TABELLIO. An officer among the Romans who reduced to writing and into proper form, agreements, contracts, wills, and other instruments, and witnessed their execution. The term tabellio is derived¹ from the Latin tabula, seu tabella, which in this sense, signified those tables or plates covered with wax which were then used instead of paper. 8 Toull. n. 5; Delauriere, sur Ragneau, mot Notaire.

2. Tabelliones differed from notaries² in many respects: they had judicia jurisdiction³ in some cases, and from their judgments⁴ there were no appeals. Notaries were then the clerks or aiders of the tabelliones, they received the agreements of the parties, which they reduced to short notes; and these contracts were not binding⁵ until they were written in extenso, which was done by the tabelliones. Encyclopedie de, M. D'Alembert, mot Tabellion; Jac. Law. Dict. Tabellion; Merlin, Repertoire⁶, mot Notaire, §1; 3 Giannone's Istoria di Napoli, p. 86.

TABLEAU⁷ OF DISTRIBUTION. In Louisiana this is a list of creditors⁸ of an insolvent⁹ estate, stating what each is entitled to. 4 N. S. 535.

TABLES. A synopsis¹⁰ in which many particulars are brought together in a general view; as genealogical tables, which are composed of the names of persons

TABULA IN NAUFRAGIO, Engl. law. Literally¹¹ a plank¹² in a wreck¹³. This figure has been used to denote the condition of a third mortgagee, who obtained his mortgage without any knowledge of a second mortgage, and then, being puisne, takes the first encumbrance¹⁴; in this case he shall squeeze out and have satisfaction before the second. 2 Ves. 573; 2 Fonbl. Eq. B. 3, c. 2, §2; 2 Ventr. 337; 1 Ch. Cas. 162; 1 Story, Eq. §§414, 415; and Tacking¹⁵.

TACIT. That which, although not expressed, is understood from the nature of the thing, or from the provision of the law; implied.