Fort Pierce news. (Fort Pierce, Fla.) 190?-1920, 1908-10-16
BREACH OF PROMISE
warmer IN Which the Law Trsaas "A
IN Different Countriea.

"S" tHS law Treats II
IN Different Countriss
england is the best place from ,ho
paintlns point OF view. for breach
~ promise action. All other conn.
.Iies seem to regard with grave sus.
plcion any attempt to recover mona
'ary compensation for Ge loss ~ a
prospective husband, and unless the
p'ain'in has a very strong case indeed
IS never worth her while to carry
ner GRIEF into the law courts.
IN France breach of promise cases
are rare, for the simple reason that
the law requires the plalntiff to prove
.nat she has suffered pecuniary loss
VOW, this Is not an easy thing to do
M the part Of the lady, especially in
a country where girl without dot
'nat ls' a marriage portion-has a moor
cnance OF finding husband. Holland
ana 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 no OF.
pected' has perhaps the best method
Tor solving this problem. When a
young couple become engaged they
nave to 90 through a public betrotbal
ceremony that ought to knock all the
shyness out Of them. In the local
town hall the pair declare their affec.
tlon' willingness to marry, ETC., ending
by signing a collection Of documents
mat apparently leave no loophole for
escape. But II 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--should It be claimed.
In this connection 1t may be said that
the man can and often does claim a
solauum for his wounded feelings.
The usual award Is one-flfth 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
no protection whatever to Tilted dam.
seiS or SWANS, It Is not surprising that
the stlletto 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. --sMu-es
To bring an action for breach Of
promise Of marriage against relgning
monarch Is ah achievement, but It has
been done, and by an English lady.
Miss Jenny Mighell sued the sultan Of
Johore, 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
ly disposed Of the action by ruling 1t
inadmisslble for the reason referred to,
and Miss Mlghell was nonsuited.
It 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 well known actress
and the eldest son of an earL-London
Tit-Bits