, 1879-10-02
The Law OF Hotels.

prerogatives of American citizenship and
whoever writes q book on the law of any
subject of everyday life brings out a
great deal of news, though he does
nothing but popularize the old common
law. A book on the relations of host
and guest, which has lately been pub
llshed, covers the hotel question in way
that furnishes considerable information.
even if the style of the work is disagree.
able and often vulgar
In the first place, a man is an inn
keeper, whether he hangs out o sign or
not, if he makes it his business to enter
tain travellers and provide lodgings for
them; and, if. he keeps an inn, he is c
bound to receive guests who apply for
lodgings, unless his house is absolutely
full. but he is under no compulsion
whatever to provide. them with the, best
rooms in the house. ."Reasonabe and
proper" accommodation is all that they
can expect, or, at least demand, and he
can shift then, rooms daily if he wishes.
1t makes no matter if the landlord does
not like the new arrival He cannot re-
fuse anybody an accommodation simply Fl,
on the grounds of personal dislike But,
of course persons who are known to be
improper persons, who have contagious
diseases, or who iare- drunk, can, sbe .ex-
cluded. -- More than that, regard for
those who are under, his roof makes it
the law that he must not knowingly
admit thief into his house, even if he
knows his object is laudable faomvH
If anybody is refused admission his
course is simple. He merely brings
suit. He has for his part to prove that
the landlord kept an inn, that he, the
paintif, was a traveller, that he applied
for accommodation, that he was a proper
person to be received, that there was
room for him, and that he was denied
admission. AS it takes more than an eve-
ming, however, to bring suit a person
might still be out in the cold though in
the night, so in some parts of England
the Constable has the authority to COM
pei landlords to receive guests. The ex-
cuse that one sometimes receives in the
country that "we're all gone to bed and
there's nobody to take care of you" is
no excuse in law. Landlords are bound
to get up at any hour, unless it be on
Sunday in States where some unre.
pealed law forbids travelling on Sundays.
And, by the way, the law considers no.
body guest who is not traveller For
instance, young man who in the town
lwl.ere he lived wentto bed drunk in
hotel and was robbed of a watch he had
been hourishing in the barroom there,
undertook to recover from theslandlord,
but WIS ruled out Of court, not for being
Yin an unfit state, but because he was not
a traveller O. ..o!.l y.. o.. 40 .
Nobody arriving at q hotel can be
compelled to sign a register. The refu-
sal to do so IS not sufficient cause for re-
IjectiHg an applicant for lodgings. The
proprietors of hotels who furnish free
transportation to and from depots to
their guests are liable for their luggage a
on this transmit as much as when, in
the house; but any passenger in one of
these coaches who speaks i'll of the house
it belongs to, is liable to suit for dam
ages. There is no protection FROM
guests who eat with. their knives, They b.
do not carry concealed weapons, and,
having knives. have the right to use
them. That guest is disagreeable' to
his associate guests is not sufficient ex-
cuSc for turning him away. A cabin
passenger on ah East India steamer used.
to reach across the table to help himself,
harpoon distant delicacies with his fork,
and take potatoes with his fingers.
The captain turned him out Of the.
cabin as not fit to be there. Whom they
landed the man without manners reoov-
cred damages Of $l25' The Court held
that simply to have bad table manners
was not to lack 6 gentlemanly princi4 4
pies, or to commit acts strictly " unbe-
coming gentleman" in the true sense Of
the term If employees Of a hotel use
violence to . guest the landlord is res
ponsible ,. Au ara ro.Ev fl"D .b. u
lfa person wantsa room but does not
intend to go to bed, as for instance, if
he is going to sit up all night waiting
for an early train, he can demand room
but he can not demand the landlord to
give him bedroom It's enough if the
landlord turns him into comfortable
parIor, We might 90 on and quote
F,rg .,,, ,.,.... l., . I.,,. ,,,,,,I.