In people's impression, Britain is a developed country with gentlemanly manners. However, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there was another bad habit here, that is, the custom of selling wives. Even the media is not surprised by this. There are often news in newspapers that men sell their wives to others. In modern times, what seems to be jaw-dropping and pointing at the spine has actually been published in newspapers for more than 300 times in Britain for decades.
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In the final analysis, this immoral phenomenon is caused by the government's mistakes. Until 1857, there were no relevant laws and regulations on divorce in Britain. Before that, marriage legislation was a mess. In order to prevent people from divorcing at will and add unnecessary workload to the relevant departments, there are unreasonable regulations, and high fees are charged for divorce. At that time, the right to divorce was reserved for the rich. If a man wants to break off his engagement, he needs to pay 3000 pounds. Converted to today, it is nearly 20,000 pounds, which is about RMB160,000. The incredibly high cost of divorce scared off a large number of British men.
Newspapers related to selling wives.
In order to avoid this expense and get a smooth divorce, someone racked their brains to come up with a bad idea. Is to dissolve the marriage through public sale or auction. I never thought that many people would agree with such crooked ways. So in the lower class at that time, the wife became a private property that could be bought and sold by her husband at will. Sadly, they have no other way to dissolve their marriage. This is a mistake of the times, and it is also a true portrayal of the helpless actions made by the lower classes in their survival, thus violating morality.
Sell your wife openly.
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In order to prepare for the sale of wives, these morally corrupt men will mark their wives as? Goods for sale? Then take it to the market to find the right buyer. When their wives stand on the auction table, they will be tied to their waists or wrists by ropes, just like selling animals. But none of the people present opposed this practice, and everyone agreed with it. Before the official start of sales, the husband will also introduce his wife's personality and other aspects to let the buyers know? Commodities? . This scene is really dehumanizing. In fact, it is illegal, but the British government basically turns a blind eye. Although divorce is only the only way for the lower class, the inaction of the government has greatly encouraged some people with a heart to do whatever they want.