The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-02-20

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the purity and preservation Of social system, is
making great adyances-and particularly in the
great west. The legislature Of Michigan have just
passed the following law on this subject
an ACT punish persons eriminally Oho guilty Of
duefion or adultery, and fo other purposes.
sentStyes Of the state of Michigan That any married
who shall sedrce and beget with child any unmar-
red woman under twenty years Of age shall be deem
ed guilty of high misdemeanUr, and upon conviction
thereof shall be punished in the State prison for term
not exceeding five or by imprisonment in the coun
exceeding two thousand dollars by both such fine or
imprisonment in the county JAIL in the discretion Of the
court
Sec. .. Any married man who shall seduce and beget
with child any unmarried woman over twentyone years
Vcson hereo shall Be- pvsishsd by in the
State prison for term not exceeding three years or by
imprisonment in the county jail for term not exceeding
by both such fine and Imprisonment In the county JAIL
| in the discretion Of the court
get with child any unmarried woman under tweptyone
years Of age, shall be deemed guilty Of high misdemea
imprisonment in the State Prison for term not exceeding
three years or by imprisonment in the county ian or
doar by both scS fine and
IN the county Jail, in the discretion ofthe court.
Sec. 4: Any unmarried man who shall seduce and be-
get with child any unmarried woman over the age Of
wentyone years shall be deemed to be guilty Of high
misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be pun
shed by imprisonment in the State prison for term not
exceeding two years by imprisonment in the county
Jail for a term not exceeding year, by fine not
ceedng FIVE hundred dollars by both such fine and i'm
prsonmen in the county jail in the discretion Of the
court
any married woman not beng his wife, or who shall Sc
duce and sbscond with any married not being his
wife. shall be deemed guilty Of high %isdemeanor and
ment in the State Prison for term not exceeding three
years. by imprisonment in the county jail for term
dollars by both such 6ne and imprisonment in the
county JAIL in the discretion Of the court
any unmarried woman shall be deemed guilty Of msde
meanor and upon conviction thereof shall punished
by
lars by both such fine and imprisonment in the discre-
ton of the court.
Sec T. Any married who shall have sexual inter.
course WITH and carnay know woman not being his
wife, and any unmarried who shall have sexual in
shall be deemed to Be guilty Of msdsmsanor and upon
thereof shall be punished by imprisonment in
fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or by both such
fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court
Sec 8. Any married woman who shall have sexual IN.
shall voluntarily leave her husband and abscond with any
other shall be deemed to be guilty OF
and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by i'm
prsonment in the county Jail for term not exceeding
| two years
be indicted under either Il the rst six sections this
give in evidence the trial Of such Indictment the
prior for chastity Of the who" such
Sec 10. Il shall be competent for any person who
shall be indicted under the provisions Of the seventh Sec
character for chastity Of the woman with whom such
sexual intercourse is charged to have been had in case
bad character for chastity shall go to her crediby
| such witness.
Sec II. No prosecution shall be commenced under the
provisions of this act after year from the time Of the
commission of the offence
Approved February ., ls43.
Thus acts promptly the new State of Michigan.
What does the old State of New York do ? In the
House of Assembly, report with the draft Of law
has been made-but not another step has been
taken-and nothing is likely to be done, except to
give 1.-THE 60 by. Many disposed to believe that
the conscences of the honorable legislators will
not allow them to act--that to pass such law
would be to condemn themselves for the past-and
to abolish their privileges for the future. This ls
very likely indeed-for very generally the greatest
knaves in any community arc picked up and sent
to represent the people in legislative bodies
| Honest, industrious men, have enough to do with
their own affairs-and seldom will accept dirty
Office, which requires dirty conduct to keep
Again, there is a strong opposition made to such
law by the financieYs defauters, fashionabes. ex-
bankrupts, and moustached gentry OF New York,
who assa it with the shafts of ridicule. II such
law were to pass, is also feared that several new
state prisons would have to be built, to meet the
fashionable wants of this enlightened and christian
age. Accordingly the greatest efforts are making
to stfe the bill in the bud and to preserve the
ducers' hunting grounds from all legal poachers.
Well see with what success.
THIRD NraHr OF BELIsARIo.-An old Italian
proverb says, " Chi va piano, "a samo;' who walks
softly, walks safe. With due respect for the ac-
knowedged infallibity oproverbs, it is but justice
to mention, that it cannot be applied the Italian
opera, which walks forte and samo Is there any
thing more required than full and delighted au-
diences, improved in mind and heart! for nobody
can deny to good and well executed music these
happy results The plot of Belisaro, entirely free
from love matters, presents the highly moral pic
ture of gratitude in Alamiro exalted patriotism in
Besario, and ilial love in Irene even the dark
sides of the character of Antonina are palated,
through deluson Of injured maternal feelings.
Borgheses conception Of Irene is undoubtedly one
of the most splendid creations of hlstronic art,
and this superiority is rendered even more palpa-
BILE through Majocchi's Antonina. The one ee-
Yates her not very striking although beautiful part
creates an interest which it has not the other
strips hers of the brilliant, ah ough superficial tex
ture, given by the composer, and presents it in
the nudity of its hollowness 1t is the duty Of
every conscientious critic to use praise sparingly,
unless merited, but then in full measure-partly for
the sake Justice partly for the sake of bestowing
upon the artist the recompense which his aborious
and successful efforts deserve. A contrary course
produces an ephemeral celebrity in the eyes Of
those who have no opportunity or power OF Judging
correctly, degrades the critic to mere putting, in
lures the end of the art ITSELF robs the deserving OF
his due, and bestows it upon the undeserving, who
has not even the power of artfnlly conceang his
fictitious claims to a name. Blame, like praise,
has its conditions sine quibms non it must not be
used as a rod, but as healing medicine; not as a
personal gratifi ,ation Of vanity but as the means
OF correcting and lettering. Its application must
not be indscriminate, but supported by reasons not
of individual opinion, but deducted from establish
ed rules 1t is our pride to say that these import
ant considerations were never left out OF sight in
pany, and particularly with regard to Signora Ma
Iocchi, who, despsing the place of a respectable
| sncoudo donua clan,a IN INT If n nrn,a 0ssoIf1 .