The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-08-12
WOMEN BEFORE THE Law.

Antique Psecedcuts In Forco In Great Brit
ain Nearly All Favor Men.
The laws Of England are IN most
cases, what might be called mems
laws" so unequal is the justice they
deal TO men and women respectively.
For instance, man is eligible for
every Office in the kingdom and Is under
no restrictions as to voting.
On the other hand, there are many
offices a woman can not fill, such as
member of parliament county council
lor, etc, although 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.
A woman may be peeress in her
own right, but she has no seat or vote.
There is one recorded case of female
baronet.
All professions are open to man.
woman may not be a clergyman,
soldier, sailor, barrister. or solicitor.
She may not even drive cab or bus
for hire in London. But women have
been parish clerks and sections. A
woman was once high sheriff.
The law relating to Inheritance of
land prefers males to females. In near
ly every case an eldest son inherits to
the exclusion of all other children.
When daughters inherit land, they
share it equally. AS regards personal
property, a man is his wifes heir, but
n widow is her husbands heiress only
to a limited extent.
When man survives q wife pos
sessed of land he will, in certain cases,
own it all for his lifetime. In similar
cases, when wife survives her hus-
band she will have a life interest in
only one-third of his lands.
A mans domicile is not altered by
his marriage. A woman has to adopt
her husbands domicile for her own.
A husband is prirna facie entitled to
the custody of his children. A wife has
no such right, nor will the courts
readily grant it.
man has the right to select the re-
ligion of his children.
A man has full rights over his own
property. A woman married before
January /, 1883, has only limited rights
over property which was hers before
that date.
All these points are decidedly favora-
bic to the man. But he does not have
it all his own way, as the following
facts show:
Any adult man may be made bank
rupt or imprisoned under the Debtor S
act. A married woman can be made
bankrupt only if trading separately
from her husband. She can not be i'm.
prisoned under the act.
If man orders goods in his wife's
name. he must usually pay for them.
A man must generally pay for all nee.
essary articles his wife orders. He is
even responsible, to a certain extent
for debts she has incurred before mar.
riage.
A man is responsible if his wife COM
mits libel or slander. or does any wrong.
full act for which damages could be
claimed. He is responsible in this ease
also. to certain extent, for such acts
committed before marriage. A wife is
never responsible for her husbands
wrongful acts.
A man may be compelled toallow his
wife sustenance money when she is car
rying on a suit against him, or is forced
to live separately from him.
| In some cases married women may
testify privately as to whether theil
, signatures to documents were made
without fear or favor. Equity will as
- - l.. 4
some mistake in executing power o.
appointment in her favor.
There seems to be some manifest in
| justice on both sides, but the wheels O.
legal reform move slowly, and probabl,
dozen DiclSenses may write hundred
''Bleall House. arraignments of tn,
powers that be before any changes will
be made for the benefit of either party
| N. Y. Sun.
/