AGE OF MAJORITY - The age when a
person acquires all the rights and responsibilities
of being an adult. In most states, the age is 18.
The time when the law allows persons to do acts which,
for want of years, they were prohibited from doing
before.
For males, before they arrive at fourteen years they
are said not to be of discretion; at that age they
may consent to marriage and choose a guardian. Twenty-one
years is full age for all private purposes, and the
may then exercise their rights as citizens by voting
for public officers; and are eligible to all offices,
unless otherwise provided for in the constitution.
At 25, a man may be elected a representative in Congress;
at 30, a senator; and at 35, he may be chosen president
of the United States. He is liable to serve in the
militia from 18 to 45. inclusive, unless exempted
for some particular reason.
As to females, at 12, they arrive at years of discretion
and may consent to marriage; at 14, they may choose
a guardian; and 21, as in males, is fun Age, when
they may exercise all the rights which belong to their
sex.
In England no one can be chosen member of parliament
till he has attained 21 years; nor be ordained a priest
under the age of 24; nor made a bishop till he has
completed his 30th year. The age of serving in the
militia is from 16 to 45 years.
By the laws of France many provisions are made in
respect to age, among which are the following. To
be a member of the legislative body, the person must
have attained 40 years; 25, to be a judge of a tribunal
de remiere instance; 27, to be its president, or to
be judge or clerk of a court royale ; 30, to be its
president or procureur general; 25, to be a justice
of the peace; 30, to be judge of a tribunal of commerce,
and 35, to be its president; 25, to be a notary public;
21, to be a testamentary witness; 30, to be a juror.
At 16, a minor may devise one half of his, property
as if he were a major. A male cannot contract marriage
till after the 18th year, nor a female before full
15 years. At 21, both males and females are capable
to perform all the act's of civil life.
In the civil law, the age of a man was divided as
follows: namely, the infancy of males extended to
the full accomplishment of the 14th year; at 14, he
entered the age of puberty, and was said to have acquired
full puberty at 18 years accomplished, and was major
on completing his 25th year. A female was an infant
- til 7 years; at 12, she entered puberty, and acquired
full puberty at 14; she became of fall age on completing
her 25th year.
