one or more persons to whom the consideration or ordering of a matter is referred, either by some court, or by the consent of parties to whom it belongs.

Committee of Parliament, a certain number of members appointed by the house for the examination of a bill, making a report of an inquiry, proceedings of the house, &c. See Parliament.

Sometimes the whole house is resolved into a committee; on which occasion each person has a right to speak and reply as much and as often as he pleases: an expedient they usually have recourse to in extraordinary cases, and where anything is to be thoroughly canvassed. When the house is not in a committee, each gives his opinion regularly, and is only allowed to speak once, unless to explain himself.

The standing committees, appointed by every new parliament, are those of privileges and elections, of religion, of grievances, of courts of justice, and of trade; though only the former act.

COMMISSION, in Scots law, is a method of acquiring property, by mixing or blending together different substances belonging to different proprietors. See Law, Part III. No. clxii. 8.