The United States Christian Commission
(gcide) | Commission \Com*mis"sion\, n. [F., fr. L. commissio. See
Commit.]
1. The act of committing, doing, or performing; the act of
perpetrating.
[1913 Webster]
Every commission of sin introduces into the soul a
certain degree of hardness. --South.
[1913 Webster]
2. The act of intrusting; a charge; instructions as to how a
trust shall be executed.
[1913 Webster]
3. The duty or employment intrusted to any person or persons;
a trust; a charge.
[1913 Webster]
4. A formal written warrant or authority, granting certain
powers or privileges and authorizing or commanding the
performance of certain duties.
[1913 Webster]
Let him see our commission. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
5. A certificate conferring military or naval rank and
authority; as, a colonel's commission.
[1913 Webster]
6. A company of persons joined in the performance of some
duty or the execution of some trust; as, the interstate
commerce commission.
[1913 Webster]
A commission was at once appointed to examine into
the matter. --Prescott.
[1913 Webster]
7. (Com.)
(a) The acting under authority of, or on account of,
another.
(b) The thing to be done as agent for another; as, I have
three commissions for the city.
(c) The brokerage or allowance made to a factor or agent
for transacting business for another; as, a commission
of ten per cent on sales. See Del credere.
[1913 Webster]
Commission of array. (Eng. Hist.) See under Array.
Commission of bankruptcy, a commission appointing and
empowering certain persons to examine into the facts
relative to an alleged bankruptcy, and to secure the
bankrupt's lands and effects for the creditors.
Commission of lunacy, a commission authorizing an inquiry
whether a person is a lunatic or not.
Commission merchant, one who buys or sells goods on
commission, as the agent of others, receiving a rate per
cent as his compensation.
Commission officer or Commissioned officer, (Mil.), one
who has a commission, in distinction from a
noncommissioned or warrant officer.
Commission of the peace, a commission under the great seal,
constituting one or more persons justices of the peace.
[Eng.]
on commission, paid partly or completely by collecting as a
commision a portion of the sales that one makes.
out of commission, not operating properly; out of order.
To put a vessel into commission (Naut.), to equip and man a
government vessel, and send it out on service after it has
been laid up; esp., the formal act of taking command of a
vessel for service, hoisting the flag, reading the orders,
etc.
To put a vessel out of commission (Naut.), to detach the
officers and crew and retire it from active service,
temporarily or permanently.
To put the great seal into commission or {To put the
Treasury into commission}, to place it in the hands of a
commissioner or commissioners during the abeyance of the
ordinary administration, as between the going out of one
lord keeper and the accession of another. [Eng.]
The United States Christian Commission, an organization
among the people of the North, during the Civil War, which
afforded material comforts to the Union soldiers, and
performed services of a religious character in the field
and in hospitals.
The United States Sanitary Commission, an organization
formed by the people of the North to cooperate with and
supplement the medical department of the Union armies
during the Civil War.
Syn: Charge; warrant; authority; mandate; office; trust;
employment.
[1913 Webster] |