consent, in which case either the dominion or the power of acquiring a title by usucapio is transferred to the donee. Gifts made by the wife to procure some dignity for the husband, or of apparel, ornaments, &c. made by the husband to the wife, are not included in this prohibition. Although it may have been originally void, yet, if the donor has died or become civilly dead, and there has been no revocation of it, the gift will be sustained. The validity which it thus acquires, has relation to the time when it was made, and the title to the property and its profits is deemed to have been from that period perfect. The prohibition was confined to donations inter vivos. Those mortis causâ were valid. The doctrine of the civil law on the subject of this section is to be found in the Digest, under the following titles:-De Jure Dotium, de Pactis Dotalibus, de Fundo Dotali, in the 23rd Book. Soluto Matrimonio Dos quemadmodum petatur, De Donationibus inter Virum et Uxorem, in the 24th Book,-De Impensis in Rem Dotalem factis,-De Actione Rerum Amotarum, in the 25th Book. In the Codex it will be also found under the titles in the 5th Book, De Donationibus ante Nuptias vel propter Nuptias et Sponsalitüs,-De Jure Dotium, de rei uxoriæ actione in ex stipulatu actionem transfusú, et de Naturâ Dotibus præstita,-De Pactis Conventis tam super dote, quàm super donatione ante nuptias, et paraphernis,-De Dote cautá non numerata,—De Donationibus inter Virum et Uxorem et à Parentibus in Liberos factis, et de Ratihabitione,-Soluto Matrimonio quemadmodum Dos petatur,-Dos constante Matrimonio soluta fuerit. -Ne fidejussores vel mandatores dotium dentur.-Ne pro dote Mulieris bona quondam mariti addicantur, &c. Amongst the various commentators on these titles who should be consulted, are Brunneman, Perezius, Zoesius, Voet, Noodt, Faber, Wissenbach, Tulden, Cujas, Meir, Coll. Argent, Scipio Gentilis De Donationibus, Vinnius in Inst. de Donatione ante Nuptias seu propter Nuptias, Lib. 2, tit. 7. SECTION II. THE FORMER LAW OF HOLLAND, AND THE PRESENT LAW OF BRITISH GUIANA, THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, AND CEYLON. Communio bonorum.-Description of.-From what time it takes effect.— Property comprised in it.—Communio Quæstuum.—The debts and charges to which it is liable.-The communio damni.—The administration or management of the property in community.-The powers of alienation which, stante matrimonio, may be exercised.-Soluto matrimonio, the community ceases.- -Circumstances under which it may be continued.— The division of the property on its termination.-Renunciation.-Dos Pacta dotalia, Doarium.-Donationes inter conjuges.-Second Marriages. THE provisions of the civil law, which establish the dos and antidos, and allow the husband and wife to retain the separate and absolute ownership of the rest of their property, might be adopted by parties in their nuptial contracts, but they formed no part of the law of Holland. The property of the husband and wife, and their rights and interests, stante matrimonio, are subject either to the disposition which they have themselves made by contract on their marriage, or to that which the law makes. The first enquiry regards the disposition which was made by the law of Holland, when there was no agreement between them. The principle which distinguishes it from the civil law is, vir et uxor bona non habent separata. (a) On the marriage, a community or partnership is established between them. "Per nuptias ad exemplum specialis omnium bonorum societatis, de qua in l. 1, § 1, 1.2, 1. 3, § 1, ff. pro soc., omnia quæ ante matrimonium coëuntium fuere propria et peculiaria, quæque eo contracto, hæreditate, legato, donatione, aliove honesto titulo, vel fortunæ beneficio alterutri obveniunt, confestim alteri communicantur." (b) Another jurist adopting similar description, makes the following addition to it, "Adeò per conjugalem societatem confunduntur, ut nihil cujusquam proprium dici possit, sitque soluto matrimonio cum superstite æqualis omnium rerum conjugalium facienda divisio, etiamsi alteruter eorum parum aut nihil in commune contulerit.” (c) The terms, communio connubialis bonorum societas, are used to designate, as well the conventional community, or communio pactitia, as that which is established by law, independently of any convention communio consuetudinaria, or statutoria. The latter is the subject of the present enquiry. The communio bonorum is either universal, or particular. The former has been just described. It comprises all the property which belonged to the husband and wife before or at their marriage; and also that which they acquire during the coverture. The communio particularis, comprises only the property which is acquired by them during the coverture. It is called communio quæstuum. (a) A. Matth. Paræm. 2, n. 8. (b) A. Wesel, de Con. Bon. Soc. tract. 1, n. 6. n. 4. Groeneweg. de 1. Abrog. ad tit. Inst. quib. n. 26, 30. Math. Paræm. Belg. Paræm. 2, n. 6. Societ. c. 3, n. 7, p. 46. (c) L. Goris, adv. tr. 1, n. 26. Grot. lib. 2, Isag. part. 11, Coren. Cons. 25, tit. de By the law of Holland, the communio bonorum took place as the immediate consequence of marriage, and commenced from the moment of its celebration, either in facie ecclesiæ or before the magistrate. But, according to some codes, the title to it was not complete, unless there had been ingressus thori, whilst others required, that there should have been annua cohabitatio et convictus. (a) The communio bonorum omnium prevails, unless the husband and wife have, by an ante-nuptial contract, excluded it. They may exclude it wholly or in part. Thus, the communio quæstuum may be retained, and the other excluded. The exclusion may be made in express terms, or implied from the dispositions which are contained in the ante-nuptial contract. 66 Quicquid pactis dotalibus speciatim expressum non est, illud relinqui providentiæ et dispositioni juris nostri municipalis: eatenus enim tantùm contrahentes à consuetudine, vel statuto recessisse intelligendi sunt, quatenus instrumento nuptiali pacti sunt in contrarium ; cætera per se lex vel consuetudo adjicit et interpretatur. Igitur exclusâ pactis dotalibus bonorum communione, lucri damnique in matrimonio facti communio remanet." (b) Menoch. (a) A. Wesel, de Connub. Societ. tr. 1, n. 30, et seq. ad 52. Remed. Recup. Poss. 13, n. 91. Sande, Decis. lib. 2, tit. 5, def. 1. Math. Paræm. Belg. Paræm. 2, n. 53. Hugo Grotius, Manud. ad Jurisp. Holl. lib. 1, c. 5, n. 14, 24. Neostad. de Pactis Antenup. Obs. 15, 16, 17. Groenewegen, ad Pand. de Ritu Nupt. 1. 6, et ad Cod. de Donat. Antenupt. 1. 6, 16. Leeuwen, Cens. For. part 1, l. 1, c. 14, n. 5. Goris, adv. tr. 1, c. 2, per tot. Gayl. lib. 2, Obs. 80, n. 11. Carpz. Def. For. part 3, Cons. 19, Def. 9, n. 3, 4, 5. Berlich. Concl. Pract. part 3, Concl. 25, n. 38. de Ritu Nupt. lib. 23, tit. 2, n, 93, 94, 95. Voet, Valasc. (b) A. Wesel, de Quæst. inter Conj. Com. tr. 2, c. 2, n. 224. Consult. 103, n. 7, et seq. Giurba, ad Messan. c. 10, gl. 5, n. 9. Neostad. de Pact. Antenupt. Obs. 4. Coren. Obs. 30, Vers. dan wierde. n. 64, et seq. Grotius, lib. 2, Isag. part 12, n. 8, 9. Someren, de Jure Nov. c. 12, n. 3. Car. de Mean. ad Jus Leod. part 1, Obs. 13, n. 4, 5, and Obs. 73, n. 10, and Obs. 76, n. 7, Ruremundenses Lantr. tit. 2, § 1, n. 31. Math. Paræm. It should be added, that in dubio, the law presumes pro communione potiùs quam contra eam. (a) So much is this community of common right, that, a minor who has married with the requisite consent, cannot obtain relief against it by restitutio in integrum. (b) The marriage being the very essence of the title to community, it has been doubted, whether, it takes place in the case of a putative marriage. In adopting the affirmative no difficulty occurs, if there has been bona fides in both the parties, and both are ignorant of the impediment to their union. But one party only may be innocent, and that party may possess the wealth, whilst the guilty party was possessed of no fortune. If in that case the community were admitted, the latter would profit by his fraud. It has been considered therefore, that in the latter case a claim to the community might be resisted, on the ground of the fraud. (c) So when a minor marries without the requisite Belg. Par. 2, n. 68. Neostad. de Pactis Antenupt. Obs. 23. Voet, de Ritu Nup. lib. 23, tit. 2, n. 91, Coren. Obs. n. 38. Someren, de Jure Novar. c. 3, n. 10. (a) Coren. Obs. 38, n. 66. Neostad. de Pact. Antenupt. Obs. 23 in fin. Maynard, lib. 3, Decis. 42. Mornac. in Obs. Choppin, ad LL. And. lib. 3, tit. 3, de Donat. int. Conj. n. 10, 11. Peleus, liv. 3, act. 48. Caldas, Tract. de Empt. et Vend. c. 13, n. 31, in 1. ult. C. de Integ. Restit. Minor. 1. 28, C. de Jur. Dot. Ferron, ad Cons. Burdeg. D. tit. 4, de Dote, § 6. Vers. secundo extendo. Cujas, lib. 16, Obs. 14. Ant. D'Espersses, tom. 1, tit. la Dot. sect. 2, n. 3. Perez, ad C. tit. de Jur. Dot. n. 11. Gronew. ad tit. Cod. si advers. Dot. Charond, 7, Resp. 29. (c) A. Wesel, tr. 1, n. 53. Chassan, ad Consuet. Burg. Rub. 4, § 2, Verb. Femme, n. 4, et seq. Rat. ad Pictav. art. 229, n. 2. Verb. sont Communs. Nepita ad Catinens, tit. 3, Cons. un. n. 88. Muta ad Parnormit, c. 44, n. 59, et seq. Argentr. ad Brittan, art. 408, gl. 3, in fin. Gamma, Decis 220. Charond, Pand. liv. 2, c. 4. Vers. j'ay veu, and 2, Resp. 37. Barbosa, ad 1. si cum Dotem 23, § fin. ff. Sol. Matrim. n. 13. Castil. Sotomaj. lib. 2, Quotid. Controv. c. 11, n. 40. Giurba, c. 1, gl. 1, n. 27. Sande, lib. 2, tit. 5, def. 2. Goris, in advers. c. 1, n. 26, in not. Math. Paræm. Belg. Paræm. 2, n. 17. Voet, de Ritu Nupt. lib. 23, tit. 2, n. 29. Stockman's Decis. 62, n. 7. |