PURE PLEA

from Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
PURE PLEA, equity pleading. One which relies wholly on some matter dehors 
the bill as for example, a plea of a release or a settled account. 
     2. Pleas not pure, are so called in contradistinction to pure pleas; 
they are sometimes also denominated negative pleas. 4 Bouv. Inst. n. 4275. 
    

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