The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-21
MOTOR LAW IN BELGIUM.
Recent Decision by q Dinant Court
Causes Faster Driving.

| A decision OF much Importance to
motorists has just been given by the
court of first instance of Dinant. Bel
GUM, sitting as court of appeal from
kthe police court of that town. 1t is
one reversing the conviction of the
| owner of a motor car for progressing
| ten kilometerS an hour. The facts of
the case, as put forward by the police,
seemed 1ncontrovertible at the first
hearing. 1t was proved beyond ques-
ton that the car had gone at a rate
rar In advance of the legal one, and it
was also proved beyond dispute that
It's owner, against whom the proceed
lngs 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 merest Quib-
| bic. that the police could not have rec
ognized him as the chauffeur as he
whizzed past in a cloud of dust. The
owner, however. was not satisfied and
he carried his protest to the higher
court, where it 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 ground on which he
went was that it was impossible for the
police to identify the driver of the car
SAIltS ne. like edcn OF MS companions,
was masked and specialized. The court
accepted this plea. and in acquitting
the accused motorist put it officially on
record that lit is impossible to recog-
nize a person passing at the speed indi-
Gated in the charge when he is wearing
sDectacles and other objects indispen-
sable to those who circulate in auto
mobiles. The triumphant motorist re-
dused to .deneunce'' the chauffeur, and
as all the powers of Belgian law
seemed unable to compel him to do so.
the case fell entirely to the ground. and
the police found themselves proved i'm
potent and ridiculous Whatever may
be thought of it, the Judgment must be
sound in Belgian law, for not only did
the police authorities carry the case no
further, but similar judgment in an
other case at Ostend, given on 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 of a carnival,
or even to appear in public in fantastic
or fancy dress. and there is no minor
offense the police axe quicker to pounce
upon as English sportmen going to
'chasse" in the uniform Of their hunt,
and Highlander 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 apoi-
ogies, but it appears that motorists are
henceforth to be above the ordinary
law and at liberty to disguise them
selves a they Will. provided their dis
guises are made up of objects which
are 4'indispensa BILE to those who Circu-
Ia te in automobiles Already the in
ha bitants of BRUSSELS and it's suburbs
are crying out that as a consequence
of these decisions, whatever police
supervision of the motorists speed ex-
listed already has been almost entirely
allowed to lapse and motors are now
said to rush everywhere in the suburbs.
even afte- nightfan. at the speed of ex
press trains. Within the last few days
accidents fatal to pedestrians have
been reported from Brussels. which the
more tinid are not slow to trace to the
newly discovered immunity of all spec
tacled chauffeurs-London Globe.