The right of being first placed in a certain order, the first rank being supposed the most honorable. 2. In this country no precedence is given by law to men. 3. Nations, in their intercourse with each other, do not admit any precedence; hence in their treaties in one copy one is named first, and the other in the other. In some cases of officers when one must of necessity act as the chief, the oldest in commission will have precedence; as when the president of a court is not present, the associate who has the oldest commission will have a precedence; or if their. commissions bear the same date, then the oldest man. 4. In. the, army and navy there is an order of precedence which regulates the officers in their command.