That department of the English government which has charge of the collection of the national revenue; the treasury department.
It is said to have been so named from the chequered cloth, resembling a chess-board, which anciently covered the table there, and on which, when certain of the king’s accounts were made up, the sums were marked and scored with counters. 3 Bl. Comm. 44. Exchequer bills. Bills of credit issued in England by authority of parliament. Brande. Instruments issued at the exchequer, under the authority, for the most part, of acts of parliament passed for the purpose, and containing an engagement on the part of the government for repayment of the principal sums advanced with interest. 2 Steph. Comm. 586. See Briscoe v. Bank of Kentucky, 11 Pet 328, 9 L. Ed. 709. Court of exchequer, Court of exchequer chamber. See those titles. Exchequer division. A division of the English high court of justice, to which the special business of the court of exchequer was specially assigned by section 34 of the judicature act of 1873. Merged in the queen’s bench division from and after 1881, by order in council under section 31 of that act. Wharton.