Entered according to the act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, By JOHN BOUVIER, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. A LAW DICTIONARY. Ab. Index, h. t. LABEL. A narrow slip of paper | Ves. Jr. 436; 2 Ib. 170; Dane's or parchment, affixed to a deed or writing hanging at or out of the same. This name is also given to an appending seal. LAGA. The law; Magna Charta; hence Saxon-lage, Mercen-lage, Dane-lage, &c. LACHES. This word, derived from the French lacher, is nearly synonymous with negligence. In general, when a party has been guilty of laches in enforcing his right by great delay and lapse of time, this circumstance will at common law prejudice, and sometimes operate in bar of a remedy which it is discretionary and not compulsory in the court to afford. In courts of equity also delay will generally prejudice; 1 Chit. Pr. 786, and the cases there cited; 8 Com. Dig. 684; 6 Johns. Ch. R. 360. laches may be excused from ignorance of the party's rights. 2 Mer. R. 362; 2 Ball & Beat. 104; from 4 a; Wood's Inst. 120; 2 Bl. Com. the obscurity of the transaction, 2 18; 1 Cruise on Real Prop. 58. In Sch. & Lef. 487; by the pendency a more confined sense the word land of a suit, 1 Sch. & Lef. 413; and is said to denote "frank tenement at where the party labours under a the least." Shepp. Touch. 92. In legal disability, as, insanity, cover- this sense, then, leaseholds cannot ture, infancy, and the like. And be said to be included under the no laches can be imputed to the pub-word lands. 3 Madd. Rep. 535. lic. 4 Mass. R. 522; 3 Serg. & The technical sense of the word Rawle, 291; 4 Henn. & Munf. 57; land is further explained by Shep1 Penna. R. 476. Vide 1 Supp. to pard, in his Touch. p. 88, thus: LAGAN. Vide Ligan. A ram, sheep or ewe LAND. This term comprehends any ground, soil or earth whatsoever, as meadows, pastures, woods, waters, marshes, furze and heath. It has an indefinite extent upwards as well as downwards; therefore land, legally includes all houses and other buildings standing or built on it; and downwards, whatever is in But a direct line between the surface and the centre of the earth, such as mines of metals and fossils. 1 Inst. 139857 |