Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-08-27
LAW AND BROKEN HEARTS.
Some Curious Breach VI Promise Laws
in other Countries.


in other Countries.
England Is the best place--from the
plaintiffs point OF view--for a breach Of
promise action. All other countries seem
TO regard with grave suspicion any at.
tempt to recover monetary compensa-
ton for the loss of a prospective hus-
band, and unless the plaintiff has q very
strong case indeed It Is never worth her
while to carry her grief into the law
courts. says Tit-I3its.
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 n country where n
girl without dot--that is marriage
portion-has n poor chance of finding n
husband. Holland and Austria have
adopted tho French system. and the re-
suit has been about the same. Breach
actions are rare, the injured damesls or
their relatives usually taking the law In
to their own hands.
Practical Germany az might be ex-
pected. has perhaps the best method for
solving this problem. When young
couple become engaged they have to 60
through n public betrothal ceremony
that ought to knock all the shyness out
of them. In tho local town hall the pair
declare their affection. Willingness to
marry etc ending by signing n collec-
zion ~ documents that apparently leave
no loophole FOR escape.
But, If either party to the contract
wishes to withdraw another Journey is
undertaken to the town hall and another
collection Of documents signed, Witnessed
and sealed Then the authorities deter
mine the question of compensation
should it be claimed In this connectio7
it may be said that the man can. and
often does claim a solatium for his
wounded feelings The usual award is
one-ffth ~ the marriage dowrv. II Is
easy to understand, when all this Is re-
memhered how 10th the young people Of
Germany are 10 break their betrothal
| oatNs
As the law of Italy offers little or no
protection whatever TO Tilted damscls
and SWANS 1t IS not surprising that the
| stilletto should be the favorite mode
for deciding breach Of promise cases. Tho
| Italian law demands that the person gu
ing for preach" shall produce n written
promise to marry from the defendant:
| otherwise the action cannot proceed. This
difficulty IL almost insurmountable ard
| the Italian Judges are seldom troubled
to adjudicatc between one time lovers.
To bring an action for breach Of prom
ise of marriage against q reiening mon
arch Is an achievement. but II has been
| done, and by an English lady II Ia now
| fifteen years since Miss Jennie Mighell
sued the Sultan of Johore and as there
was a douyt whether the dusky ono was
| actually a re!gning monarch the cnse
was allowed 70 coma into court. But
| the Judge quickly disposed of tho action
by ruling It inadmissihie for the reason
referred to and Miss Mignell was non
suited.
II Is remarkable that one Of tho two
actions which have brought verdicts of
! f1O0po each to the plaintiffs should have
| had for it's defendant the editor of a
matrimonial paper. The second case was
| between well-known actress and the
eldest son Of an earl.