barons of the exchequer

Baron \Bar"on\, n. [OE. baron, barun, OF. baron, accus. of ber,
   F. baron, prob. fr. OHG. baro (not found) bearer, akin to E.
   bear to support; cf. O. Frisian bere, LL. baro, It. barone,
   Sp. varon. From the meaning bearer (of burdens) seem to have
   come the senses strong man, man (in distinction from woman),
   which is the oldest meaning in French, and lastly, nobleman.
   Cf. L. baro, simpleton. See {Bear} to support.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. A title or degree of nobility; originally, the possessor
      of a fief, who had feudal tenants under him; in modern
      times, in France and Germany, a nobleman next in rank
      below a count; in England, a nobleman of the lowest grade
      in the House of Lords, being next below a viscount.
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   Note: "The tenants in chief from the Crown, who held lands of
         the annual value of four hundred pounds, were styled
         Barons; and it is to them, and not to the members of
         the lowest grade of the nobility (to whom the title at
         the present time belongs), that reference is made when
         we read of the Barons of the early days of England's
         history. . . . Barons are addressed as `My Lord,' and
         are styled `Right Honorable.' All their sons and
         daughters are `Honorable.'" --Cussans.
         [1913 Webster]

   2. (Old Law) A husband; as, baron and feme, husband and wife.
      [R.] --Cowell.
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   {Baron of beef}, two sirloins not cut asunder at the
      backbone.

   {Barons of the Cinque Ports}, formerly members of the House
      of Commons, elected by the seven Cinque Ports, two for
      each port.

   {Barons of the exchequer}, the judges of the Court of
      Exchequer, one of the three ancient courts of England, now
      abolished.
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Exchequer \Ex*cheq"uer\, n. [OE. escheker, OF. eichekier, fr.
   LL. scaccarium. See {Checker}, {Chess}, {Check}.]
   1. One of the superior courts of law; -- so called from a
      checkered cloth, which covers, or formerly covered, the
      table. [Eng.]
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   Note: The exchequer was a court of law and equity. In the
         revenue department, it had jurisdiction over the
         proprietary rights of the crown against subjects; in
         the common law department, it administered justice in
         personal actions between subject and subject. A person
         proceeding against another in the revenue department
         was said to exchequer him. The judges of this court
         were one chief and four puisne barons, so styled. The
         Court of Exchequer Chamber sat as court of error in
         which the judgments of each of the superior courts of
         common law, in England, were subject to revision by the
         judges of the other two sitting collectively. Causes
         involving difficult questions of law were sometimes
         after argument, adjourned into this court from the
         other courts, for debate before judgment in the court
         below. Recent legislation in England (1880) has
         abolished the Court of Exchequer and the Court of
         Exchequer Chamber, as distinct tribunals, a single
         board of judiciary, the High Court of Justice, being
         established for the trial of all classes of civil
         cases. --Wharton.
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   2. The department of state having charge of the collection
      and management of the royal revenue. [Eng.] Hence, the
      treasury; and, colloquially, pecuniary possessions in
      general; as, the company's exchequer is low.
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   {Barons of the exchequer}. See under {Baron}.

   {Chancellor of the exchequer}. See under {Chancellor}.

   {Exchequer bills} or {Exchequer bonds} (Eng.), bills of
      money, or promissory bills, issued from the exchequer by
      authority of Parliament; a species of paper currency
      emitted under the authority of the government, and bearing
      interest.
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