Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-08-11
MEN AND WOMEN ssfoae the Law


Apfiuue Prrcetienes In Fores n Grees
lsritain To-day.
The laws Of England are in most esses
what might be called mems laws, 50 I'M.
eausl is the justice they deal TO men and
For instance, man IL eligible for every
Office in the kingdom and Is under mo- n
ssrictiofs as 10 voting
On the other hand, there are many ohces
a woman cannot ill. such as member Of
pariiamcas, county councillor, etc, al
though she may be queen. She can vote
in certain municipal and school elections,
but for nothing higher. She cannot serve
on Jury except in one special case
All English temporal peers sit and vote
in the house of lords.
4 woman nssy be peeress IN her own
right, bat she has no seat or vote IhsN
is one recorded ease Of = female haronet-
All prs,fcssions are open to man.
A woman may not be = clergyman, sol
der, sailor. lS,rrister or solicitor. she may
not even drive a cab or bus for hire in Lon
don. But women have been parish clerks
and sections \ woman WAS once high sher~
ilf g,
The law relating to inheritance OF land
prcfers males 10 females. In nearly every
case an eldest son iuherits to the exclusion
of all other children.
When daughters inherit land, they share
it equally. As regards personal property,
a man is his wife's heir. but widow Is her
husbands heiress only to u limited extent.
When man survives a wife possessed OF
hand he will in certain cases own IL all for
his lifetime. In similar cases when wife
| survives her husband she will have life
interest in only one-third of his lands.
A mans domicile is not altered by his
| marriage \ woman has to adopt her hus-
| band : domici,e for her own.
A husband is prima :aeie entitled To the
custody Of his children. A wife has no
such right, nor will the courts readily grant
it.
A man has a right to select the religion
of his children.
A man has full rights over his own prop
erty a woman married before Jan. l.
| 1881, has only limited rights over property
| which was hers before that date
All these points are decidedly favorable
Ia the man. But he does not have ii all
his own way, Us the following facts show;
Any adult man may be made bankrupt
or imprisoned under the debtors act. A
| married woman can be made bankrupt
only if trading separately from her hus-
| hand. She cannot he imprisoned under the
act.
If man orders goods in his wife 5 name,
he must usually pay for them. A man
| must generally pay for all necessary arti-
cfes his wife orders. He is even response
Bile, to certain extent, for debts she has
incurred before marriage.
4 man is responsible il his wife commits
libel or Islander or does any wrongful act
| for which damages could be claimed. He
is responsible in this case also, 10 n certain
extent, for such acts committed before
marriage. A wife is never responsible for
her husbands wrongful acts
A man may Ike compelled to allow his
wife sustenance money while she is carry
| ing on a suit against him. or is forced 10
| live separately from him.
In some cases married women may tcsti-
| fy privately rs to whether their signatures
| 10 documents were made without fear or
| favor. Equity will assist a wife il her hus-
| band has made some mistake in executing
| power of appointment in her favor.
There seems to be some manifest jus
| ,ice ON both sides but the wheels of legal
reform move slowly, and probably dozen
| Dickenses may write hundred Bleak
| House arraignments of the powers that be
| before any changes will be made for the
| benefit of either party.New York sun.