Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-03
MEN AND WOMEN BEFORE THE LAW
Antique Precodents In Force In Great
Britain Today.

The laws OF England are Ia mosO cises
what might be called "men's laws" so nm
equal is the justice they deal TO men and
women respectively.
For instance, a man is eligible for every
Office in the kingdom and is under no re
strictions rs 10 voting.
On the other hand, there are many offices
n woman cannot I'll. such "a member Of
parliament, 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 n jury except in one special case.
All English temporal peers sat n vote
In the house of lords.
A woman may be Il peeress in her own
right, but she has no seat or vote. There
is one recorded case Of n female baronet.
All professions are open 70 n a
a woman may not be a clergyman. sol
der, sailor, barrister or solicitor. She may
not ever drive n cab or bus for hire in Lon
don. But women have been parish clerks
and sections. a woman was once high sher.
III.
The law relating to inheritance of land
prefers males to females. In nearly eyery
case an eldest son inherits to the exclusion
of all other children.
When daughters inherit land, they share
It equally. As regards personal property,
man is his wife's heir, but n widow Is heI
husbands heiress only to a limited extent.
When n man survives a wife possessed OF
land, he will in certain cases own it all foI
his lifetime. In similar cases when q wife
survives her husband she win have a life
interest in only one-third Of his lands.
A mans domiciIe is not altered by his
marriage. A woman has to adopt her hus.
bands domicile for her own.
A husband is priEa facie 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.
4 man has full rights over his W prop.
crty. A woman married before Jan. /,
1888, has only limited rights over property
which was hers before that date.
All these points are decidedly favorable
10 the man. But be does not have il all
his own way, as the following facts show:
Any adult man may be made bankrupt
or imprisoned under the debtors act. \
married wOmGn can be made bankrupt
only if trading separately from her hus-
band. She cannot be imprisoned under the
act.
If n man orders goods in his wife's name,
he must usually pay for them. 4 man
must generally pay for all necessary arti-
cles his wife orders. He is even response
bic, to a certain extent, for debts she has
incurred before marriage.
Aman is responsible If his wife commits
libel or SANDER or does any wrongful act
for which damages could be claimed. He
is responsible in this case also, to a certain
extent, for such acts committed before
marriage. A wife is never responsible for
her husbands wrongful acts.
A man may be compelled Ia allow his
wife %sustenance money while she is carry
ing on "A suit against him, or is forced to
live separately from him.
In some cases married women may testi-
fy privately as to whether their signatures
to documents were made without fear or
favor. Equity will assist a wife if her hus-
band has made some mistake in executing
a power Of appointment in her favor.
There seems 10 be some manifest inius-
tice on both sides, but the wheels Of legal
reform move slowly, and probably a dozen
DickenseS may write a hundred BLEAK
House" arrangements Of the powers that be
before any changes will be made for the
benefit Of either party.-New York sun.