oath. One taken In some judicial proceedin or in relation to some matter connected wi judicial proceedings—Oath against bribery. One which could have been administered to a voter at an election for members of parliament. Abolished in 1854. Wharton.—Oath ex officio. The oath by which a clergyman charged with a criminal offense was formerly allowed to swear himself to be innocent; also the oath by which the compurgators swore that they believed in his innocence. 3 Bl. Comm. 01, 447; Mozley & Whitley.—Oath in litem. In the civil law. An oath permitted to be taken by the plaintiff, for the purpose of proving the value of the subject-matter in controversy, when there was no other evidence on that point, or whey the defendant fraudulently suppressed evidence which ‘might have been available—Oath of allegiance. An oath by which a person promis and binds himself to bear true allegiance to a particular sovereign or government, c. g., the United States; administered generally to high public officers and to soldiers and sailors, also to aliens applying for naturalization, and, occasionally, to citizens generally as a prerequisite to their suing in the courts or prosecuting claims before government bureaus. See Rev. St. U. S. §§ 1756, 2165, 3478 (U. S. Comp. St. 1901, pp. 1202, 1329, 2321), and section 5018.—Oath of