The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-04
THINKS THAT OUR
LAWS ARE QUEER
Opinions OF an English Barrister Who
Is Much Puzzled.
STATE SOVEREIGNTY IS A MYSTERY
He Cannot Understand Why Men Are
Hanged in One State, Imprisoned in
Another aud Eiectrocutod in An
other--Other Things That PrepIex
! This Foreign Critic.

ON the next steamer sailing from
Southampton there will go as a pas
senger a very much puzzled English
barrister, who has spent three months
in the United States searching for a
man whose signature is necessary in
the partition on an estate which has
been in litigation in London for a
dozen years, says the New York Mail
and Express. The lawyer whose name
Is Francis Blessing, has Travelled as
far as Colorado in his quest and, being
of an inquiring turn of mind has made
a study of the state laws in the several
states he has visited. And that is what
puzzles him.
Mr. Blessing Is unable to understand
why a regulation in one state should
not be a regulation in all; why an
offense against moro -hould be pun
ished by Imprisonment =. Pennsylvania
and should not be mentioned in the
statute books in New York. What
struck him most forcibly. however, was
the different penalties prescribed for
the crime of murder. 1T seems odd to
me-" he said in discussing this subject.
that you should imprison man for
life in one state, hang him in another
state and put him to death by electric"
ity in third. If murder calls for CAPT
tai punishment why is 1t not inflicted
by the same method in all the states,
just as ii is in the united kingdom?
Surely If criminal deserves death in
New York he deserves death in Maine
If his offense Is similar. l confess that
the state sovereignty idea puzzles me
very much. l had no idea when came
here that there were three different
af afel,, mt fnt- hn anna
crime.
II had occasion to go to st. Louis
about three weeks ago and 1 was sur
prised to learn that the death penalty
is inflicted there for perjury-that is to
say it is still law in Missouri but is
never enforced.
"In other states Imprisonment for
from three to seven years is the maxi
mum penalty. In Delaware you hang
a man for arson or burglary, In New
York 1 see by the newspapers that a
man has been convicted of firing ten
ement house in which hundreds of per-
sons lived and were in peril and re-
ceived a sentence of ten years in Jail.
Is human life less valuable here than
in your southern states?
ANOTHER ODDITY.
But there's another popularity of
your laws" continues Mr.. Blessing. as
he rubbed his chin reflectively. that
upsets me completely. In the state of
New York am informed that if man
and wife are legally separated by the
courts the party against whom the de-
cision is given is not permitted to re-
marry within the state; that he or she
may cross over a river and legally con-
tract marriage in another state, and
return to this state without fear Of in
reference. That certainly seems to me
a legal paradox. In the state of New
Jersey I am told that a writ of ne
exeat regnum may be obtained by
statutory mandate-one of the Oldest
and most oppressive processes known
in English law, and which was respon-
sble for the creation of that famous
character, the father of the Marshal.
sea- A brother lawyer tells me thai
there are but five other states in
which this is a statutory writ. 1t car
be exercised, as you are doubtless
aware, to deprive person of his OF
her freedom for an indefinite period
The hardship of 1t is when a debtor is
restrained from leaving the jurisdiction
and is so prevented from earning the
llSlNS " llquludle MS lllueDleuHeSS.
\ am unable to understand why thirty
\ eight or thirty-nine states refuse tC
recognize the justice of this restrain
and five or six others should maintain
it.
The election laws are equally per
picking. AS l understand the subject
the general government says that
knan must be 21 years of age and {
native born or naturalized citizen be
fore he can exercise the right of fran
chise. 1t so happened that the man
have been looking for has removed from
one state to another in pursuit of EN-
ployment. In tracing l found that h,
has been within the last seventeen
years a citizen of the states of Maine
Rhode Island, Missouri and Colorado.
'In the state of Maine it was neces
sary for him to have been residen
for but three months to have the righ
to vote, but when he removed to Rhod
Island he had to stay there two year
to qualify himself as a voter. When h