Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-06-30

Ny NO0aJ Al tLS IAuAASACA u ACdA
estate.
A record Of a mortgage loan also
from Japan, made out in the year
A. d. 773, states that "a shingle-
roof house on one lot OF residential
land" is the security for the loan
which will be repaid with interest
ION receipt of my wages"
In China during the Ming dynasty
about A. ID. 1400 the minister Yung
10 framed a new general code and
on this code was founded that Of
the next Manchu dynasty, the Using.
some two centuries later. This Ia
Using Lu Ii or code of Using be-
came law about "A. D.. 1850, and en-
dured until the revolution Of A. ID.
1912. The following are passages
from the Law Of Mortgages from
the Lu which shows now the statues
operated TO protect the property
owner go years ago.
Whoever takes lands or tene-
ments by way Of mortgage, with
out entering into a regular contracr.
duly authenticated and assessed
with the legal duty ri the proper
magistrate, shall rc~a so blows,
and forfeit to government half the
consideration money OF the NOR
tgage."
IF. after the period specified in
the deed, by which any land tene-
mentS are p~rofessed to be mortga-
ged or pledged by the proprietor.
Is expired, the said proprietor offers
his property by the payment back
OF the original consideration upon
which he had parted with it. IL shall
not be allowed the mortgage 10
refuse to comply: and instance or
such refusal shall subject him to
the punishment Of 40 blows and to
the forfeiture Of all the produce of
the land, which he may have reaped
after the expiration of such period
Chinese System
The Torrens method or register
ing title TO land dnstead Of merely
recording deeds though new in this
country, has been in force in China
for at least $50 years. Every
Chinese land owner has his official
certificates Of title which Is indis-
putable.
The Oldest Greek statue now x
tant comes from the island OF Crete
This Is the law Of the city Of Gortv-
ma. dating from perhaps B. G. 400.
Ihis inscription, the largest exist
ing fragment of any Greek law.
came TO light less than 50 years ago:
Tor the stones on which it was
chiseled had been buried for two
thousand years or more and It's as
covery made a sensation in the
learned world. 1t was about 80 feet
long in its original form; the broken
pieces are now scattered in several
museums. The first paragraphs OF
this law deal with personal freedom
and slavery; the latter paragraphs
deal chiefly with the inheritance OF
property.
These laws show that more than
two thousand years ago. women I n
this Cretean city could own property.
Moreover, the law provided that a
husband could not sell or mortgage
his WifeS property, nor could A son
dispose OF his mothers property.
IL a mother dies. says this ancient
on property: and leaves child
rem, the father has power over her
property but he cannot sell or NOR
tgage It, unless the children con-
sent. when they come Of age. More
over, If the father marries another
woman after the first wife's death.
the children OF the first wife shall
have power W their mothers
property. Penalties are provided
FOR the violation OF any Of these
provisions.
Ancient rulers IN all countries az
the world respected property rights
Tor their people. They may have
tortured their subjects and murder
them; they may have given them
no voice in the making OF the laws.
But they made it possible for them
TO own property and TO transfer n.
and the favorable laws on real estate
that exist today found their be-
ginnings in these ancient times.