Perth Amboy evening news., 1903-12-10
SUITS AGAINST A
Legal Action Against Kings and Ems
pcrors in Common Law Is
Not TenabIe.


Kings, emperors, cars and other
monarchs differ from ordinary people in
being beyond the rlach of what is called
common law-that is, the ordinary law
which is binding on their subjects. The
king OF England carno be sued as a
trespasser or a debtor. nor can be be
cited TO appear as a witness. On the
osher hand, the king is unable to take
any civil action against a subject,
though he can institute criminal pro-
cecd!1Eg against any person in the XII g
dcE, bat he cannot appear as q witness
in tie cc.c, says the Chicago American.
The o,her day a man was prosecuted
for forging his majesty's signature to
d check Ora WI on Coutts' bank, London,
but King Edward, even if he wished TO
Go so, could not SO into the witness box
10 prove the forgery; his evidence had
to be given through the medium Of otker
parties.
Shortly after King Edward, then
prince OF Wales, had purchased the
SanGr.ngham estate. a dispute arose be-
tween one Ct the tenants on the porperty
ard his royal landlord in connection
with the preserving Of game, which
eventually resulted in a lawsuit.
There is nothing to prevent the prince
Of Wales, who is a subject of the crown.
from suing in the ordinary courts OF
law, and this is what his majesty pro-
ceeded 10 Go against his refractory ten
ant. The case, however, was settled out
of court. the tenant giving up the
farm, for which he was well compen-
stated.
Emperor William Of Germany cannot
appear personally in an ordinary court
of law, but he can, and does, appear
from time to time through his repre-
sentative.
A couple of years ago a wine mer-
chant sued the kaissr for the large sum
of S12. The kaiser had. prior to this ae-
ton, paid the merchant his account.
which amounted to some hundreds of
dollars, less a trifing discount. and
transferred his imperial orders fer wine
elsewhere.
The wine merchant, having lost the
kaiser's custom, determined TO exact
his pound Of flesh. and sued his late Gus
toner for the full amount due on the
wine o The case eventually went
| to the supreme court of appeals. where
it was maintained that the merchant
was entitled to his $12, and this is al
most a unique example of a subject win
| ming a case against the kaizer in the
higher courts.
In Russia no one can take any actfnn
against the car. unless he be Of roble
rank. and even then If ia extremely dan
gerous work for the litigsnt to proceed
against his imperial majesty. There
are very few Instances of such cases and
they generally result in tho nIaintin
having a very bad time of it for the rest
of his daysA
A Russian noble. howprer 4 rn3nIe II
wears AGO had The t5ho 70 ~ r4.Ka,t
on a lawsuit arajrsf M ex,r IL <c,a-
nection with a disnuted boundary. which
| divided part of the nobleman's prorerty
from that of his imperial majesty
The prcDertv was situated in Siberia
near some valuable gold mines. ard the
boundary line was n question of cors;d-
cradle importa7eo 70 both Darties The
| Russian nobleman not only Inst the ac-
ton. but incurred his roval masters
| grave displeasure which reeessitated
his leaving Russia for some xears
On his return he found that n large
| portion of his estate had been confs-
| Gated. and wa. Informed that he bad
| committed a number of ofenses which
| could only be eypiated bv the navment
of a large fine. amounting in cur mouey
to come thousa1ds Of dollars