and filed in the office of the Register of the Court of Chancery. Within thirty days after the date of the assignment, the assignee must file a sworn schedule of the property. The Chancellor appoints two appraisers, who file an inventory and appraisement. The assignee must give a bond to the State with sureties, in double the value of the property as appraised. The assignee must render his account one year from the date of the bond.

Chattel Mortgages.-Must be recorded within ten days after their acknowledgment. Good for three years

The mortgagor can

as a lien. Must then be renewed.
not remove the property from the county.

Descent and Distribution of Property.-Real estate descends: 1st, in equal shares to the children; 2d, if none, then to brothers and sisters; 3rd, if none, then to father; 4th, if no father, then to mother; 5th, if no mother, then to next of kin. Real estate, however, is subject to the dower of the widow, one-third to her for life if there are any children; one-half for life if there are no children. Also subject to curtesy of the husband, that is, whole for life; even if no child was born, the husband is entitled to one-half for life.

Personal property goes: 1st, to children of intestate; 2d, if none, then to brothers and sisters in equal shares; 3d, if none, then to brothers and sisters of the half blood; 4th, if none, then to father; 5th, if none, then to mother; 6th, if none, then to next of kin. Provided that if intestate be a married woman, her husband shall have all. If intestate leave a widow, she is entitled to one-third absolutely if there be children, or, if none, to one-half absolutely; if no kin, to whole personal estate.

Divorce.-Causes: (1) Adultery; (2) desertion for three years; (3) habitual drunkenness; (4) impotency at time of marriage; (5) extreme cruelty; (6) conviction for felony. Either absolute or from bed and board, at discretion of court, for (1) fraud in contracting the marriage, or (2) willful neglect to provide.

Divorces obtained in other States, for causes not permitted in Delaware, will be of no force in this State.

Executions. May issue upon judgments within five years without revival; and otherwise as at common law. Exemptions.-Family Bible; school-books and family library; pictures; pew in church; lot in burial-ground;

wearing apparel; tools, implements, and fixtures, necessary to carry on a trade, up to the amount of $75 in New Castle and Sussex Counties, and $50 in Kent County. Household goods, up to $200 in value, in New Castle County, and $100 in Kent and Sussex Counties, are exempt. No homestead laws.

Garnishment.-After judgment, may be made of debts due defendant, except for wages, only one-half of which may be attached.

Interest. The legal rate is six per cent.; the penalty for usury is the forfeiture of the whole sum lent.

Judgments become liens from entry, in strict priority. Limitations.-All actions of account, trespass, replevin, detinue, or debt not founded on specialty or record, must be brought within three years from the accruing of the right of action, and in case of bills of exchange, promissory notes, or acknowledgments.

Actual seizin within 20 years is necessary to maintain an action for the recovery of lands, tenements, or hereditaments. Right of equity barred after 20 years.

Married Women.-The real and personal property of a married woman, which she has at the time of her marriage, or which she shall acquire from any person other than her husband, shall be her sole and separate property, and is not liable for the debts of her husband. She is entitled to wages for personal labor, and may sue in her own name for the same. She may make contracts in respect to her own property, and prosecute and defend suits in regard to it. She may give a bond or warrant of attorney, and dispose of her property, real and personal, by will, without the consent of her husband.

Qualifications for Voting.-Every male citizen, one year in the State, one month in the county, twenty-one years of age, who has, if twenty-two years or upwards, paid a county tax assessed six months previous to election.

Wills.-Persons of the age of 21 years may make wills of all their property. Married women may make wills with the consent of their husbands in writing under seal in the presence of two witnesses. Wills must be in writing signed by the testator or by some person in his presence and by his direction. There must be two or more attesting witnesses. Wills are recorded in the office of the

Register of Wills.

SPECIAL LAWS OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

Arrest.-No person shall be held to bail in the District in any action of debt, assumpsit, or other action formed on any contract or agreement, or in any proceeding in equity brought for enforcing payment of any debt, or of any sum of money claimed to be due by reason of any contract or agreement.

Assignments.-Preferences allowed. The common law prevails. No statutes on insolvency.

Chattel Deeds of Trust.-No goods or chattels whereof the vendor, mortgagor, or donor, shall remain in possession, shall pass, or any property thereof be transferred to any purchaser, mortgagee, or donee-except as between the parties thereto-unless by writing, duly acknowledged, and recorded within twenty days.

Descent and Distribution of Property.-Lands descend: 1st, to children equally; 2d, if no child, and the estate came from father, to the father; 3d, if not living, then to brothers and sisters; 4th, if no paternal ancestor or descendants, then to mother. If the estate was derived by purchase, and there are no children, it goes to the brothers and sisters of the whole blood; if none, to the brothers and sisters of the half blood; if none, then to father; if no father, then to mother; if none living, then to grandfather on father's side or his descendants; then to grandfather on mother's side or his descendants.

Personal property goes as follows: Where intestate leaves a widow, but no child, parent, grandchild, brother or sister, widow is entitled to whole. If there are no

children, the widow is entitled to one-half; if children, to one-third. Residue goes to children in equal shares; if no children, then to father; if no father, the mother, brothers and sisters take equally; if no brothers or sisters, mother takes the whole.

Divorce may be either partial or absolute. Causes: (1) Adultery; (2) cruel treatment; (3) willful desertion and abandonment for three years.

Plaintiff must have resided two years in the district. Exemptions.-Wearing apparel; beds; bedding; house

hold furniture; stoves; utensils, etc., not exceeding $30€ in value; provisions for three month's support; fuel for three months; tools and implements of trade, up to $200 in value; stock up to $200, for carrying on business; library and implements of a professional man or artist, to value of $300; one horse, one mule, or yoke of oxen; one cart, wagon or dray, and harness; farming utensils and farming tools, up to $100 in value; family pictures and library, up to $400 in value; one cow, one swine, six sheep, the earnings of married residents who provide for support of a family, for two months, not to exceed $100 each month.

Garnishment.-May issue upon judgments against property of residents. May also issue at the commencement or during pendency of suit, upon the affidavit of the plaintiff, his agent or attorney, supported by one or more witnesses, showing the ground on which the plaintiff's affidavit is based, and setting forth that he has a just right to recover what is claimed in the declaration, and also stating either, 1st, that the defendant is a non resident; 2d, that defendant evades service of ordinary process by concealment or temporary withdrawal from the District; or 3d, that defendant has removed, or is about to remove some of his property from the District so as to defeat just demands against him. A bond with surety, to be approved by the clerk, must be filed, to make good all costs and damages to the defendant. The facts stated in the affidavit may be traversed by counter affidavits upon motion to quash, and the application heard at chambers upon three days' notice. The property attached may be discharged upon filing an undertaking, with surety, to pay final judgment.

Interest. The legal rate where no particular rate is specified, is 6 per cent.; 10 per cent., or any less rate, may be contracted for in writing. If any greater rate than 10 per cent. be received upon agreement in writing, or any greater than 6 per cent. by oral agreement, the whole interest will be forfeited.

Judgments.--Of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, are liens upon the real estate of the defendant of which he holds the legal title from time of rendition; but where defendant has only an equitable title, a bill in equity must be filed to make the judgment a lien.

Limitations.-All actions on simple contracts, case, debt, replevin, &c., must be brought within three years after the time when such cause of action accrued; and upon bill, bond, judgment, recognizance, or other specialty, within twelve years. Judgments of Justices of the Peace are barred after the lapse of three years. No exceptions in favor of absent parties.

Married Women.-The right of any married woman to real or personal property belonging to her at the time of marriage, or subsequently acquired otherwise than from her husband, is as absolute as if she were unmarried, cannot be disposed of by her husband, and is not liable for his debts. She may convey, devise, and bequeath, the same as though she were unmarried; and she may contract, sue, and be sued, in her own name, in all matters relating thereto, in the same manner as if she were unmarried. Neither the husband nor his property is bound by any such contract, made by a married woman, nor liable for any recovery against her in any such suit, but judgment may be enforced by execution against her sole and separate estate in same manner as if she were unmarried.

Wills.-Males of the age of 21 years and females of the age of 18 may make wills of land. Wills must be in writing, signed by the testator, or by some person in his presence by his direction. They must be attested and subscribed in the presence of the testator by three or four witnesses.

SPECIAL LAWS OF FLORIDA.

Arrest. There is no statute authorizing the arrest of defendant in civil action.

Assignments.-Preferences allowed. No insolvent laws. Chattel Mortgages.-No mortgage of personal property shall be effectual or valid to any purpose whatever unless recorded in the county where the property is. An attachment may be issued if the mortgagor should attempt to remove the mortgaged property out of the county in order to defeat the lien of mortgagee.