Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1908-10-16
BREACH OF PROMISE.
Manner In Which the Law Treats II
In Different Countries.

| Manner In Which the Law Treats u
In Different Countries.
England Is the best place. from the
plaintiffs point of view. for breach
of promise action. All other coun
| tries seem to regard with grave sus-
picion any attempt to recover none
tary compensation for the loss of a
prospective husband, and unless the
plaintiff has a very strong case indeed
1t is never worth her while to carry
her grief into the law courts.
In France breach of promise cases
are rare, for the simple reason that
the law requires the plaintiff to prove
that she has suffered pecuniary loss
Now. this is not an easy thing to do
ON the part of the lady. especially In
a country where a girl without dot
that is, a marriage portion-has poor
chance of finding husband Holland
and Austria have adopted the French
system. and the result has been about
the same. Breach Of promise actions
are rare, the injured damsels or their
relatives usually taking the law into
their own hands.
Practical Germany, as might be ex
pected, has perhaps the best method
for solving this problem. When q
young couple become engaged they
have to go through a public betrothal
ceremony that ought to knock all tho
shyness out of them. In the local
town hall the pair declare their affcc-
ton, willingness to marry, etc, ending
by signing Il collection Of documents
that apparently leave no loophole for
escape. But If either party to the con-
tract wishes to withdraw another jour
ney Is undertaken to the town hall
and another collection of documents
signed witnessed and sealed. Then
the authorities determine the question
of compensation-sho 1t be claimed
In this connection 1t may be said that
the man can and often does claim q
solatium for his wounded feelings.
The usual award is one-f1fth of the
marriage dowry. 1t Is easy to under
stand when all this Is remembered
how loath the young people of Ger
many are to break their betrothal
OathS
AS the law Of Italy affords little or
40 protection whatever to Tilted dam
sells or swans. it is not surprising that
the stiletto should be the favorite mode
Of deciding breach Of promise cases.
The Italian law demands that the per-
son suing for the breach shall produce
written promise to marry from the
defendant: otherwise the action cannot
proceed. This difficulty is almost in
surmountable. and the Italian judges
are seldom troubled to adjudicate be-
tween one time lovers.
To bring an action for breach of
promise of marriage against reigning
nlonart h IL IN achievement. but it has
been done, and by an English lady
Miss Jenny Mighell sued the sultan of
Iohore, and as there was doubt
whether the dusky one was actually
reigning monarch the case was allowed
to come into court but the judge quick
~ disposed of the action by ruling 1t
inadmisSible for the reason referred to.
and Miss Mighel was nonsuited.
1t Is remarkable that one Of the two
actions which have brought verdicts
for 10000 each to the plaintiffs should
have had for its defendant the editor
OF a matrimonial paper. The second
case was between Il we'll known actress
and the eldest son of an earl.-Loudon
Tit-Bits.