ings have gone on Plenarily, by Allegations and Examinations of Witneffes in the Registry, the Cause fhould, after Publication, have been call'd on to a Conclufion, according to regular Practice.

And thereupon the other Side muft have Liberty to fhew † Reason why fuch a Conclufion, or fhutting up the Cause from farther Pleadings, fhould not be made.

Which Time for || concluding be ing so appointed, it would be incumbent

*Terminus ad concludendum, Deinde Procurator Actoris petat fibi dari Terminum að concludendum in hujufmodi Caufa; ipfumque reum ad idem affignari, vel ad dicendum Câufam rationabilem, quare in hujufmodi Caufa concludi non debeat. Brechter. Procurat. Introduct. num. 41.

† Ifto Termino adveniente, Procurator Altoris fic dicat: Ego Procurator ipfius Actoris peto in hujufmodi Caufa concludi, ac mecum pro conclufo haberi. Ex adverfo Procurator Rei, fi quam habuerit Caufam rationabilem, quare in Caufa hujufmodi non fuerit concludendum, illam proponere debet, Brechterus, ibid.

Proteftatio de Appellando. Et fi illam Caufam Judex audire recufaverit, tunc Procura

tor

cumbent on the other Side to fhew Caufe, by new Pleadings, or other juft Reafons, why it fhould not ftand fo affign'd: In Defect of which Objections to the contrary, the Judge will, of Course, decree fuch Conclufion in the Caufe, and then affign a competent Time for hearing of * Sentence.

Which Time for hearing Sentence being come, the Party praying fuch Sentence, does fo pray it either in Presence of his Adversary, or by Reafon of his being † Contumacious, (which happens on Account of his. Notice thereof, and not appearing.) But

tor Rei proteftare debet de Gravamine, & Appellando, &c. Sed fi Procurator Rei non habuerit caufam rationabilem hujufmodi,tunc Judex poteft cum ambabus Partibus concludere in hujufmodi Caufa, & pro concluso habere. Breckter, ibid. Num. 42.

* Terminus ad audiendum Sententiam definitivam. Et expoft Judex affignet Partibus hincinde Terminum competentem, ad videndum

audiendum Sententiam definitivam, in hujufmodi Caufa ferri & promulgari. Ibid. Num. 43. Accufatio Contumacia. Illo Termino adveniente, Procurator Actoris dicat fic: Ego

Pro

*

But if the other Party does ap pear at fuch Time, he has Opportunity either to object Reasons, by Law admiffible, against the giving Sentence at fuch Time: And if his Reasons be rejected, he may thereupon appeal, or if he has no Objections to affign against hearing Sentence, he may then pray† Sen

tence

Procurator ipfius A. Actoris Partis adverfæ non comparentis accufo Contumaciam, ipfamque contumacem peto reputari, & in ejus Contumacia Sententiam definitivam pro me & Parte mea, & contra adverfam, fecundum Formam Petitionis pro me fuperiùs oblatæ, in Scriptis fieri & promulgari. Ibid. num. 44:

*Proteftatio contra Sententiam. Sed fi Procurator Rei fuerit præfens, poteft fic dicere: Ego, Procuratorio nomine ipfius B. Rei, Proteftor de non confentiendo in Sententiam definitivam ferendam ex eo, quòd caufas rationabiles propofui, & allegavi in Caufa hujufmodi, & aliàs proteftor de gravamine, & de appellando, &c. Ibid. num. 45.

T Petitio Sententia. Vel poteft Procurator Rei fic dicere fecundùm exigentiam materiæ: Ego Procurator Rei peto Sententiam definitivam pro me & Parte mea, & contra Partem fibi in hujufmodi Caufa adverfam, ex eo quod infufficienter probavit fuam intentionem in fcriptis ferri & promulgari, &c. Ibid. num.

46.

!

tence to be given, on his own Behalf, by Reason the Plaintiff has fail'd in the Proof of what he has alledg'd. Upon which, if the Judge gives not Sentence for him, the Defendant has a Right of || Appeal.

So far as to the Previous Regular Steps, which ought to be purfu'd, in order to the obtaining of a Sen

tence.

Whereupon it is to be obferv'd, That here was, firft of all, no Conclufion of the Caufe (or ad Sententiam ex prima) pray'd after Publication, and, of Course, no Time pray'd for hearing Sentence; which is a fubfequent Affignation, after a Caufe ftands actually concluded. And upon omitting of these previous Requifites towards obtaining Sentence, a Caufe proceeded in (as has been faid before

Si Sententia fuerit contra Reum, feu Procuratores Rei, dicat fic: Ego Procurator ipfius B. Rei, dico hujufmodi Sententiam, fi fic dici mereretur, fore injuftam & iniquam, & proteftor de gravamine & appellando, &c. Ibid.

before this ought to be, and was) PLENARILY, Could not be, without fuch Preliminaries, ripe for Sentence.

Let us now remark as to † Sentence it felf; and how, when even it is actually, DE FACTO, given, it may be, IPSO JURE, NULL and VOID; for fo will it be, if not obtain'd according to the Formality which the Law requires, in Point of Practice. To furnish a few Examples, it is notorious,

That if a Party be oblig'd to un- Ift. dergo Proceedings in a Caufe, during Vacation, or the Time of Harveft or Vintage, a Sentence given at fuch Times, is NULL in it felf.* It t is obvious, that in this Cafe a Determination was given in Vaca

tion..

P Ildly, That

Sententia eft judicialis Diffinitio, quæ finem imponit Controverfia. Brechter. Proc. Fuds c, 14, fol. 140.

* Si quis, tempore Meffium vel Vindemiarum compellatur litigare, fi tum Sententia lata fuerit, erit nulla. Brechter. Proc. Fudiciar. Tit. 15. Pag. 283.