CONTRACTS EESTRAINING MARBIAGE.— Every con-
tract in restraint of the marriage of any person other than a minor
is void; but this does not affect limitations where the intent was
not to forbid marriage, but only to give the use until marriage;
thus a contract by which a father agrees to give his son one thou-
sand dollars if he does not marry until he is twenty-one years of
age, is in all respects valid; but if the contract is that the son shall
forfeit all claim to his inheritance if he marries at any time, it is
invalid; but where a widow is given the use of certain property
until she remarries, the condition is valid, as merely giving the
use until marriage and not forbidding marriage.
BEOKEEAGE CONTEACTS are in all cases void. The pro-
prietor of a so-called marriage bureau can not enforce the collec-
tion of any fee agreed to be paid him for negotiating a marriage,
as the contract in itself is against public policy, in that it en-
courages marriage of persons hastily, and as a mere matter of
business speculation.
FRAUDCLENT CONTEACTS.— All contracts which have
for their object an exemption of any one from responsibility for
his own fraud, or for fraudulent injury to the person or property
of another, are against the policy of the law, and therefore void;
as for example, where a debtor in failing circumstances makes a
transfer of his property to a friend for the purpose of defrauding
his creditors, such contract is absolutely void in all respects, and
creditors may recover the property and have it applied to the sat-



32 COMMERCIAL LAW.
isfaction of their debts, upon proving that fraud has been com-
mitted.
