to have been exchanged for "king-at-arms" about the reign of Henry IV. The kings-at-arms at present existing in England are t'liree.—-Gab ter, C-larenceux, and Norroy, besides Bath, who is not a member of the college Scot- land is piaced under an oihcer called "Lyon I{in,-at-Arms," and Ireland is the province of one named "Uister." Wharton.

KINTAL, or KINTLE. A hundred pounds in weight. See QUINTAL.

KINTLIDGE. A ship's ballast See Ksnrnnos. KIPPER.-TIME. In old English law.

The space of time between the 3d of May and the Epiphany, in which fishing for salmon in the Thames, between Gravesend and Henley- on-Tiiames, was forbidden. Rot. Par]. 50 Edw. III.

KIRBY’S QUEST. In English law. An ancient record remaining with the remembrancer of the exchequer, being an Inquisition or survey at all the lands in England, taken in the reign of Edwnid I, by John de ixirby, his treasurer. Blonnt: Cowell.

KIRK. In Scotch law. A church: the church; the estabilshed church of Scotland.

—Kix-k-mote. A meeting of parisbioner_s on church al1’a s.—Kii-k-officer. 'l'be bcadie of D. church in Scotland.— irk-session‘ _A pn- rnchial church court in Scotland, consistnig of the niinisters and elders of each parish.


KISSING THE BOOK. The ceremony of bouching the lips to a copy of the Bible. used in administering oaths. it is the external symbol of the witness’ acknowledgment of the obligation of the oath.

KIST. In Hindu law. A stated payment; installment of rent;

KLEPTOMANIA. In medical jurispru- dence. A form (or symptom) of mania, consisting in an irraistibie propensity to steaL See INSANITY.