BRIBE¹, crim. law. The gift or promise, which is accepted, of some advantage, as the inducement for some illegal act or omission²; or of some illegal emolument³, as a consideration, for preferring one person to another, in the performance of a legal act.

BRIBERY⁴, crim. law. The receiving or offering any undue⁶ reward by or to any person whomsoever, whose ordinary profession or business relates to the administration of public justice, in order to influence his behaviour in office, and to incline him to act contrary to his duty and the known rules of honesty and integrity. 3 Inst. 149; 1 Hawk⁷. P. C. 67, s. 2 4 Bl. Com. 139; 1 Russ. Cr. 156.

2. The term bribery extends now further, and includes the offence of giving a bribe to many other officers. The offence of the giver and of the receiver of the bribe has the same name. For the sake of distinction, that of the former, viz : the briber⁵, might be properly denominated active. bribery; while that of the latter, viz : the person bribed⁸, might be called passive bribery.

3. Bribery at elections for members of parliament, has always been a crime at common law, and punishable by indictment⁹ or information. It still remains¹⁰ so in England notwithstanding the stat. 24 Geo. H. c. 14 3 Burr. 1340, 1589. To constitute the offence, it is not necessary that the person bribed should, in fact, vote as solicited¹¹ to do 3 Burr. 1236; or even that he should have a right to vote at all both are entirely¹² immaterial. 3 Bur. 1590-1.

4. An attempt to bribe, though unsuccessful, has been holden to be criminal, and the offender¹³ may be indicted¹⁴. 2 Dall. 384; 4 Burr. 2500 3 Inst. 147; 2 Campb. R. 229; 2 Wash. 88; 1 Virg. Cas. 138; 2 Virg. Cas. 460.

BRIBOUR. One that pilfers¹⁵ other men's goods; a thief. See 28 E. II., c. 1.

BRIDGE. A building constructed over a river, creek¹⁶, or other stream, or ditch or other place, in order to facilitate the passage over the same. 3 Harr. 108.

2. Bridges are of several kinds, public and private. Public bridges may be divided into, 1st. Those which belong to the public; as state, county, or township bridges, over which all the people have a right to pass, with or without paying toll¹⁷ these are built by public authority at the public expense, either of the state itself, or a district or part of the state.

3. - 2d. Those which have been built by companies, or at the expense of private individuals, and over Which all the people have a right to pass, on the payment of a toll fixed¹⁸ by law. 3d. Those which have been built by private individuals and which have been dedicated¹⁹ to public uscs. 2 East, R. 356; 5 Burr. R. 2594; 2 Bl. R. 685 1 Camp. R. 262, n.; 2 M. & S. 262.

4. A private bridge is one erected²⁰ for the use of one or more private persons; such a bridge will not be considered a public bridge, although it may be occasionally used by the public. 12 East, R. 203-4. Vide 7 Pick. R. 844; 11 Pet. R. 539; 7 N. H. Rcp. 59; 1 Pick. R. 432; 4 John. Ch. R. 150.