Gale Encyclopedia of American Law Volume 6 P49 fully illuminates today's leading cases, major statutes, legal terms and concepts, notable persons involved with the law, important documents and more. Legal issues are fully discussed in easy-to-understand language, including such high-profile topics as the Americans with Disabilities Act, capital punishment, domestic violence, gay and lesbian rights, physician-assisted suicide and thousands more. | 468 MARRIAGE Because letters of marque and reprisal allowed privately owned and operated vessels to carry out acts of war the practice came to be known as privateering. Privateering was frequently encouraged from the period between 1692 to 1814 at which time weaker countries used privateers to hurt a stronger country in the way guerrilla warfare is currently used. Privateers operated concomitant to regular navies. Their main purpose was to annoy the enemy however an enemy s merchant vessels were often seized in retaliation for acts of hostility. The system of privateering was subject to extensive abuses. In the absence of proper letters a privateer was tantamount to a pirate. piracy is subject to severe punishment throughout the world. Although privateers allegedly existed in order to support the defense of their sovereigns they frequently acquired much personal wealth through their activities. in addition since privateers were not subject to the same discipline as a regular navy they yielded to the temptation to seize ships beyond the scope of their authority. Such abuses and new theories of naval warfare led civilized nations in 1856 to sign an agreement outlawing privateering. The agreement does not prohibit a state from organizing a voluntary navy of private vessels which are under the dominion and control of the state. The . Constitution provides that no state can grant letters of marque and reprisal. The federal government is not limited in this right by the Constitution however modern custom and treaties prevent it from granting the letters. CROSS REFERENCE Admiralty and Maritime Law. MARRIAGE Marriage is the legal status condition or relationship that results from a contract by which one man and one woman one man and one man or one woman and one woman who have the capacity to enter into such an agreement mutually promise to live together in the relationship of husband and wife in law for life or until the legal termination of the relationship. Marriage .
