Pure plea
PURE PLEA, equity pleading. One which relies wholly on some matter dehors
the bill as for example, a plea of a release or a settled account.
2. Pleas not pure, are so called in contradistinction to pure pleas;
they are sometimes also denominated negative pleas. 4 Bouv. Inst. n. 4275.
A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States. By John Bouvier. Published 1856.