Smyrna times., 1867-06-05
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Property and Human Rights.

1Here Is no country In the world where the
rights OF property are more thoroughly pro-
tected thanln Great Britain. BUTT is really odd
how completely the rights Of man are subject
ed to this, even where he happens to be the
posSessor OF property. The following case will
illustrate what we mean, and show how COM
pletcly man is subsidized to means, and treat
ed as merely the life occupant of 50 much prop
erty MIR. Tovey, the son of Colonel Tovey,
was young man of twenty four i'll 1885, when,
at some watering-p where he was soiourn-
ing, he fell in love with young lady, and
wished to marry her. Instead of this, howev-
er, his father ordered him home to England,
and soon after shut him up in lunatic asy lunl
10 all this he patiently submitted, and after a
few years his sister kept house, and he lived
with them at a place called Goring, where he
kept his boat, went to church, and lived decor
ously and harmlessly. He had himself been
educated at Oxford and intended for the
Church, SO he carefully observed both Sundays
and the Saints days. And thus he lived, quite
at his liberty until the 9th of February, 1866.
Then he was placed under restraint again,
about the time that an uncle of his was taken
sick, who died on the 18th Of March, leaving
HIM heir to an estate of ten thousand dollars "a
year, and some three thousand dollars in ready
money, which had been accumulated to pur-
chase other landed property. OF this sum
$500 were devoted to keep him comfortable,
and under the strict watch Of custodians, as ii
would seem to allow him every sort of liberty
but that OF getting married. SO he was re-
moved to Scarb0ro and allowed to go where
he pleased all day, on condition that he should
report every evening at nine O'Clock to his
medical guardian, ON his word and honOr-a
promise, it will be seen, he faithfully kept.
On the 18th of last July he met 4 lady, with
W ho
after a courtship of month, he was married
to her on the 9th of last August, with the
full consent of the lady's friends, apparently,
but without the knowledge of any of his rela-
tlyes or keepers, and he spent the wedding day
with his bride. At nine clock at night, how
ever, he carefully kept his word, reported to
his Keepers, and next day was spirited away
ana not allowed further to see his bride. BY
the laws of England lunatic cannot marry,
and the real contest is, whether he is legally
married at this time and the case is brought
into court by his ' ifc' brother, who claims tol
his sister the right to his society and her right
to take care of him if he needs care.
The case may be viewed in Two or three diff
ferent lights, as to its essential justice. Hi
friends seem to regard it from the property
point OF view simply, in which young lady
has picked up weak-mlnded young man fol
| lllc SdhO vi Ills pTOp6IIyi WITCH III idCO hO wa
too infrm of mind legally to contract marriage
or take care of his possessions. There
is no doubt that he must have been weak
minded to have submitted in so docile a man
ner to keepers aud restraints. Yet it is equal
ly clear that his keepers allowed him all posi-
bic liberty of doing harm, had he been VIC
lently DISPOSED, and they trusted to his sens
of truth and honor implicitly So far as h
personally was concerned, little seems to hav
been apprehended. 1t looks as if it was to tax
care of his property that he was treated as
lunatic. Now, if every young man who show
ed a weakness in that respect were put unde
restraint, it would be hard to find sane mel
: enough to take care of them.
Robert Hall did go out of his mind TO
months, and the professional gentleman unde
whose care he was made it a condition OF hi
, freedom that he should marry, that the gen
teel society of wife might draw him from hi
books and thoughts He did so, and lived t
be upwards of sixty and died in the perlec
possession of his faculties. Whatever ther
was weak in the mans mind, now 81 or 3
years old, would be best cared for by the sOcle
tv of n wife of his own choice. But the prop
erty? His friends no doubt, thought tina
? would best be protected by his sisters or b
Chancery, and therefore to secure that, hi
, marriage must be set aside, his only chance o
perfect recovery taken away, and he held
prisoner to q large fortune. Truly money ha
its dares and property its own responsibilities
Wh5 would have such fortune at such price
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