If it is a crime to buy and sell wives, let the men who do such things be punished; if there is no crime in the transaction, why should the wife who is sold be punished. Unfortunately this is not a solitary instance of law made or administered to punish women in order to teach men--English Women’s Suffrage Journal.

Before Mr. Justice Denman, at the Liverpool Assizes, Betsy Wardle was charged with marrying George Chisnal at Eccleston, bigamously, her former husband being alive. It was stated by the woman that, as her first husband had sold her for a quart of beer, she thought she was at liberty to, marry again.

George Chisnal, the second husband, apparently just out of his teens was called.

His Lordship-”How did you come to marry this woman?”

Witness (in the Lancashire vernacular)--”Hoo did a what?” [Laughter.]

Question repeated--”A bowt her.” [Laughter.]

His Lordship-”You are not fool enough to suppose you can buy another man’s wife? Oi?” [Laughter.]

His Lordship-”How much did you give for her?” Six pence. [Great laughter.]

His Lordship asked him how long he had lived with the prisoner.

Witness--”Going on for three years.”

His Lordship--”Do you want to take her back again?”

“Awl keep her if you loike.” [Laughter.]

His Lordship (addressing the prisoner)--It is absolutely necessary that I should pass some punishment upon you in order that people may understand that men have no more right to sell their wives than they have to sell other people’s wives, or to sell other people’s horses or cows, or anything of the kind. You cannot make that a legal transaction. So many of you seem to be ignorant of that, that it is necessary, to give you some punishment in order that you may understand it. It is not necessary it should be long, but you must be imprisoned and kept to hard labor for one week.--”News of the World,” 1883.

A peculiar case came up in the mayor’s office at Vincennes, Ind., in 1887, A man named Bohn sold his wife to another man named Burch for $300, and held Burch’s note therefor. The sale was a reality, but the note was never paid, hence the difficulty.

“We know a man in the Black Hills--a man who is well-to-do and respected--the foundation of whose fortune was $4,000, the sum for which he sold his wife to a neighbor. The sale was purely a matter of business all around, and the parties to it were highly satisfied.” 1880.-”The Times,” Bismarck, N.D.