Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/357

314, which is now of equal weight with the Government and its subjects, must be materially altered or supplanted by an entirely new one to prevent endless disputes arising from the collision of opposing interests, when persons who are not at present of kin to the legal heirs recognized by the Shastras, or by the customs of the country, will be placed on a footing of equality with them. The passing of the proposed Bill into law will not only, without any cause whatever, endanger the property of many an innocent individual, but in several cases altogether deprive him to it. A few cases of very probable occurrence illustrative of the above position, are most respectfully submitted for your consideration.

"If one's father, brother, brother's son, grandfather, or father's brother, or the like, in spite of the Shastras and the established customs, marry a widow and beget a son on her, and die, that son, armed with the law, will usurp the place of a brother, or brother's son and so forth, and thus divide the property of the deceased with rightful heirs, if such deceased have left no widow and children who are legal according to the Shastras. And sometimes, by his claim of priority, he will nullify the rights of lawful heirs. Similarly, if a widow take a second husband, though it be in opposition to her father's wishes, she may even then, on her father's dying without male issue or other heirs, be entitled to inherit his estate. Again, if she marry in opposition to the wishes of her brother, her son, in the event her brother's dying without male issue, will stand in point of relationship as his nephew or the grandson of his father and thus be entitled to inherit his property. In like manner, if the widow be a mother, or mother's or father's sister, or paternal of maternal aunt, or grandmother or brother's wife, and in marry in opposition to the wishes of her son or other relatives, the male children she may give birth to, will usurp the place of brothers and so forth, and contend