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COMMISSARY

Volume 3 · 192 words · 1778 Edition

in the ecclesiastical law, an officer of the bishop, who exercises spiritual jurisdiction in places of a diocese so far from the Episcopal see, that the chancellor cannot call the people to the bishop's principal consistory court, without giving them too much inconvenience.

COMMISSARY-Court, in Scots law, a court originally constituted by the bishops for executing in their name an usurped jurisdiction; and was anciently called the bishop's-court, curia Christianitatis, or consistorial court. This court was modelled by queen Mary at the Reformation, and continues till this day. See Law, Part III. No. clxix. 22-26.

in a military sense, is of three sorts.

COMMISSARY-General of the Musters, an officer appointed to muster the army, as often as the general thinks proper, in order to know the strength of each regiment and company, to receive and inspect the muster-rolls, and to keep an exact state of the strength of the army.

COMMISSARY-General of the Stores, an officer in the artillery, who has the charge of all the stores, for which he is accountable to the office of ordnance.

COMMISSARY-General of Provisions, an officer who has the charge of furnishing the army with provisions.