The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
VOTES OF LEGAL EVENTS.

In this city among tho various institutions
which train young men for admission to the
bar. Tho number of students has mere .sed
from 247 in 1904 10 357 IN 1907. On the
other hand, there are only three special stu
dents In the law school now as against thirt-
six three years ago. This dimiuution is due to
tho new requirement that such students must
possess the same qualifications for admission
as candidates for the degree OF Bachelor Of
Laws. TIE effect of the change. according TO
the Columbia University Bulletin, has been
practically to eliminate the largo class OF
half-educated special students" TIE proper
ton OF college graluates among the law stu
dents has also grown larger of lato years, be-
Ing 90 per cent. now as against AZ per cent. In
1894. Among the new instructors In the
Law department of Columbia we notice the
name of Alexander Tison, recently Professor
Of Law In the Imperial University Of japan at
Toxic. Mr.. Tison took o prominent part we be-
lieve, in the trial Of Lieut.. Hetherinston. U. $.
N, for shooting an EnRiishman at Yokohama
some years ago, under circumstances which
attracted u good deal Of attention at the time.
The Court or Appeals OF Kansas City has be-
como the subject Of some amusing criticism on
the part of the Western press because of its in
ability or unwillingne.s to decide whether a
HUI band can DO held liable In a civil suit for q
Islander uttered by his wife, in his absence and
with. ut his san ,tion, knowledge, or consent.
The three Judges, without indicating their pro-
s~peotive opinions on the question, have simply
nled q report stating that tn y cannot agree
and therefore they refer IL to the supreme
Court of Missouri for decision. The Kansas
City Times observes that tho man who Is
known 70 be In favor OF the doctrine that the
husband is responsible for the slanderous ut
terances of his wife mIRht as well ray farewell
= - .t--.- "a 80 al..rt.
GUS politics. The determination OF the aues-
tion probably depends upon the Interpretation
OF the Missouri statutes relating to the rights
OF married women. At common law, there was
q presumption that the husband influenced the
wife II she committed any wrong in his pres
ence, even though he did not actually partici-
pate In It, but this presumption could 10 over
! thrown by proof that the husband was not
really n participant. At common law, also,
the HUSBAND and wifa were Join iy liable for n
libel written and published by the wife alone.
In this State. however, the Domestic Relations
law expressly declares that a husband Is not
liable for the wrongful acts OF his wife unless
they were done by his actuel coercion or insti-
CATION; and such coercion or instigation shall
not be presumed but must be proved.
A decision announced at Harr isburg on
Thursday condemns rs illegal u form OF insur-
ance upon the lives of minor children which
is said to be much in vogue In Pennsylvania.
The contracts appear TO be made nominally
with the infants themselves, when they ar"
above the ags of thirteen: while for Younger
children. the signature OF the parent. or guar
dian is accep tied. The cornorat.ons which
carry on this kind OF business are mutual benc.
fit associations. 10 which the insured member
or some one In his behalf makes weekly or
mo thly payments. A judgment has just
been rendered against such a company ut
York, Pa. prohibiting it from insuriag in.
fants under the system we have mentioned.
As We understand 1t this decision does not
question the proposition that 1 father has an
insu.sh!e interest in the life OF his minor chilli,
hut it Is based uDoa he legal incapac!ty OF in
fants To enter into contracts OF insurance for
The
Gov. Black has Signed shc Ut! providing ,hat
whenever n non resident Justice o. the SUI
pre.ne Court shall be assigned tn duly at Trial
Term or Special Term In this district he shall
be paid $50 a day for every day of judicial SER
vice. This is an increase OF $40 a dav. the
compensation to out-of.town Judges having
been SO yer diem for many years. II the in
crease Is proper he. e. II ought TO be maze mp
plicable tn Brooklyn also, where the additional
pay to Judges from other districts remains m
changed AT SlU.
The publication OF Il false or grossly inaccu-
rate report or the proceedings OF a court OF JUS
tite is punishable as a contem u under the law
Of England and under the STATUTES OF New
York aad many other States OF the Caiou. The
authority to inf'ct punishment n this sum
mary manner, however, is seldom invoked and
still less frequently exercised. An exception
al case OF this character recently came before
Mr.. Justice Kekewich in the Chanccry Divis-
ion of the High Court OF Justice. y news
paper called Money, published in London by a
man named Charles Dear. had printed a report
Of the proceedings before the same learned
Judge in a suit against the CheGue Bank to re-
strain the payment OF u dividend. In this re-
port the occurrences in court were seriouslv
misrepresented, and u number OF the state
ments were false; so much so that Mr.. Justice
Ke&ewIch felt bound 70 impose some penalty,
Although he is we'll known TO b. friendly TO the
press, and he expressly declarcd that his
thought these applications I" commit the edt-
tors, publishers, and printers of newspapers
for tneir AlleLe Interference with the course
OF justice should not be encouraged. Mr..
Dear was sentenced To Imprisonment ior one
month.
While the log OF the Mayhower is virtually n
gift from the people OF England 10 the people
of the United States. the method by which It
was obtained was strictly n judicial proceed
lag In an ecclesiastical tribunal. A petition
by Tomas +. Bayard. the American Amhas-
sador, for and on behalf Of the President aud
citizens Of the United States of America YVES
presented to the Coi.sistory Court OF London,
asking that the manuscript book containing
the record OF the celebrated voyage Of the Nay
flower might be taken from the library Of Full
ham palace, where II now Is, and tut ned over
to the petitioner, for those whom he represent
ed, as ono of the most important original doc
uments relating 10 American h story. The
application came before DR.. Thomas II. iris
tram. Y. c., the accomplished Judge of the
ConsIstory Court, and WAS approved by the
BIshOp of London, TO whose official collection
of books the log belongs. How IT, found its
way thare does not appear, or exactly when.
although the date WAS some time between 172-
and 1919. Attached to the log is a register of
marriages., births, and deaths among the early
colonIsts of Plymouth, and II may hay. been
sent TO London because the diocesan registry
was Gsened the proper place for the deposit or
such d ocu nents. The Court made the desired
order for the transmission OF the log To the
IB AN Hf- ia tis -Ih