Part 935

Ex post facto law, a law which operates by after enactment. The phrase is popularly applied to any law, civil or criminal, which is enacted with a retrospective effect, and with intention to produce that effect; but in its true application, as employed in American law, it relates only to crimes, and signifies a law which retroacts, by way of criminal punishment, upon that which was not a crime before its passage, or which raises the grade of an offense, or renders an act punishable in a more severe manner that it was when committed. Ex post facto laws are held to be contrary to the fundamental principles of a free government, and the States are prohibited from passing such laws by the Constitution of the United States. Burrill. Kent.

Ex*pos"tu*late (?; 135), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Expostulated(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Expostulating.] [L. expostulatus, p. p. of expostulare to demand vehemently; ex out + postulare to ask, require. See Postulate.] To reason earnestly with a person on some impropriety of his conduct, representing the wrong he has done or intends, and urging him to make redress or to desist; to remonstrate; -- followed by with.

Men expostulate with erring friends; they bring accusations against enemies who have done them a wrong.

Jowett (Thuc. ).

Syn. -- To remonstrate; reason. See Remonstrate.

Ex*pos"tu*late, v. t. To discuss; to examine. [Obs.]

To expostulate What majesty should be, what duty is.

Shak.

Ex*pos`tu*la"tion (?), n. [L. expostulatio.] The act of expostulating or reasoning with a person in opposition to some impropriety of conduct; remonstrance; earnest and kindly protest; dissuasion.

We must use expostulation kindly.

Shak.

Ex*pos"tu*la`tor (?;135), n. One who expostulates. Lamb.

Ex*pos"tu*la*to*ry (?), a. Containing expostulation or remonstrance; as, an expostulatory discourse or letter.

Ex*pos"ture (?;135), n. [Cf. Imposture.] Exposure. [Obs.] Shak.

Ex*po"sure (?;135), n. [From Expose.] 1. The act of exposing or laying open, setting forth, laying bare of protection, depriving of care or concealment, or setting out to reprobation or contempt.

The exposure of Fuller . . . put an end to the practices of that vile tribe.

Macaulay.

2. The state of being exposed or laid open or bare; openness to danger; accessibility to anything that may affect, especially detrimentally; as, exposure to observation, to cold, to inconvenience.

When we have our naked frailties hid, That suffer in exposure.

Shak.

3. Position as to points of compass, or to influences of climate, etc. "Under a southern exposure." Evelyn.

The best exposure of the two for woodcocks.

Sir. W. Scott.

4. (Photog.) The exposing of a sensitized plate to the action of light.

Ex*pound" (ks*pound"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Expounded; p. pr. & vb. n. Expounding.] [OE. exponen, expounen, expounden, fr. L. exponere to set out, expose, expound; ex out + ponere to put: cf. OE. expondre, expondre. See Position.] 1. To lay open; to expose to view; to examine. [Obs.]

He expounded both his pockets.

Hudibras.

2. To lay open the meaning of; to explain; to clear of obscurity; to interpret; as, to expound a text of Scripture, a law, a word, a meaning, or a riddle.