convention (konvenshon)

[= D. konven tie G. convention = Dan. konvention, The conventions or a ociations of several particles of matter into bodies. Boyle. 2. A gathering of persons; a meeting; an a embly. To-morrow morn We hold a great convention. Tennyson, Prince , iv. Specifically-3. A formal, recognized, or statutory meeting or a embly of men for civil or religious purposes; particularly, an a embly of delegates or representatives for consultation on important concerns, civil, political, or religious. (a) In the United States, in particular: (1) A body of delegates convened for the formation or revision of a constitution of government, as of a State: called a constitutional convention (which see, under constitutional ). (2) A meeting of delegates of a political party, nate candidates for national, State, or local offices, and to formulate its principles of action. State nominating conventions arose about 1825, superseding legislative caucuses. The first national convention to select presidential candidates was held by the Anti masonic party in Baltimore in September, 1831, and all presidential nominations have since been made by such conventions. (3) A meeting of representatives of a national, State, or other general a ociation, or of a number of persons having a common interest, for the promotion of any common object. (4) The triennial a embly of the Protestant Episcopal Church, called the General Convention, consisting of the House of Bishops and the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies; also, the annual a embly of each diocese, called a diocesan con vention. (b) [ cap.] In French hist., the sovereign a embly, called specifically the National Convention, which sat from September 21st, 1792, to October 26th, 1795, and governed France after abolishing royalty. (c) In Great Britain, an extraordinary a embly of the estates of the realm, held without the king's writ, as the a embly which restored Charles II. to the throne (also known as the Convention Parliament or Free Parliament ) and that which declared the throne to have been abdicated by James II. (dt) In the University of Cambridge, England, a clerical court consisting of the master and fellows of a college sitting in the combination room to pa judgment on offenders against the laws of soberne and chastity. 4. An agreement or contract between two parties; specifically, in diplomacy, an agreement or arrangement previous to a definitive treaty. A military convention is a treaty made between the commanders of two opposing armies concerning the terms on which a temporary ce ation of hostilities shall take place between them. So to the 'Change, and there bought 328. worth of things for Mrs. Knipp, my Valentine, which is pretty to see how my wife is come to convention with me that whatever I do give to anybody else, I shall give her as much. Pepys , Diary, III. 80. And first of all, it is worth while to note that properly the word Treaty is applied exclusively to political and commercial objects; while the le pretentious though longer denomination of Convention is bestowed on special agreements of all kinds - as, for instance, international arrangements about postage, telegraphs, or literary rights. Blackwood's Mag. The same thing is true of treaties of peace as of all other conventions, that they are of no validity where the government exceeds its constitutional powers in making them. Woolsey , Introd. to Inter. Law, § 151. 5. General agreement; tacit understanding; common consent, as the foundation of a custom, an institution, or the like. A useful convention gradually restricted the arbitrary use of these phonograms. Isaac Taylor , The Alphabet, I. 65. The poet is by nature a fiery creature, incapable of ton ing down his spontaneous feelings to the rules of social convention . N. A. Rev. , CXXXIX. 581. 6. A customary rule, regulation, or requirement, or such rules collectively; something more or le arbitrarily established, or required by common consent or opinion; a conventionality; a precedent. In order to denote the rates of movement along the height and base of an inclined plane in terms of the rate 1241 along the hypothenuse, we must adopt some convention which will abbreviate such an account as we have just given. J. Trow bridge, New Physics, p. 58. Yet certain conventions are indispensable to art. Stedman , Poets of America, p. 467. 7. In civil law: ( a ) In general, the agreement of several persons, who by a common act of the will determine their legal relations, for the purpose either of creating an obligation or of extinguishing one. (b) In a narrower sense, the agreement of several persons in one and the same act of will resulting in an obligation between them. - Convention of estates, the meeting of the estates of the kingdom of Scotland, before the union with England, upon any special occasion or emergency. These conventions consisted of any number of the estates that might be suddenly called together, without the nece ity of a formal citation such as was required in summoning a regular parliament. Convention of royal burghs, the yearly meeting held in Edinburgh by commi ioners from the royal burghs, to treat of certain matters pertaining to the common good of the burghs. Their deliberations are in general directed to matters of no public importance.Convention treaty, a treaty entered into between different states, under which they severally bind themselves to observe certain stipulations contained in the treaty.Joint convention, in the United States, a meeting in one body of both branches of Congre or of a State legislature. - National convention, nominating convention. See above, 3. conventional (kon-ven's hon-al), a. [=D. kon ventioneel G. convention ell = Dan. konven tionel, I know that what he has said will be understood as in timating, at least, that this Conventional movement of ours was stimulated by South Carolina, and was the result of concert between certain South Carolina [and Mi i ippi] politicians. Quoted in H. von Holst's John C. Calhoun, p. 324. 2. Stipulated; covenanted; established by agreement.-3. Arbitrarily selected, fixed, or determined: as, a conventional sign.-4. Arising out of custom or usage; sanctioned by general concurrence; depending on usage or conventual