DOTE, Span. law. The property which the wife gives to the hushand on account of marriage.
2. It is divided into adventitia and profectitia; the former is the dote which the father or grandfather, or other of the ascendants in the direct paternal1 line, give of their own property to the hushand; the latter is that property which the wife gives to the hushand, or that which is given to him for her by her mother, or her collateral2 relations, or a stranger. Aso & Man. Inst. B. 1, t. 7, c . 1, §i.
DOTE ASSIGNANDO, Eng. law. The name of a writ3 which lay in favor of a widow, when it was found by office that the king s tenant4 was seised of tenements5 in fee or fee tail at the time of his death, and that he held of the king in chief.
DOTE UNDE NIHIL HABET. The name of a writ of dower which a widow sues against the tenant, who bought land of her hushand in his lifetime, and in which her dower remains6, of which he was seised solely7 in fee simple or fee tail. F. N. B. 147; Booth, Real Act. 166. See Dower unde nihil habet
DOUBLE. Twofold; as, double cost; double insurance; double plea.
DOUBLE COSTS practice. According to the English law, when double costs are given by the statute8, the term is not to be understood, according to its literal import, twice the amount of single costs, but in such case the costs are thus calculated. 1. the common costs; and, 2. Half of the common costs. Bac. Ab. Costs, E; 2 Str. 1048. This is not the rule in New York, nor in Pennsylvania. 2 Dunl. Pr. 731; 2 Rawle s R. 201.
2. In all cases where double or treble costs are claimed, the party must apply to the court for them before he can proceed to the taxation9, otherwise the proceeding10 will be set aside as irregular. 4 Wend. R. 216. Vide Costs; and Treble Costs.
DOUBLE ENTRY. A term used among merchants to signify that books of account are kept in such a manner that they present the debit11 and credit of every thing. The term is used in contradistinction to single entry.
2. Keeping books by double entry is more exact, because, presenting all the active and all the passive property of the merchant, in their respective divisions, there cannot be placed an article to, an account, which does not pass to some correspondent account elsewhere. It presents a perfect, view of each operation, and, from the relation and comparison of the divers12 accounts, which always keep pace with each other, their correctness is proved; for every commercial operation is necessarily composed of two interests, which are connected together. The basis of this mode of keeping books, and the only condition required, is to write down every transaction and nothing else; and to make no entry without putting it down to the two agents of the operation. By this means a merchant whose transactions are extensive, comprising a great number of subjects, is able to known not only the general situation of his affairs, but also the situation of each particular operation. For example, when a merchant receives money, his cash account becomes debtor13, and the person who has paid it, or the merchandise sold, is credited with it; when he pays money, the cash account, is credited, And the merchandise bought, or the obligation paid, is debited14 with it. See Single entry.
