You know what’s amusing? Funny, archaic laws, like these:

  • In Alabama, it is illegal to wear a fake mustache that causes laughter in church.
  • In Florida, if an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, the parking fee has to be paid just as it would for a vehicle.
  • And in Nebraska, it is illegal for bar owners to sell beer unless they are simultaneously brewing a kettle of soup.

Here’s two more quaint old laws, that are still on the books in Canada:

Bribery of judicial officers, etc.
119. (1) Every one who

(a) being the holder of a judicial office, or being a member of Parliament or of the legislature of a province, corruptly

(i) accepts or obtains,

(ii) agrees to accept, or

(iii) attempts to obtain,

any money, valuable consideration, office, place or employment for himself or another person in respect of anything done or omitted or to be done or omitted by him in his official capacity, or

(b) gives or offers, corruptly, to a person mentioned in paragraph (a) any money, valuable consideration, office, place or employment in respect of anything done or omitted or to be done or omitted by him in his official capacity for himself or another person,

is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.

And…

Selling or purchasing office
124. Every one who

(a) purports to sell or agrees to sell an appointment to or a resignation from an office, or a consent to any such appointment or resignation, or receives or agrees to receive a reward or profit from the purported sale thereof, or

(b) purports to purchase or gives a reward or profit for the purported purchase of any such appointment, resignation or consent, or agrees or promises to do so,

is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

Ha! Like either of those things could ever happen.

Partial transcript of audio recording of Paul Martin’s Chief of Staff, Tim Murphy, from Politics Watch:

On the tape, Murphy proposes the concept of Grewal abstaining from the vote and using the following excuse, which sounds eerily familiar.

“That can be done on the basis, those members can do it on the basis, ‘Well look, my riding doesn’t want an election, doesn’t want one now. Thinks it’s the wrong time to do it.’”

Murphy explains to Grewal that abstaining is a better option than crossing the floor and could allow for future talks.

“If someone abstains in that environment who has exercised a decision based on principle, (it) still gives him the freedom to have some negotiating room on both sides.

“Then the freedom to have discussions is increased.”

Murphy described the next step for an MP who has abstained against the wishes of his party leader.

“A person can say, ‘Look, I obviously abstained and created some issues’ and then they can say, ‘I’m thinking hard about what the right thing for my riding and the contribution I would like to make.’”

Murphy goes on to say, “In advance of that explicit discussions about Senate, not Senate I don’t think are very helpful and I don’t think can be had in advance of an abstention tomorrow.”

He says discussions could be held later.

“You can easily say, if you don’t like, you can stay home or stay back where you are or if you do like we can make an arrangement that allows you to move.”

I don’t think Tim’s losing any sleep about being prosecuted — unless he’s ever charged admission to see a one-armed piano player in Iowa.