Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2015 March 8

= March 8 =

Portugal
What legislative bodies has Portugal had?Ohyeahstormtroopers6 (talk) 04:08, 8 March 2015 (UTC)


 * I don't know but while you're waiting, you might want to browse through Category:Politics of Portugal. Dismas |(talk) 04:38, 8 March 2015 (UTC)


 * , I'm afraid that category is somewhat lacking. (Not a critique of you, but rather the lack of info in the articles themselves.) Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie &#124; Say Shalom! 17 Adar 5775 04:40, 8 March 2015 (UTC)


 * Well, our Portuguese articles seem to be in need of a lot of work, but from what I've been able to find, there was a bicameral 'Congress of the Republic' during the First Portuguese Republic, The Corporative Chamber and National Assembly under the Estado Novo, and the Assembly of the Republic today. Hope that's all of them. Like I said, those articles need a lot of work. Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie &#124; Say Shalom! 17 Adar 5775 04:40, 8 March 2015 (UTC)

Libraries
What was the first public library in America? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 187.207.45.199 (talk) 04:58, 8 March 2015 (UTC)
 * Depends on how you define "public". There are almost a dozen candidates, ranging from oldest building to house what is now a public library, to the oldest library to allow access to the public, to the oldest tax-supported library, etc. etc.  Read this article for information on all of them.  -- Jayron 32 05:08, 8 March 2015 (UTC)

Burying somebody on public land?
Is it illegal to bury somebody on public land? Have there been any court cases around it? I'm more curious about it in Western countries, rather than in developing countries where this might be common. Qooterton (talk) 05:01, 8 March 2015 (UTC)
 * In the U.K., at least, it seems you are required to bury someone in a cemetary or other such place designated for burial. See Burial Act 1857, the full text of which is here.  -- Jayron 32 05:12, 8 March 2015 (UTC)
 * That act regulates burials, but doesn't forbid them in private ground (provided it's not near a watercourse or might cause other problems). Permission to bury on public land not designated as a burial place would probably not be given except in exceptional circumstances, but burial on private land is not unusual -- I know of three such burials near to where I live.    D b f i r s   08:52, 8 March 2015 (UTC)
 * Agreed. You can bury someone in your back garden in the UK, but you need to have planning permission (despite it being private land). Also, when you come to sell the house, you have to mention to potential buyers that there is a grave in the garden, which may potentially lower the price of the house considerably. I don't know what rights the new owners would have about what to do with the body, but I'm sure that consulting the local council wouldn't be amiss.  KägeTorä - ( 影 虎 )  ( Chin Wag )  11:09, 8 March 2015 (UTC)
 * You do not need planning permission for a burial on private land in the UK, so long as it is for a limited number of people such as family or residents of the property. You do need the landowner's permission, a certificate from the Registrar, and a durable land burial register, setting out the dates, details, etc., which will need to be kept with the deeds of the property.  You should also meet Environment Agency guidance (apparently not legally binding) about the protection of water supplies.  Source.  Ghmyrtle (talk) 10:29, 9 March 2015 (UTC)
 * To be honest, I am pretty sure that I heard that we do need planning permission, as well as all of the above. Maybe I misheard or was given misinformation when talking about the topic (which is not often, by the way).  KägeTorä - ( 影 虎 )  ( Chin Wag )  14:52, 10 March 2015 (UTC)
 * For clarification, you mean public land not specifically set aside for burials? Because cemeteries i.e. land specifically designed as burial grounds may sometimes be public land in a number of Western countries. Nil Einne (talk) 13:36, 8 March 2015 (UTC)
 * This is likely to be one of those questions where it will depend on which country (or state... or even county or town) you are talking about. It may be illegal in one jurisdiction, and legal in another. Blueboar (talk) 16:01, 8 March 2015 (UTC)
 * You often hear about someone being cremated and their ashes being spread on what is clearly not private property. However, "ashes" are merely pulverized bone, which is presumably not the health risk that an improperly buried body could be. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 17:54, 8 March 2015 (UTC)
 * And yet that often requires permits as well. Which I've never understood.  Dismas |(talk) 04:34, 9 March 2015 (UTC)
 * In the UK, there is no "public land" as such; it is always owned by somebody, even common land. Therefore, you would need the consent of the land owner. Land owned by local authorities is usually the subject of bye laws which may not specifically exclude burial but would probably prohibit digging holes. Alansplodge (talk) 09:11, 9 March 2015 (UTC)
 * You can bury qualified people on some public land at least. Clarityfiend (talk) 10:56, 9 March 2015 (UTC)
 * What sort of qualification are we talking about here? --   Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  18:15, 9 March 2015 (UTC)
 * Clarity linked to Arlington National Cemetery, which explains who "qualifies". I know of someone who's buried there, and I know there was a process the immediate family had to go through, but it got done. Presumably the rules would be similar at other national cemeteries. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 23:42, 9 March 2015 (UTC)
 * There is a lot of public land in Alaska, and most of it is wilderness... However I don't know if it is legal to be buried there if you die. Blueboar (talk) 00:57, 10 March 2015 (UTC)
 * Truly, Alaska is a very, very big back yard – Yet, the Inuit  have been doing interments there since they crossed the Bering Strait, so who's going to know that your mortal remains  have been popped into a hole? It is further north than Detroit. 'Legal' only applies to areas where the law can be enforced, like round and about the vicinity of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – and I doubt even that sometimes.--Aspro (talk) 01:31, 10 March 2015 (UTC)
 * What a great advertising slogan, lol: "Alaska--It's Further North than Detroit" μηδείς (talk) 01:59, 10 March 2015 (UTC)