The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-20

They Must Marry Leave the Native Wo.
men With whom They Live.

They Must Marry or Leave the Native Wo.
men with whom They 1.-Two.
The Americans resident in siam. according
10 tie latest advices from the kingdom. are
II a state If insurrection. Colonel s. III.
Boyd. OF Missouri. the accredited Consul
General for tle nited states u the olamese
Court. is the cause of tine il feeling he has
disturbed certain peculiar customs, which
have obtained not only anon. tho American
colOnsts, Int among Europeans generally
since the country was first thrown open %
Christ ans
Colonel Boyd is about ffty-fye years old
and has been accredited TO siam Tor two
years. lie has never been popular During
the course OF d hearing OF suit IN tile
nited States Consular Court on March 2lst,
be saw fit 70 withhold the rights of an Amerl-
can subject on the ground that he was ly-
ing with "a native woman though not mar
ried 70 her. Colonel Boyd even went further
and threatened - lmprlson any Ike offend
ers, as he called them. against whom lniOr-
nation might be lodged. His utterances
made as they were judlcially and officially
caused much surprise anc later considerable
comment. What Consul Boyd objected 20
Is a privilege which has been avalled Of by al
most every alien who has boon honOred IN
Siam since ii was opened TO Chrlstendom.
The custom IS quietly enough accepted. how
ever by the Siamese themselves
The unmarried Americans. Dutchmen,
Freuchmen and Engllshmen whom business
brings into the Siamese trade pick out WO.
men Of the country and live with them. AZ
cOrdlng 10 the institutions OI the country, the
woman each man selects ], recognized as his
wife. But according 10 the treaty between
the nited States and Siam there is 10 men
ton in any clause that makes a husband OF
the American who takes unto himself a wife
from the Slamese women.
When Dutchman or an Luglishman gets
ready 10 return home he caves behind him
the woman with whom he has been living
during his sultry sOIOurn there, along with
the children She has borne him. The Siamese
laws then permit the woman after three years
or separation TO marry again. And IN follow
ing this lenlent custom Americans have not
been At all behind Frenchmen. Engli.hmen.
and other foreign traders domiciled in
Bangkok.
The late adyicos announce that after the
threat 10 imprisOn all Americans who he
heard were 50 living with native women.
Colonel Boyd ordered ell subjects who sa-
luteo the Stars and Stripes and lived with
Slamese women as their wives 10 report T.
him at the Consulate 10 be married according
70 the conventional ceremonial. Hence the
rumpus among the Americans in BANGKOK
and the other parts of Siam. Ii is likely 10
result in difficulty that the Secretary of
State will be called upon TO settle. No pre-
decessor of Colonel Boyd has ever meddled
with the subject before. Leaving ont the
missionaries. the American colansts are - q
man III IN arms against the Consul
The latest Bangkok Times received in New
York ridicules the action Of the Consul
General. and the leading articles in the news
paper say that in Bangkok to-day probably
not more than 10 per cent. Of the Europeans
are legally married. The rest cannot
afford II or are unable 10 find a suitable
affinity, or intend waiting till they 20
home. The editorial goes on to say. after
referring without the use OF French to the
sanitary conditions vi the county. that the