Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-05-22
The Osse Of she Rev. DR.. Jarvis and h - I.sdy
--~New and Curious Feature in the Mos"ie
OF the Episcopal Church.

l.
Afew of the circumstances connected wTsk the
late pious movement in the legislature agains;tAe
lady of the Rev DR. Jarvis, were givea by us acme
days s,sse. The facts then presented were so sim
salar, ard partially developed original eNsns-
Publication in morals and religion, furnished by
tAe Rev. Doctor and hsRight Rev. coadjutors that
some doubts were ntimated of their truth by
tain individuals wisoare not that we are al-
| wayssabstantialy aouurate in statements. With
view, therefore, OF doing iastice to all concerned
TO man, woman, religion and morals and dsclosiny
the means by which the sublinated religionists ct
these latter days undertake TO compass their right
ends, will give a suecnct and intelligibls
acconat' Of the whole performance, with slight,
glance as some of the pious actors.
After the application Of Mrs. Jarvis for divorce
or alImony had been reiscted by the Connect at,
Legislature, on the ground, AS stated by the Chair
man of t.se Committee which investigated the case
that the practice Of divorcing nensa ct hOro, had
not obtaiaed IN Connecticut, and the rule adopted
by the Legislature preoluded unlimited di-
vorce. Her friends endeavOred TO obtain from
the amiaAe DIR. Jarvis, by amicable negotiation, the
of support for her elf and her eldest daughter,
who adheres to her mother, through all yicisstudes
Of fortune. But the Doctor, after long delay, and
many frivolous excuses. not found in the Bible,
broke of the eyotation, by submitting PROPOSE
tion that could not for moment be entertained.
He was then living, and is now, in a style oflux-
urious splendor, unequalled by any other gen.
tleman in the land of steady habits, whether of the
clergy or laty. His house is said to be a palace in,
dimensions and appearap and all its appointments
arc in style of corresponding magnifcence Rare
paintings and costly statues adern the stately apart
cumbrous and snowy library-whether the Spirit o.;
God is there, is another question.
After living for several months in a country
village, with the utmost frugaty, where he's
husband refused to pay fer board, Mrs Jarvis des-
ttute of funds, dependant on aged and infrm.
father, Whose fortune is not large, by the advice Of
udicious friends, to reside in this city, where
the Doctor formerly lived with his family, and where
he has now large estate, with a view to institute
proceedings against him IN the Chancery Court of
this State Her object merely to compel her
husband from the abundance at his means, to pre-
vide his wife and daughter with the necessaries of
life.
BY the revised statutes an aggrieved party can
comnen proceedingsin the Court of Chancery,
after one wears residence in the State. According
the cons truction to the law, il is not mate
rial that this residence should have taken place i'm
medistely preceding tac application Any time sub
sequent to the marriage Of the parties, is deehied
sufficient the requirement OF the statute.
Under the law thereSre, 1t was competent for Mrs.
Jarvis to file a bill in Chancery Immediately after
taking up her residence here But still oherishipg
a lingering hope, Though faint indeed that the hus-
band of her youth the father of her children, would
relax the harshness of his determination towards
his wife and child, she hesitatcd and delayed COM
mencing proceedings against him from week TO
week and from mopth to month, but all in vain.
Now mark the return with which he met her for
bearance.
full of the result of suit in chancery, procured th.
agency OF his clerical and lacal friends in the Epis-
copal Church. and a direct influence was brought TO
bear upon Mr.. Maeiay,one otthe Assem- vmen from
this CITY, and he introduced bill efectualy to pre-
clude her applie ation There nothing in the IT,
tie of the bill itself calculated to excite suspicion of
any sinister nsdious design; and under ordinary
circumstances, il ght have been Struggled through
the legislature, and gone into operation before its
eff ct was discovered. But happened that the ju
dietary committee Of the Assembly had member,
MIR Hawey, of acute observation, as well as pow
crful intellect, and the oyerweening and feverish
anxiety which was manifested IN certain quarters
for the passage Of the bill, stimulated his watchful
The bill purported merely to amend chapter,
title and section OF the revised statutes relation
TO bus band and wife, and the amendment consisted
in the insertion of the words "next preceding five
ycars"-a harmless, inoffensve law, upon its face,
but its operation would have prevented Mrs. Jar
Wis from obtaining hearing.
The bill took the usual legislative course in the
Assembly. IL was referred TO the judiciary
n,ttce reported without amendment, and then went
on To the general erders-the grave Of all projects
for laws which not uader the special supervi-
sion of some whose interest has been engaged in
behalf
Meantime, Mrs. Jarvis had instructed her counsel
toopen negotiation with the Doctor in the hope Of
averting another public trial. His answer de-
Iayed for six weeks and IL evasiye and unsatis-
factory when il came. His arduous duties during
Lent, were urged as an excuse for deferriss the
matter; but there some reason to hope that the
difficulty might be arranged
At this iuncture, and while the negotiation ,ras
pending, a vigorous and concerted effort was made
To- press the bill through the legislature Messcn-
gers were semitic Albany and numerous letters writ
ten urging the necessity Of its immediate passage
Among these communications was elaborate eps-
: tie to Mr.. Taylor, the Chairman Of the Judiciary
Committee written, il is said, by President Duer.
| This letter is very curious document, and
should be glad Of an opportunity to give il place.
All these applications, oral and written, only super
induced greater degree Of scruiiny and the clergy
with their friends, finding that the alert watchfuI-
| ness Of Mr.. Hawley interpssed insuperable OBJ
stace to the success Of their scheme originally
| devised, the bill was then Withdrawn frsm the
| House, and at the instance Of Mr.. Mselay, who
seems to have been deceived in the matter, and
not to have acted with any bad intention, MIR.
| MAYNARD introduced II in the Senate, the last
week of the session. Mr. Maynard, who cannot con-
ceive Of a mean thing, and whose instincts all
the side Of truth manlness and integrity, al the
quest of a person who saw through the scheme, in
serted provision exemPtihg all cases where pro,
ceedings had been iced from the operation Of
the bill; but the clergy had Struggled in a clause
| giving il immediate effect, and after few words
Of eloquent and ind gnant Reproduction from Messrs.
| Talmage, Root, and Young IL was rejected almost
| unanimously.
| The inquiry now arises, was the conduct Of DIR.
Jarvis and his friends and supporters here in rela-
ton TO this natter in suitable conformity asd coin
! cidence with the injunctions and precepts Of the
Holy Ssripturesl This very curious asdip por-
tant question, and hope to see IL satisfa torly
answered. We have our doubts whether any as
| sage can be found in the Bible enjoinins, a,s
rising such a course Of conduct. We have searched
the Scriptures with great diligence and pcrssv g.
ance-yea as with lighted candle, the old Tc.tq-
msnt and the new, from the LIST chapter Of Ge-
| nesis to the fourth chapter Of Malicha,-and from
| Matthew to Revelations, AID we find nothing