Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-08
MOTOR LAW IN BELGIUM.
Recent Decision by a Dinant Court
Causes Faster Driving.

Brussels Correspondence of the London Globe.
A decision of much Importance to mo-
torists has just been given by the court
of first instance of Dinant Belgium. sit
ting as court of appeal from the police
court of that town. 1t is one reversing the
conviction Of the owner Of motor car
for progressing at greater speed than the
authorized ten kilometers an hour. The
facts of the case, as put forward by the
police. seemed incontrovertible at the first
hearing. 1t was proved beyond question
that the care had gone at rate far in
advance of the legal one, and it was also
proved beyond dispute that its owner,
against whom the proceedings were taken,
was in charge at the time. The police
court Judge convicted on this. and fined
the owner 10 francs. paying no heed to his
contention, which, indeed, seemed the mer-
est bubble, that the police could not have
| recognized him as the chauffeur, as he
whizzed past in a cloud of dust The own
err however, was not satisfied, and he car
ried his protest to the higher court where
1t won the day for him, to the great joy
of Belgian chauffeurs.
The defendant in the case stated that
he was not, in fact. acting as chauffeur
at the time when the breach of the law
was committed, but his plea did not rest
on fact. nor did he bring forward any
evidence to sustain his statement. The
impossible for the police to identify the
driver of the car, since he, like each of
his companions, was masked and spec
tacled. The court accepted this plea, and
In acquitting the accused mOtOriSt put 1t
officially record that "it Is impossible
to recognize a person passing at the speed
indicated in the charge when he Is wear
ing spectacles and other objects indis-
pensable to those who circulate in auto
mobiles. The triumphant motorst re-
fused to "denounce' the chauffeur, and as
all the powers of Belgian law seemed un-
able to compel him to do so. the case fell
entirely to the ground, and the police
found themselves proved impotent and
ridiculous. Whatever may be thought of
1t, the judgment must be sound in Bel
gian law. for not only did the police au-
thorities carry the case no further, but
a similar judgment in another case at
Ostend. given the same grounds, comes
to prove the validity of this one.
A point which might escape notice is
that which legalizes, in the judgment. the
wearing of masks and such like projections
against wind and dust 1t is illegal in
Belgium to disguise oneself at any time
other than that of a carnival, or even to
appear In public in fantastic or fancy dress
and there is no minor offense the police
are quicker to pounce upon English
sportsmen going to a Chase In the uni
form of their hunt and Highland soldiers
travelling In Belgium have found out before
now to their momentary disturbance. OF
course. in the case of the soldiers and
huntsmen the matter was speedily ex-
planned and settled by profuse apologies,
but 1t appears that motorists are hence
forth to be above the ordinary law and
at liberty to disguise themselves as they
will. provided their DISCUSSES are made up
of objects which are indispensable to those
who circulate in automobiles Already
the inhabitants of Brussels and It's suburbs
are crying out that as a consequence of
these decisions, whatever police supervi-
sion of the motorists speed existed already
has been almost entirely allowed to lapse
and motors are now said to rush every
where in the suburbs. even after nightfall
at the speed of express trains Within the
| last few days accidents fatal to pedestrians
| have been reported from Brussels whic h
| the more timid not slow to trace to the
newly discovered immunity of all spec
| tacled chauffeurS