ALDERMAN (equivalent to senator or senior).
In English Law. An associate to the chief civil magistrate of a corporate town or city.
The word was formerly of very extended sig nification. Spelman enumerates eleven classos of aldermen. Their duties among the Saxons em braced both magisterial and executive power, hut would seem to have been rather an appellation of honor, originally, than a distinguishing mark of office. Spelman, Gloss.
Aldermannus civitatis burgi sou castellte (alderman of a city, borough, or castle). 1 Sharswood, Blackst. Comm. 475, n.
Aldermannus com itatue (alderman of the oounty), who is thought by Spelman to have held an inter mediate place between an earl and sheriff; by others, held the same as the earl. 1 Shorewood, Blackst. Comm. 116.
Aldermannus hundredi sot wapentachii (alderman of a hundred or wapentake). Spelman. Aldermannus regis (alderman of the king) was so called, either because he was appointed by the king, or because he gave the judgment of the king in the premises allotted to him.
Aldermannus totiva Anglia (alderman of all Eng lanl). An offioer of high rank whose duties can not be precisely determined. See Spelman, Gloss. The aldermen of the oily of London were proba bly originally the chiefs of guilds. See 1 Spence, Eq. Jur. 54, 56.
In American Cities. The aldermen are generally a legislative body, having limited judicial powers as a body, as in matters of internal police regulation, laying out and re pairing streets, constructing sewers, and the like; though in many cities they hold sepa rate courts, and have magisterial powers to a considerable extent. Consult Spelman, Gloss. ; Cowel; 1 Sharswood, Blacks& Comm. 116; Reeve, Hist. Eng. Law; Spence, Eq. Jur.