CASTING VOTE

Where the votes of a deliberative assembly or legislative body are equally divided on any question or mo- tion, it is the privilege of the presiding oth- cer to cast one vote (if otherwise he would not be entitled to any vote) on either side, or to cast one additional vote, if he has already voted as a member of the body. This is called the "casting vote." By the common law, a casting vote sometimes signifies the single vote of a person who never votes; but, in the case of an equality, sometimes the double vote of a person who first votes with the rest, and then, upon an equality, creates a ma- jority by giving a second vote. 48 Barb. 606.

-The vote given by the chairman or president of a deliberative assembly, when the suffrages of the meeting are equal. Thus, in the house of commons, (or the house of representatives,) the speaker declares the numbers after a division, but is not required to record his own vote unless the numbers are even, and then he must vote one way or the other, in order that the house may come to some decision upon the question which has been put from the chair. It is • difficult and delicate office to give an M probably occasioned by the practice of election committees, which was, however, confined to them, and only existed under the provisions of acts of parliament.-- Wharton. In the United States the president of the senate has no vote unless there is a tie, in which case he casts a casting vote. CASTING VOTE, (in statute relative to religious corporations). 48 Barb. (N. Y.) 603. CASTLE-YARD, or CASTLEWARD.-A form of tenure by knight-service, the duty of persons holding land by such a tenure being "to ward a tower of the castle of their lord, or a door or some other place of the castle, upon reasonable warning, when their lords hear that the enemies will come, or are come in England." Litt. & 111; Co. Litt. 82 b. See KNIGHT'S SERVICE; TENURE.

A vote made by the leader or chair of a group, in the event of a deadlock