Evening journal., 1900-04-12
BIGGER THAN BOBBY
PEOPLE WHO, UNDER ENGLISH LAW,
MAY LAUGH AT THE POLICE.

The yarious Glasses Of Persons In
Great Britain Who Cannot De Ar
rested - Royalty, as Matter of
Course, IL First on the List.
The other day at the Westminster
(England) county court a warrant for !
the arrest and committal Of a solicitor
had to be extended for four months
more, as, though the solicitor was
walking about the streets IN the sight |
of the police, they dared not lay a fin |
ger on him. Even the judge seemed |
surprised that the man could not be |
arrested But Il is probable he never |
will be arrested, for, as he carries a
charm on his person In the form Of a
brief, his body cannot be seized. This
is because no one engaged on business
at a law court can be arrested for any
breach of the civil law. II you happen
to owe a debt, to have a judgment de-
llvered against you and to be commit
ted to prison for not paying, of course
you can be arrested under ordinary
circumstances, but If you are sub
penaed as a witness you cannot be
arrested while going to the place,
while staying there to give evidence
or while returning home, and you may
feel sure that the courts Will stick up
for you.
There are many other people who
can laugh at the police. OF course no
member of the royal family can be
arrested under any circumstances.
Servants of the royal household also
have great privileges in this way.
Should one of the royal servants COM
nit crime at the command of the
crown he could not be arrested. AS the
crown can do no wrong, Of course any
order the crown should give would be
considered right, and Bobby would not
dare to make an arrest.
Then members of parliament, though
they can be arrested for some things,
are exempt in certain cases where or
binary citizens would certainly be run
in. II a member Of the house Of com
mons commits a crime, he can be ar
| rested like any other citizen, but II II Is
n case Of contempt Of court, such as
not paying debts, he can snap his fin
gers at the police during the greater
part Of the year-that is to say, he can
not be arrested while parliament is sit
ting nor for 40 days before and 40 days
after the session. This gives him ex-
emptlon during about nine-tenths of
the year.
OF course a peer enjoys the same
good fortune, and so does a peeress In
her own right. But in their case the
privilege is still greater, for they can
not be arrested on a civil process at
any time, whether parliament IS sit
ting or not In fact, IL the heir to .
peernge happens to be in prison for any
onrense not criminal, he is liberated the
moment he succeeds to the title.
Foreign ambassadors may commit
any offense from drunkenness up tC
murder. without running the sllghtes
risk of seeing the inside Of an Engllsl
prison. And not only have the embas
sadors themselves this privilege, bu
their secretaries, coachmen, cooks
Wallets, etc. are equally favored indl
{ viduals, for the theory is that an EN-
! bassador is useless without his dinner
his drives, his shaves and the like.
When an ambassador commits
. crime. all that can be done Is to asl
, his government to recall him. But, o
I course, if he went about the street
knocking many people down he wouli
} certainly be arrested and held tempo
] | rarily. But he could not be tried an
punished The foreign ambassador
, house, family and servants are locke
! upon as If they were in their own cour
, try. Under no circumstances could
: policeman or bailiff break into tn
: house or arrest any Of the inhabitanti
q Soldiers, while on service, could ru
r up debts. refuse TO pay, and If judg'
. after ordering them to pay. without n
. suit. issued warrant for theF arre'
. and cOmmittal. no policeman dare eX'
! cute It unless the amount were OvC
$50. Navy men enjoy the same priv
leges. but no doubt they seldom g
the opportunity Of exercising them.
The clergy are another class of me
n who are sometimes secure against n
o rest. A clergyman cannot be arreste
e when he Is celebrating divine servi'
i or conducting the celebration Of ritz
5, for the dead; nor can he be toucht
y when going to or returning from eith
q Of these duties. Any one breaking Il
n law In this respect might be punish'
= with as much as two years impriso
k ment with hard labor.
4 on Sundays we are all privilege
It No one can be arrested on Sunday c
IS cept for treason. felony or breach
t the peace. If any one tries it on WI
* you. you can resist UP TO the point
le killing him.
Df A curious rule in connection with
* rest IS not generally known-if polio
man comes along after a fight or
assault. he can make no arrest witho
IN a warrant.-London Tlt-Bits.