commission
    n 1: a special group delegated to consider some matter; "a
         committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours" -
         Milton Berle [syn: committee, commission]
    2: a fee for services rendered based on a percentage of an
       amount received or collected or agreed to be paid (as
       distinguished from a salary); "he works on commission"
    3: the act of granting authority to undertake certain functions
       [syn: commission, commissioning]
    4: the state of being in good working order and ready for
       operation; "put the ships into commission"; "the motor was
       out of commission"
    5: a group of representatives or delegates [syn: deputation,
       commission, delegation, delegacy, mission]
    6: a formal statement of a command or injunction to do
       something; "the judge's charge to the jury" [syn:
       commission, charge, direction]
    7: an official document issued by a government and conferring on
       the recipient the rank of an officer in the armed forces
       [syn: commission, military commission]
    8: the act of committing a crime [syn: perpetration,
       commission, committal]
    9: a special assignment that is given to a person or group; "a
       confidential mission to London"; "his charge was deliver a
       message" [syn: mission, charge, commission]
    v 1: put into commission; equip for service; of ships
    2: place an order for
    3: charge with a task

Commission \Com*mis"sion\, n. [F., fr. L. commissio. See
   Commit.]
   1. The act of committing, doing, or performing; the act of
      perpetrating.
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            Every commission of sin introduces into the soul a
            certain degree of hardness.           --South.
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   2. The act of intrusting; a charge; instructions as to how a
      trust shall be executed.
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   3. The duty or employment intrusted to any person or persons;
      a trust; a charge.
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   4. A formal written warrant or authority, granting certain
      powers or privileges and authorizing or commanding the
      performance of certain duties.
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            Let him see our commission.           --Shak.
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   5. A certificate conferring military or naval rank and
      authority; as, a colonel's commission.
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   6. A company of persons joined in the performance of some
      duty or the execution of some trust; as, the interstate
      commerce commission.
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            A commission was at once appointed to examine into
            the matter.                           --Prescott.
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   7. (Com.)
      (a) The acting under authority of, or on account of,
          another.
      (b) The thing to be done as agent for another; as, I have
          three commissions for the city.
      (c) The brokerage or allowance made to a factor or agent
          for transacting business for another; as, a commission
          of ten per cent on sales. See Del credere.
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   Commission of array. (Eng. Hist.) See under Array.

   Commission of bankruptcy, a commission appointing and
      empowering certain persons to examine into the facts
      relative to an alleged bankruptcy, and to secure the
      bankrupt's lands and effects for the creditors.

   Commission of lunacy, a commission authorizing an inquiry
      whether a person is a lunatic or not.

   Commission merchant, one who buys or sells goods on
      commission, as the agent of others, receiving a rate per
      cent as his compensation.

   Commission officer or Commissioned officer, (Mil.), one
      who has a commission, in distinction from a
      noncommissioned or warrant officer.

   Commission of the peace, a commission under the great seal,
      constituting one or more persons justices of the peace.
      [Eng.]

   on commission, paid partly or completely by collecting as a
      commision a portion of the sales that one makes.

   out of commission, not operating properly; out of order.

   To put a vessel into commission (Naut.), to equip and man a
      government vessel, and send it out on service after it has
      been laid up; esp., the formal act of taking command of a
      vessel for service, hoisting the flag, reading the orders,
      etc.

   To put a vessel out of commission (Naut.), to detach the
      officers and crew and retire it from active service,
      temporarily or permanently.

   To put the great seal into commission or To put the
   Treasury into commission, to place it in the hands of a
      commissioner or commissioners during the abeyance of the
      ordinary administration, as between the going out of one
      lord keeper and the accession of another. [Eng.]

   The United States Christian Commission, an organization
      among the people of the North, during the Civil War, which
      afforded material comforts to the Union soldiers, and
      performed services of a religious character in the field
      and in hospitals.

   The United States Sanitary Commission, an organization
      formed by the people of the North to cooperate with and
      supplement the medical department of the Union armies
      during the Civil War.

   Syn: Charge; warrant; authority; mandate; office; trust;
        employment.
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Commission \Com*mis"sion\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Commissioned;
   p. pr & vb. n. Commissioning.]
   1. To give a commission to; to furnish with a commission; to
      empower or authorize; as, to commission persons to perform
      certain acts; to commission an officer.
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   2. To send out with a charge or commission.
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            A chosen band
            He first commissions to the Latian land. --Dryden.

   Syn: To appoint; depute; authorize; empower; delegate;
        constitute; ordain.

Factorage \Fac"tor*age\, n. [Cf. F. factorage.]
   The allowance given to a factor, as a compensation for his
   services; -- called also a commission.
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COMMISSION, practice. An instrument issued by a court of, justice, or other 
competent tribunal, to authorize a person to take depositions, or do any 
other act by authority of such court, or tribunal, is called a commission. 
For a form of a commission to take. depositions, see Gresley, Eq. Ev. 72. 

COMMISSION, contracts, civ. law. When one undertakes, without reward, to do 
something for another in respect to a thing bailed. This term is frequently 
used synonymously with mandate. (q.v.) Ruth. Inst. 105; Halifax, Analysis 
of the Civil Law, 70. If the service the party undertakes to perform for 
another is the custody of his goods, this particular sort of, commission is 
called a charge. 
     2. In a commission, the obligation on his part who undertakes it, is to 
transact the business without wages, or any other reward, and to use the 
same care and diligence in it, as if it were his own. 
     3. By commission is also understood an act performed, opposed to 
omission, which is the want of performance of such an act; is, when a 
nuisance is created by an act of commission, it may be abated without 
notice; but when it arises from omission, notice to remove it must be given 
before it is abated. 1 Chit. Pr. 711. Vide Abatement of Nuisances; Branches; 
Trees. 

COMMISSION, office. Persons authorized to act in a certain matter; as, such 
a matter was submitted, to the commission; there were several meetings 
before the commission. 4 B. & Cr. 850; 10 E. C. L. R. 459. 

COMMISSION, crim. law. The act of perpetrating an offence. There are crimes 
of commission and crimes of omission. 

COMMISSION, government. Letters-patent granted by the government, under the 
public seal, to a person appointed to an office, giving him authority to 
perform the duties of his office. The commission is not the appointment, but 
only evidence of it; and as soon as it is signed and sealed, vests the 
office in the appointee. 1 Cranch, 137; 2 N. & M. 357; 1 M'Cord, 233, 238. 
See Pet. C. C. R. 194; 2 Summ. 299; 8 Conn. 109; 1 Penn. 297; 2 Const. Rep. 
696; 2 Tyler, 235.