The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-12-05
CUTTING DOWN TIE cosT.


Laws TO Limit wedsins Experses Ia In
dia - Novel Reform.
4 novel sort OF reform in the matter of
marria.sse has t,erii instituted by the gov
ernment in the states of Raiputana, In
India. the object being as stated By Col.
/ g, IL q. Walter. agent 10 the governor
general IN recent report TO the Eng
lish aIsthorities. tie ..suppression al in
fanticide among Ilajpuis The most
ifinleI iihte inffreiee S thar parents hesi-
tate fosfssise Children on account Of the
trotible IF getting them nlarried Of. hut
| it may be thai Col. Walker intends to in
tinia,e that the existing marriage Gus,
toms lead TO an infrequency of tnatri-
Iaony and % ether events conducive 20
tie kieient putting away Of infants. AT
any rate. the fact seems to have been
that marriage among Rajputs of any
social stal;ding has heretofore been a very
serious t:earciaIs question: both for 7tjle
world be bridegroom ailsl3 for the spa
rents Of the prospective bride. and the
reforms nre in the direction of fixing an
arbitrary limit beyond which the ex-
penditure at wedding shall not go.
The first Of these new Snles under
which hereafter two Raip1t hearts will
be made to.bent as one. fixes the, maxi
mum amount to be expended at mar
riages at one quarter of the anpual in
come Of q Hakur,sor nobieman, whose
income is 10000 rupees or over; one
s.Grd of incomes between 10000 and
10 Q0 rupees: one-half of Incomes
heeSeen 10000 and 1.O00srligees, aud
twe.thirs1s of all incomes Below 1000
IlIlees. Rajpuss With no regular income
ut ailere not to DO allowed to spend over
1 100 rupees at a wedding. 1t isexplained
that the percentage of expenditure Is
allowed to increase as the total income
deer ascs becttfse sInalIeI- sums could fiot
secure the proper performance of the
marriage cerenonies.
The second rule does away with all ex-
renGiture ON occasions of betrothHl. and
provides that at such times the parties or
their representatives shall simply drink
decoeiion of opium water together and
present Eetel leaves, and tire written re-
cord of Encouragement of marriage shall
then be signed. This t0nfoolery does
away with the previously necessary pre-.
eentation 10 the father OF the coming
bridegroom IL the fatlier of the bride
expectalit of an elephant, horses, camels.
iewelry. and other little tFiaes to value
rarely less. among well-to-do- Thakurs,
lilan 10000 rupees.
The third rule is for the benefit of the
ilsilily of the bride also, and limits the
amount 10 be expended rs "Tyag,'
inrgesse to the Charuns, Bhats, Dholis,
and others. at 9per cent. of the whole
income where that exceeds 1000 rupees,
4 1-3 per cent. where the income is be-
tween LOCO and 500 rupees. and nothing
ut all for Tllakurs with less than soc
rupees income. 1t is also provided that
YlfLs expenditure for ..Tyag' must be in
.ludcd in the amount fixed under the
tirst rtilc rs tie limit OF expenditure
upon the wedding. This does away with
gvllat has heretofore been frequently the
most expensive thing about a Raiput
marriage. Numerous cases are cited
where the .'Fyagf' alone on the occasion
of the marriage of daughter or a sister
las been very Isluch more than the whole
income of the Tllal.ur for the year. An
other important change made by the
new rules provides that only Charms,
chats and similar personages from the
s.ate in which the marriage IS celebrated
shall be allowed to be present at the cerc-
inony, and Of these the number shall be
regulated by tile standing committee Ill
each state. whose duty it is oversee the
enforcement of the new regulations.
ct the end con1esa rule, which psol5-
ably affects or begins 10 affect mora
important reform than all the rest put
together. 1t prohibits the marriage of n
Inan undor 8 or n girl under il, and is
the first attempt made in the Rajputana
% stop the custom of early marriages, 10y
which a young maid is t.,cu doomed 10
be widow all her life ere yet she has
ever been wife. The r;,lo is said to
have been proposed by the chief of
Bt.nGi. 1vsho has been a t5s.s-,t upliolder of
the ancient customs. and is regarded Us
IN important evidence Of the growth of
modern ideas il India.
Another innovation, Incorporated as
m after Thought into the now rules,
limits lie expenditure at funeral feasts,
and, il is said. win be an immense relief
20 the Raiputs. New York .s-n.