The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-12
CURIOUS LAWS.
Where Marriage Is a Crime AND
kissing Equally Illegal.


Last year an officer in a royal regi-
ment was arrested for attempting to
get married. in spite of the fact that
he and the bride-elect were eligible for
the married state. AS it happened,
however. his relatives were opposd to
the match. and had recourse to a reg
ulation which, although still in vogue,
is seldom exercised, and which gives
the sovereign and war office power TO
Interfere in the matrimonial affairs OF
any officer in a royal regiment. 1t IS,
therefore, a crime for an officer thus
placed to enter the bonds of matrimO-
ny against the wishes of the powers
that be, and one punishable with dis
missal from the army and six months
imprisonment; but whether the indi-
vidual in question was faithful to his
vows or not the writer is unaware.
few months ago a young English
man was sentenced to fortnight's i'm
prisonment for kissing his fiancee in
the streets of Odessa. 1t is strictly
illegal for lovers to osculate in public
IN South Russia, and it was only after
considerable trouble on the part of the
British consul that the -amorous
youth was liberated at the expiration
of three days captivity, and even then
his sentence was committed to fine.
If you are given to political speak
ing it would be as we'll to be careful
where you hold your meetings, for
there is one SPOT where such orations
are considered treason, however loyal
you may be at heart: This is within
the mile radius Of Westminster Pal
ace during a parliamentary session, and
anyone urging a government petition IN
the area named can be arrested and
thrown into prison. the reason being
that members of the House might be
biased In their legislation thereby.
If you take your family with you on
a holiday to France you should be very
careful how you feed the baby during
your sojourn. Our neighbors have
made it a punishable offense for any
one to give solid food to an infant I'M
der a year old unless it has been pre-
scribed by a medical man, and hun
dreds of people are prosecuted for
breaking this law every year. while it
is equally illegal for nurses to feed
their charges from bottles having a
rubber tube attached
You must be very cautious how you
treat your neighbor in Jersey, for he
can have you arrested on the slightest
preteXt, and If he has a grudge against
you can bring about such a calamity
by simply giving a fictional account of
YOUR misconduct to the nearest lawyer.
The latter will demand a fine, and
should you decline to pay ii he will
cause you to be thrown into prison to
await trial. Then, even If you are ac-
quilted on the ground that the charge
is unfounded, you have absolutely no
claim against your prosecutor. though
you may have suffered a couple of
months Imprisonment for nothing.
Similarly in Germany you must not
insult your neighbor through the tele-
phone, or he will legally claim dam
ages for libel because your uncompli-
mentary remarks may have reached
other ears to the detriment of his char
acter.
In a famous Scotch town you can be
fined Is. for throwing orange-peel in
the streets; or if you happen to be in
Chester and omit to raise your hat
when funeral is passing, any police
man who witnesses your disrespect can
arrest you, inasmucb as you are break
ing a regulation of that ancient city.
But an even more peculiar law forbids
you to sell your body to a hospital
for dissection after death. Some peo-
pie do so, certainly, but they could be
punished If discovered because your
body legally belongs to your relatives,
and to sell 1t makes you guilty of
fraud.