Marriages may be annulled for: (1) where a white person and a negro are married; (2) former husband or wife living; (3) consanguinity; (4) insanity; (5) where the male is under fourteen or the female under twelve years of age.

Limited divorce for (1) cruel and inhuman treatment; (2) reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt; (3) abandonment; (4) habitual drunkenness.

Evidence. All persons may be witnesses, although interested. One party may be called as a witness by the other. Parties to suits shall not testify as to any transaction or communication had personally with a deceased person, against the representatives of such deceased person.

If a person live out of the county where suit is pending, his deposition may be taken on due notice to the opposite party. No evidence of existence of firm or corporation, unless denied by plea under oath, is required.

Executions may issue at any time within two years after the date of the judgment, and if execution is issued within that time, then a second execution may be issued within ten years from the return day of the last execution, which is returned "no property found," or without any return endorsed. Judgments may be revived by scire facias at any time within ten years after the date of the judgment. Executions can be levied on personal property and chattels real only. See judgments as to sale of real

estate.

Exemptions.-A husband or parent may select and keep personal property from seizure for debt to the amount of $200. Any resident mechanic or laborer may keep the working tools of his trade up to the value of $200.

A homestead worth $1,000, belonging to a husband or parent, is exempt. It must be recorded as a homestead in the public land records of the county.

Garnishment. After judgment, debts owing to the defendant may always be garnisheed. Before judgment they can be garnisheed only when an attachment is issued.

Interest.-Six per cent. is the legal rate. More than that rate cannot be collected by legal proceedings. No penalty for contracting for a usurious rate. The contract is void simply as to the excess of interest agreed to be

paid above the legal rate. Illegal interest having been paid may be recovered within five years.

Judgments are liens on real estate from the first day of the term at which they are rendered, but not as to purchasers for value without notice, unless it is docketed in the judgment lien docket of the Clerk's office of the County Court of the County wherein the real estate lies, within sixty days next after the date of the judgment, or before a deed therefor to such purchaser is delivered to the Clerk of said Court for record. Judgments before justices not a lien against purchasers until the date of docketing.

Limitations.-Actions on contracts, whether they be under seal or not, must be brought within ten years after the right of action accrues. If under seal, and executed before April 1, 1868, action may be maintained within twenty years.

Upon all other contracts, actions may be brought within five years, unless it be an action for any article charged in any store account, in which case the action may be brought within three (3) years.

Also, action may be brought in five years upon accounts concerning the trade of merchandise between merchants, their factors or servants.

Married Women have dower in lands owned by husband in lifetime. It, of course, is a mere contingent right during life of husband.

She may take by gift, grant, etc., any property from persons other than her husband, and hold it in her own right free from control or debts of husband.

She may do business in her own name and for own benefit, if living separate and apart from husband.

Qualifications for Voting.-Male citizens of the State, residence in State one year, in county sixty days, in town or district three months, and twenty-one years of age. Wills. Any person over 21 may make a will. A will must be in writing signed by the testator, or by some person in his presence and by his direction. If wholly written by the testator no witnesses are necessary. Other wills must be signed and the will acknowledged by the testator in the presence of two or more witnesses present it the same time. The witnesses must subscribe the will 1 the presence of the testator.

SPECIAL LAWS OF WISCONSIN.

Arrest. The defendant may be arrested and held to bail at the time of issuing the summons or at any time before judgment in an action for damages, not arising on contract, when a non-resident or about to remove from the State; or in an action for injury to person, property or character; for a fine or penalty; for money embezzled or fraudulently misapplied by a public officer, attorney, agent, or an officer of a corporation, or by any person in a fiduciary capacity, or for any misconduct or neglect in office or in a professional employment; in actions to recover damages for property obtained by false pretences; in actions of replevin when property has been concealed; or when defendant has been guilty of fraud in contracting the debt for which the action is brought.

Assignments.-Preferences are allowed. The assignee must deliver to the County Judge a bond executed to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the value of the property. The bond and a copy of the assignment must be filed with the Circuit Clerk; and within ten days after such filing the assignee must also file an inventory of the assets, a list of the creditors and the debts due to them. Failure to file makes the assignment void. The assignee must give notice by publication and by mail for the creditors to present their claims within twelve days after the date of the assignment. The creditors then have three months in which to send in their sworn claims. If they fail to do this, they forfeit the dividend. Within six months the assignee must report. A power to sell on credit in the assignment makes it void.

There is an Insolvent Law, under which the debtor may present a petition to the Circuit Court, stating the usual facts with schedule and inventory. The debtor may be discharged unless creditors dissent, and the assignment is recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds.

Chattel Mortgages.-The mortgage, or copy of it, must be filed with the Clerk of the town, city or village. Good for two years. May be renewed at the expiration of that

time and every two years thereafter, by the filing of an affidavit by the mortgagee, stating his interest in the property and the amount due him.

Mortgage of stock in trade with power of sale is void as against creditors.

Chattel mortgages in this State usually contain a provision that the mortgagee may take possession of the chattels whenever he feels himself insecure. He may therefore do so whether his grounds are reasonable or not.

Descent and Distribution of Property.-Real estate descends, subject to dower and curtesy, first, to children; if none, to surviving husband or wife; if none, to parents or the survivor of them; if none, then to brothers and sisters equally; if none of these, then to next of kin. Personal property goes the same way as real estate, except that the widow takes an equal share with child.

Divorce.-Plaintiff must have resided in the State one year. Causes: (1) Adultery; (2) impotency; (3) sentence of three years or more; (4) cruel and inhuman treatment; (5) willful desertion for one year; (6) habitual drunkenness for one year; (7). entire and voluntary separation for five years.

Executions upon judgments of courts of record may issue at any time within five years, but if none has issued within that time, execution can only issue with leave of court, when it has been made to appear satisfactorily that some part of judgment remains due unpaid. If found, personal property must be first exhausted, and same can be sold on twenty day's notice.

Real estate sold on execution may be redeemed by execution debtor, his heirs or assigns, within one year from date of sale, by paying sum bid with ten per cent. interest. Subsequent judgment or mortgage creditors may redeem within fifteen months from date of sale, by paying sum bid and seven per cent. interest.

There is no stay of execution on judgments of court of record except by order of court.

Execution on judgments in justices' court may issue at any time within five years after rendition of judgment.

Within five days after rendition of judgment in justice's court, upon the recognizance of some responsible person not a party to the judgment, execution may be stayed as follows: Judgment for $10, exclusive of costs,

one month; above $10 and not exceeding $30, two months; above $30 and not exceeding $50, three months; above $50, four months.

Exemptions.-Family Bible; family pictures and schoolbooks; the debtor's library; all wearing apparel, beds, stoves and cooking utensils; other household furniture, to amount of $200 in value; one gun, rifle, or firearm, worth not more than $50; two cows, ten swine, one yoke of oxen, one horse or mule, or two horses or two mules, ten sheep and wool; necessary food for this stock for one year; one wagon, cart, or dray, one sleigh, one plow, one drag; other farming utensils, worth $50; provisions for one year's support; tools and implements or stock-in-trade of mechanic, miner, etc., to value of $200; library and implements of any professional man, not exceeding $200; one sewingmachine; all inventions; sixty days' earnings of married persons, etc.; money arising from insurance of exempt property; money arising from life insurance, made in favor of wife; printing material, and press or presses, to the value of $1,500; books, maps, plates and papers, used for making abstracts of title; pew in church; lot in burialground.

A homestead not exceeding forty acres in the country, or one-fourth of an acre if in a city, town or village.

Garnishment.-Property, money, credits, and effects of the defendant in the hands of another person, and indebtedness due him, may be garnisheed either at the commencement of an action founded on contract before judgment, or after judgment on execution. An affidavit must be made by plaintiff, or some one in his behalf, and served with the garnishment summons, and upon such service the garnishee debtor stands liable for any indebtedness that may exist in favor of principal debtor, or for any property he may have belonging to the principal defendant. In case garnishee denies his liability, issue may be joined, and the question of his liability is then tried, after judgment in the principal action, as any other question of fact.

Interest. Seven per cent. is the legal rate, but parties may, in writing, stipulate for any rate as high as ten per cent.

The penalty for usury is the forfeiture of interest.

Judgments of court of record become liens upon