CHARTER PARTY

(Pr. parti, dre ed) In Merc an is defined to be a contract, bv which the owner or i a ship hires or lets the whole or a principal part;«f it to a freighter for the conveyance of eoods, under cei tain specified conditions, on a determined voyage to one or more places. A charter-parly is generally under seal; but a printed or written instrument signed by the parties, called a memorandum of a charter-parly, is binding if no Charter-party be executed. A voyage may be performed in part under a charter-party, and in part under a parol agreement; but the terms of a charter-party cannot be altered byparol evidence, although they may be explained The instrument expre es the freight to be paid, and generally, but not nece arily, the burden together with some usual covenants, and others at the discretion of the parlies. [s. 231]