The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-10-08

two hundred years few Of our English
ancestors, even of tho upper class could
sign their names. The priests and
''scriveners" professional writers)
held q monopoly of the art. People
felt that the sword, not the pen, was
tho proper weapon for u gentleman.
Now, u figure impressed on some
tenacious substance was the hardest
thing to initiate. The workmcn of
those days could not, with their rude
tools, make two designs exactly alike.
A forged seal could be detected in u
moment. Lead was sometimes used,
but wax was commonly employed, be-
cause it melts easily and hardens
quickly. When sale of land was
made, n >crivener wrote the deed, the
seller sealed it with his private seal,
and handed it to the buyer. The latter
then took possession Of the property
and all was done. The buyer was then
sure that the land was his, for the seller
could not, in the face of the seal, deny
that he had been paid, or that he had
sealed the deed. This rule prevented
long and troublesome lawsuits.
The law is the same to-day, though
the rule has been modified a little. A
piece of paper, gum ell on one side, is
now commonly used as seal. In
some of the Western States. the letters
l.. 5. in pareutheses are a good seal.
These are the initial letters of the Latin
words locus sig III, and in English mean
"the place of the seal" In other States
flourish of the pen is used instead of a
seal.
Companies working under a charter
from the Government are allowed to in
dent their special seal into the paper of
their deeds, but printed fac smile of
their seal is not good.
In one case, by special exception, q
seal may be inquired into. If sealed
agreement is made not to pursue par
ticular trade or occupation in n state
or country, it is void 1t is contrary to
the public good to permit these so-called
agreements in restraint of trade. ,
They are binding if they do not include
too great territory. A physician, for
instance, may bind himself by an agree
ment not to practice med cine in a GER
tain town, though if he agreed not to
practice in whole State, his contract
would be void.
"a seal is of value when part of a
bill is paid and receipt in full taken.
If under seal, the creditor can not OBJ
tain the balance of the bill; but with
out a seal the receipt is valid only for
the amount actually paid.
Formerly seas were required on al
most al written aLree nents; but now
adays, with the ex option of contracts
relating to land and u few other pa
pers. the seal is unnecessary Many
lawyers of the old school place them
upon all written instruments, on the
ground that they may do good and can
not do harm. This is a good plan, for,
thou! h not necessary, 1t is policy to
make legal papers as strong as pos
sible.
Agents TO make contracts under seal
must have written authority un.
der the seal to do so. Otherwise then
agreements will not bind the persons
for whom the act. Bit if the agent
without such authority. puts sealupor
apaper not requiring one, it is valid
AS ii would have been valid without q
seal, the law treats IL as an unsealed
agreement.
These laws are kept out of respect
for their ancient value, AS they are
not necessary, it is probable that they
will be soon abolished. - YouthS Com.
panioa.