a letter granted to a ship captain impowering him to make reprisals for what was formerly taken from him, by ships of another state, contrary to the law of mart. See [Marque].
Letter of mark, a commission granted the commander of a merchant ship or privateer, to cruise against, and make prizes of the enemy’s ships and vessels, either at sea, or in their harbors.
Letter of service, a written order or authority issued by the secretary at war, empowering any officer or individual to raise a given body of men to serve as soldiers, within a certain time, and on special conditions.
Letter, in its general acceptation, a character such as forms the alphabet, or any thing written, such as an epistle, &c.
Letter of attorney, an instrument in writing, authorizing an attorney, or any confidential person, to take the affairs of another in trust. A letter or power of attorney is necessary to empower a person to receive the half-pay of an officer. This should be accompanied by a certificate sworn to by the officer before some magistrate or justice of the peace.
Letter of credit, a letter which is given from one merchant or banker to another, in favor of a third person, enabling the latter to take up money to a certain amount. Sometimes a letter of credit is given without any specific limitation.
Letter of licence, a deed signed and sealed by the creditors of a man, by which he is allowed a given period to enable him to discharge his debts by instalments, or by a certain proportion in the pound.
Letter-men, certain pensioners belonging to Chelsea hospital, are so called.
LETTON, Fr. a metal composed of molten copper, called rosette, and of lapis calaminaris, or zinc. This is brass.
Letton is used in cannon-foundries. The best practical mode of digesting and mixing the materials, is to put 11 or 12,000 weight of metal, 10,000 weight of rosette, or molten copper, 900 pounds of tin, and 600 pounds of letton. There are various opinions respecting the mixture of these several ingredients.