Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 15.pdf/550

 Rh THE House of Commons, writes an es teemed English correspondent, has now un der consideration a hill dealing with motor cars. It is proposed inter alia to regulate the speed, and puts upon the owner, as well as the driver, the responsibility of observing the regulations laid down by the act. Of course the House is dealing with the motor car as an entirely new conveyance. When one is dealing with new acts of Parliament in England the great question is first to know whether Statutes have not already been passed, dealing, possibly inadequately, with the evil the new act is aiming at. For instance, there still appears to remain on the Statute Book this curious act of 1514, which has, apparently, never been repealed. If it were put in force, I fear the description of the "new-fangled, dampnable & dewilish engine" would fit admirably some of the machines which break down outside one's house at the most inconvenient times con ceivable. Statute 6 H. VIII., c. 19 (1514). Forasmuch as divers and sundry lewd, malicious and evil-disposed persons, being men of evil and perverse disposition, and seduced by the instigation of the devil, and not minding the hurt and undoing of the King's true and faithful subjects, of their malicious and wicked minds have lately in vented a certain new-fangled, dampnable and dewilish engine and have by the space of seven years last past put the same in and upon divers parts of His Majesty's realm, and more especially upon the highways thereof, and do in great numbers some with masks and visors and otherwise disguised to the intent that they should not be known as well by night as by day use to drive the same on the said highways at great and out rageous speed and with a most abominable blowing of horns and other instruments of noise by color whereof the highways afore said have been greatly annoyed and mar velous distempered by excessive dust and by the corrupt and noisome airs engendered therein by occasion of the foul and filthy oils in the said engines contained to the great

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annoyance and jeapourdous abiding of His Majesty's liege subjects and by reason of the horrid speed whereby the said engines be driven His Majesty's peaceable subjects be sore let and hindred'in passing along the said highways on horse or on foot and may scantly even be thereon by reason of the lewd practices aforesaid and divers others in conveniences have ensued to the provocation and cnsample of evil disposed persons in the like case offending -to the great displeasure of the King's Majesty Our Sovereign Lord the King like a virtuous and most gracious Prince nothing earthly so highly weighing as the advancing of the common profit consid ering the daily great annoyances which have happened in his said realm by reason of the premises for remedy whereof hath enacted that all such persons having such dampnable engines and now being in the realm have monition to depart therefrom within sixteen days after proclamation of this statute among them shall have been made upon pain of imprisonment and forfeiture of their goods and chattels, and if they then so depart then they shall not forfeit their goods nor any part thereof saving always the said en gines only, this present statute not with standing. MARRIAGEAHLE young ladies in China usually wear their hair in a long single plait, in which is entwined a bright scarlet thread. The thread indicates that the maiden is awaiting a connubial partner. • IT is a curious historical fact that the first reported decision of the Supreme Court of the Territory of Iowa, in July, 1839, was made upon the question of the rendition of an alleged fugitive slave, the court at that time consisting of Charles Mason, Chief Jus tice, and Joseph Williams and Thomas S. Wilson, Associate Justices. Ralph, the al leged fugitive slave, had been owned by one Montgomery of the State of Missouri. The latter consented that the slave might come into the Territory of Iowa, but after