ied. Neither can convey or
encumber real estate without consent of the other.

If there are no children the surviving husband or wife takes all the
property real and personal; if there are children, one-half. Neither
can dispose by will of more than one-half of the separate property
without the consent of the other. A homestead of 160 acres of land, or
one acre within city limits, is reserved free from creditors for the
survivor. If the wife marry again, or when the children have attained
their majority, the homestead must be divided, she taking one-half. If
she die first the husband has the right of occupancy for life, whether
he marry or not, but the homestead must descend to her heirs.

The husband must support the wife according to his means, or she may
have alimony decreed by the court without divorce, or in some cases
she may sue directly for support. In case of divorce the wife is
entitled to all the property owned by her at marriage and all acquired
by her afterwards, alimony being allowed from the real and personal
estate of the husband.

The "age of protection" for girls is 18, with penalty of imprisonment
at hard labor not less than five nor more than twenty-one years.

SUFFRAGE: (See page 659.)

OFFICE HOLDING: The first State constitution, in 1859, declared women
eligible for all School offices. As it does not require that any State
officer except member of the Legislature shall be an elector, women
are not legally debarred from any other State office. The constitution
does prescribe the qualifications for some county officers, and the
Legislature for others and for all township officers. Some of these
are required to be electors and some are not; some can be voted for
only by electors and the law is silent in regard to others. It would
perhaps require a Supreme Court decision in almost every case if there
were any general disposition to elect women to these offices. Twenty
years ago a few were serving as county clerks, registers of deeds,
regents of the State University, county superintendents and school
trustees.

In 1889 Attorney-General L. B. Kellogg (Rep.) appointed his wife
Assistant Attorney-General. She was a practicing attorney and her
husband's law partner and filled the office with great ability. Miss
Ella Cameron served out her father's unexpired term as Probate Judge
and the Legislature legalized her acts.

There is no law requiring women on the boards of State institutions
but a numbe