To make worse to diminish in quantity, value, excellence, strength; to lessen in power; to deteriorate. To relax, weaken, injure. Impair health. See INTEMPERATE. "No State shall pass any pairing the Obligation of Contracts." 8 Law im1 See Thompson v. Gibson, 8 M. & W. *286-89 (1841); McLure v. Colclough, 17 Ala. 100 (1849); Gaddis ads. Howell, 31 N. J. L. 316 (1865); Lockwood v. Middlesex Mut. Assur. Co., 47 Conn. 566-68 (1880), cases; 11 F. R. 555; 44 Ind. 460; 51 Md. 512; 14 Neb. 151-52; 20 Barb. 468; 29 Pa. 198; 40 id. 289; 75 id. 378; 43 Wis. 318, 479; 62 id. 244; 5 Biss. 476; 43 III. 155; 13 N. J. L. 313; L. R., 4 Q. B. 471; 20 Moak, 466, 463. The Head-Money Cases, 18 F. R. 135 (1883), Blatchford, J.: s. c. 112 U. S. 580 (1884), Miller, J. L. immunis, free from public service: in, not; munus, duty. Lonas v. State, 3 Heisk. 306 (1871). To relieve the distress which followed the war of the Revolution, paper money was issued, worthless lands, and other property of no use to the creditor, were made a tender in payment of debts, and the time of payment stipulated in contracts was extended by law. These were the peculiar evils of the day. So much mischief was done and so much more apprehended, that general distrust prevailed, and confidence between man and man was destroyed. To restore public confidence, the framers of the Constitution prohibited the use of any means by which the same mischief might again be produced: they established the principle that contracts should be inviolable.¹ The reference is to contracts respecting property, under which an individual may claim a right to something beneficial to himself. The contracts protected are such as relate to property rights, not governmental. It may not be easy to tell on which side of the line a particular case is to be put. There was no intention to restrain the States in the regulation of their civil institutions, adopted for internal government.2 The prohibition does not include grants for public purposes, which are in effect mere regulations of internal police. See further MONOPOLY POLICY, 1, Public. "Obligation" means the law which binds the parties to perform their undertaking. See OBLIGATION, 3. The prohibition applies to implied as well as to express, and to executory as well as to executed, contracts: as, a grant of lands by a State to an individual; or, a compact between States; or, a grant of corporate powers 8 - unless a right of revocation or alteration is reserved in the grant or by a general law. But it does not include all contracts by a State with its public officers or municipal corporations. 10 After a public officer has rendered the services required of the committee on style, resolute not "to countenance the issue of paper money, and the consequent violation of contracts," of himself added "No State shall pass laws altering or impairing the obligation of contracts." In the shorter form adopted by the convention, "an end was designed to be made to barren land laws, laws for the installment of debts, and laws closing the courts against suitors," -2 Bancroft, Hist. Const. 214 (1882). 1 Sturges v. Crowninshield, 4 Wheat. 204, 206, 199 (1819), Marshall, C. J. 2 Dartmouth College v. Woodward, 4 Wheat. 628 (1819), Marshall, C. J.; Butler v. Pennsylvania, 10 How. 416 (1850); Newton v. Commissioners, 100 U. S. 557 (1879); Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge, 11 Pet. *572 (1837); 2 Bancroft, Hist. Const. 213; Federalist, No. 44. 3 Stone v. Mississippi, 101 U. S. 820, 816 (1879). • East Hartford v. Hartford Bridge Co., 10 How. 535 (1850). * Sturges v. Crowninshield, 4 Wheat. 197 (1819), supra. • Fletcher v. Peck, 6 Cranch, 137 (1810). 7 Green v. Biddle, 8 Wheat. 1, 84 (1823). Dartmouth College v. Woodward, 4 Wheat. 628 (1819); Home of the Friendless v. Rouse, 8 Wall. 437 Strauder v. West Virginia, 100 U. S. 310 (1879). • Morgan v. Louisiana, 93 U. S. 223 (1876), cases. Webster's Dict.; Edwards v. Kearzey, 96 U. S. 600 (1869). (1877). • Constitution, Art. I, sec. 10. Gouverneur Morris, of Holyoke Company v. Lyman, 15 Wall. 522 (1872). 10 Butler v. Pennsylvania, 10 How. 416-17 (1850). Remedial. Affording a remedy; supplying defects in the common or statutory law: as, remedial statutes, legislation.3 The remedial part of the law is that whereby a method is pointed out to recover private rights, or redress private wrongs. See further STATUTE. Adequate remedy.. May mean complete satisfaction of such judgment as may be recovered without restriction. 4 See ADEQUATE, 2. Civil remedy. Redress afforded by a civil court for a private injury. Cumulative remedy. A remedy, created by statute, additional to the other remedy or remedies already existing. Where a statute creates a new right or liability and at the same time gives a remedy, such remedy is exclusive; but when the right or remedy was not created by the statute, but would have existed without the statute, the statutory remedy is cumulative. Whenever a statute gives a new right without creating a special remedy for its enforcement, it may be enforced by any appropriate common-law action. So where a right is to be enforced by a common-law action, it is immaterial whether the right has been conferred by statute or common law. Equitable remedy. Redress afforded by a court exercising equity powers. Legal remedy. Redress afforded by a court exercising purely common-law powers. Extraordinary remedy. Relief furnished by a court of chancery exercising its extraordinary jurisdiction. Judicial or legal remedy. "Judicial remedy," in its largest sense, comprehends more than a direct proceeding against a party to a contract to compel him to perform its stipulations. It comprises, also, judicial Stratton v. European, &c. R. Co., 74 Me. 428 (1883), Danforth, J. 2 Johnson v. Fletcher, 54 Miss, 631 (1877), Chalmers, J. [1 Bl. Com. 86. 4 [United States v. New Orleans, 17 F. R. 491 (1883), Billings, J. • Godding v. Pierce, 13 R. I. 534 (1882); 11 id. 526; 9 id. 544; 8 Cush. 93; 15 Gray, 221; 1 Chitty, Pl. 112. Union R. & Transit Co. v. Shacklett, 119 III. 239 * Cohens v. Virginia, 6 Wheat. 407 (1821); 3 Bl. Com. (1886); Train v. Boston Disinfecting Co., 144 Mass. 522 (1887). 116.