San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-09-09
DEFECTIvEG GOVERNMENT
There. Is an Absence of Uniform
ity in Our State Laws.
Wide Differences and Conflicts Between
the Codes of the Various States
Some Points on Which
They Differ.

One of the most serious defects in our
mode of government is the absence of
a uniform system of laws. The laws of
the United States are, of course, SUI
preme in every state, but the subjects
with which they deal are strictly
limited by the federal constitution, and
everything which lies outside is within
the jurisdiction of the several states.
Acts permitted by local laws or toler-
ated by local sentiment may be OF such
a character as seriously to complieate
the relations of the United States with
other governments, and yet may be
wholly beyond the control of the gen.
eral government. The attack upon
Italians in New Orleans in 1891 and
many anti-Chinese riots in western
states are instances in point, says the
Youths Companion.
Each of the forty-four states has its
own code of laws, to which at every
session of its legislature large additions
are made. There are wide differences
and conflicts among the laws. Business
practices which are permissible in
some states are forbidden in others.
0ffenses which are visited with heavy
penalties in one state are not punished
at all in another state adjoining; and
sometimes house which happens to be
crossed by a state line is in request,
because certain acts which would be
illegal at one end of it are legal at the
other.
Marriage and divorce laws vary
widely. Marriage relations forbidden
in one state may be entered into under
the more lax laws of another, and the
parties to them may resume their resi-
dence in the state from which they
came. A husband may desert his wife,
and after living short time in another
state procure divorce, and sometimes
it is possible 10 conceal knowledge of |
the proceedings from her until the de-
cree of divorce has been granted.
There are no means of recouciling |
these conflicting and contradictory pro-
visions of law except by agreement
among the states. An attempt has
been made in this direction through the
by the several states of
commissioners who meet in annual con-
ference to consider measures for pro-
noting uniform laws. New York took
the initiative In 1890, and other states
have followed its example. Probably
thirty states will be represented at the
conference in Saratoga this month.
The conference has no powers be-
yond discussion and recommendation.
= L.. L.. l. |
with absolute upanimity at
two meetings. Business forms were
first considered. A uniform law for
the acknowledgment and execution of
deeds was adopted; then one prescrib-
ing the form of seal; then statutes as
to wills and their probate.
Legislation as to the weights of the
bushel or barrel was next considered.
There are now variations which pro-
mote confusion and fraud; for example,
a bushel of oats is thirty pounds in New
Jersey and thirty-two pounds in New
York. The conference has recon-
mended the abolition of days of grace;
a code concerning bills, notes
and checks; and considered other ques-
tions of business law.
All the states appointing commission
ers expressly directed them to deal with
marriage and divorce. Touching the
first, the conference has recommended (
that some ceremony, or formality, or
written evidence, signed by both
parents and attested by one or more
witnesses, be required in all marriages;
+lat CT. 1Nn Il
for their immediate record, however
or entered into. /
Regarding divorce, it was hopeless to
seek agreement concerning causes and |
methods, but the conference recon-
mended that no divorce be granted I'M
less the defendant is domiciled or has
been domiciled within the state where
the action is brought, or has been per-
sonally served with process within the
state. This would put an end to the
procuring of divorces in other
states than that in which the parties
reside.
Few as have been the recommends
tons of the conference, those that have
been adopted by state Legislatures have
been fewer. The work of securing uni
formity in state laws must be slow and
and partial at the best; but as
the reasona bleness of it comes to be
the commissioners will be
reinforced by astrong public sentiment.
Vanished New Hampshire Forests.
In New Hampshire, originally, two
great belts of white pine occupied the
valleys of the Merrimac and Connecti-
cut which contained some of the finest
timber in New England, This mag
nifcent forest has long since disap-