AGENT, in law, one person who acts for another, called the principal. If a person acts as agent without authority, the subsequent rati fication of the act will make it binding on the principal just as if he had originally directed it. When an agent acts within the scope of his employment he may bind his principal, and the principal is liable for any fraudulent acts or wrong-doings of the agent so acting. If the agent, having power to bind his principal, does so expressly, he is not liable; hut if he exceeds his authority he becomes personally responsible.
The agent is bound to obey the instructions of the principal, and if, in violating them, he binds his principal to a third person, he is personally liable to make compensation. He cannot deal in his principal's affairs to his own profit. The right on the part of an agent to act is called his authority or power. The authority or power i must in some instances be exercised in the name of the principal, and the act done is for his benefit alone. As a general rule, an agent cannot delegate his authority without special authority from his principal, consequently an agent cannot create a subagent without special permission. Any person may act as agent whom the principal wishes to appoint. So
broad is this rule that married women and infants, who are incapable of acting in their own behalf, may act as agents, for the ap pointment takes away the legal insufficiency and permits them to bind their principals when they not bind themselves. The mode of appointment depends upon the nature of the agency. By A rule of law the evidence of appointment must be of as high a nature as the thing to be done. Thus, to execute a writing under seal, the appointment must be under seal. When the authority or power is coupled with an interest, or when it is given for a valuable consideration, or when it is a part of a security, then, unless there is a special agreement that it shall be revocable, it cannot be revoked. Death, insanity, bankruptcy, the extinction of the subject-matter of the agency or the execution of the trust will usually terminate the agency unless the au thority is coupled with an interest. Upon the law of agency is based to a large degree the law of partnership.
representatives is London of the self-governing British colonies.