New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-05
LETTER FROM SAN FRANCISCO.

Sunday Observation-Disclosures of the
COde-''COrner'' in Seamen-Bringing
Sailors from New York Oyeriand-A
Cold Snap-The OctOroOn-second.
Hand Opera.
San FRANCISCO, December p, 1872.
Our new code of laws, passed at the last
session OF our model Legislature, takes
| effect on the first of next month. This in
| comprehensive and self-contradictory mass
OF incongruous legal absurdities will also
considerably affect our code OF morals, such
| as they are. The most important of which
| bears upon matter that concerns US all
| the tender passion.
! II comes to the rescue Of these who are
| too bashful to Withstand the fiery ordeal OF
public wedding, by dispensing with the
| services Of priest. pars0n or the man in
| whatever form who is usually called upon to
| tie the GOIdan knot A acre assumption
! OF marital duties, without any publicity
| whatever, is sufficient provided notice OF
| the fact is filed in the clerks Office within
one year from the date Or contamination.
They may live separately or otherwise, just
uo IhOS ACCI iAtStAuCA " circumstances W al
rant: it is all the sam6--a legal marriage.
The usual ceremony and license, after the
old fashion, does not invaidate marriage,
but the step in the Slirection toward free
love provides that if any Of these ceremo-
MES or formalities shall have been dispensed
with or neglected, Che SlarSiage is legal
nevertheless.
This simplifes Che matter considerably,
almost to first principles as inaugurated by
our first parents, whose costume on that in
terestng occasion was still more simple;
and doing away with the expense, it places
the luxury within the reach Of all. So a
man can be married, and at the same time
be carrying on desperate firtatioAs with a
score of susceptible young ladies who also
may be married. And again, a person can
revel in celestial bliss, though forbidden by
that inf6xible, stern parent under penalty
of being cut Off with 'short Bit" Though
marriage, in whatever sform, has its uses
and abuses, like every thing else, and prob.
ably more so. Under this new free love
law the boys and girls are also given a
chance to Ego it while they are young"
provided they are over the mature ages of
fifteen and sixteen respectively. Their
parents and guardians may forbid the
banns' until they grow bald headed, and it
will avail them nothing. The only remedy
is dissolution by decree of the district
court.
And again, it provides for the better pro-
lection of the legal fraternity. A client has
no rights, under the law now, which his
hired attorney is bound to respect, for after
once having hired his legal services he can
not discharge the lawyer until Judgment
is obtained, or, more possibly. the case lost.
No matter how the attorney may conduct
the case, whether satisfactorily or not, he is
permitted ''to play his hand out" and the
client can do nothing but find. money as
often as called upon during the various
stages of the proceedings. But the attor-
ney may be relieved by the court, at his
own option, which, of course, he would not
request unless his clients FUNDS had sud
denly become exhausted
In attempting to amend and simplify our
election law il Is so enacted that we elect
Congressman next fall, who will take their
seats IN 1873, to succeed those elected last
month, who will not have taken their seats
before their successors are elected. SO we
VIII IT JOlce IN the possession OF two sets of
congressman at once. We can return a
member for the second term before he has
distinguished or diSgraced himself during
his first, or we may elect his successor, and
thus save him a great deal of time in fix
ing things for MS reelection. But then
again. we may chose him on one issue and
before he takes his seat in 1879 tissues"
might reverse, or we may choose him on no
particular one and before that time several
very important ones may be prominently
before Us, and ne may be on the wrong side
from that Of his constituents.
But there is nothing like simplifcation
Of matters, except. perhaps, leather.
And yet another disqualification" of our
code is the Sunday law" In attempting
to more ettectualiy repeal certain sections,
a previous law was enacted, which provides
that all places OF amusement and business
shall be closed on Sunday, violation of
which is a mi5demeanor. Restaura eurs
are in a stew, theatrical managers rant,
boss BARRIERS swear By their razOr-strops
that It is necessary for man to shave Sun
day mornings, and whisky shop keepers
further swear by all the spirits in Hades or
elsewhere that if newspapers are allowed
to print on Sundays, they will continue
to deal out 'appetizers;" that the latter is
more necessary than the fOSmer. These
laws were all placed on their passage at
Once-neyer having been Sead by any ex-
cept the code commissioners who had
=
was a mistake OF the part of the Legisla-
ture-some 6nembers being sscted on that
issue alone.
These commissioners 8gnS are very
staid sol t of fellows, were called from the
retiracy Of their rural homes to coIity set
Of laws, agreeably to the new order of
things consequent upon higher cviliza-
ton, increased prosperity ana growing de
maDds Gf a new State, just merging lrom
that unsettled and loose condition vi mat
ters usual IL all new countries, and d nice
thing they made oil q Coz tie legal fra
teTnty.
Of course a test case will be Immediately
made out, and thereby give our model Su-
preme Court another chance. As an in
stance OF the inconsistency and lack OF or :
binary dissemination Of he trainers Of these
laws. boy of sixteen can get married, but
he can't drink whi5ky-thatis is, he is not al
lowed by law to walk up to the counter,
though a married man ana take his with
sugar in it, or otherwise, IT being held to be
a misdemeanOr to sell TO them. Liberal
minded people would conclude that if even
a boy is brave enough to enter upon the
storms and trials Of married life. and also
considered "mau" in the eyes of the law
IN that important particular il is hardly
necessary TO leSislate for his protection
against even Che Deanest quality e$ Gincin-
natl gitie whisky, double rectiied.
An effort Is being made 20 create q agor-
her' in sailors by Che shipping masters,
who refuse to sAip them only to the cap,
tains of vessels who allow an additional
bonus. and many OF the sailors have there
by been stimulated and desire an increase
Of wages to s3j month, but the masters
can't see il. and those few who do wish to
7lp Al present wages are deferred from
doing 50 by the landlords and other rCughs
who blockade the shipping Office entrance.
One or two vessels have telegraphed to
New York for crews, and will have the
men transported here by rail within few
DE- md Las. 49, ~. H. |