Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-07-30
MARRIAGE LAWS s nARRIAcE RIGHTS.

-Connelly versus Conwlly-A cause has
lust been heard before the Judicial Conn
mittee of the Privy Council, which contains
points of very great interest respecting the
laws and rights of marriage. q
The Rev. Pierce Connolly and his wife
Cornelia Augusta Connolly, the parties in
this case, are natives of the United States OF
America, born at Philadelphia, OF Ameri-
can parents. and they were married in that
city in 1891, being at that time members Of
the Protestant Episcopalian Church in
America. Mr.. Connolly was then appoint
ed rector of the church Of Natchez, IN the
State Of Mississippi, where he went to re.
side until the month of October, 1885. At
that time, however, the rector's wife be-
came convert to the Roman Catholic faith,
and was received into the bosom of that
church. Mr.. Connolly himself was desi-
rous of considering and determining the
points in controversy between the two
churches more fully in Europe, and with
that view he undertook journey to Rome
with his wife. They arrived early IN 1900,
and on the following Palm Sunday ne, too.
was received into the Roman Cathoic
Church.
The converts soon afterwards returned
to the United States, and settled in the
State of Louisiana where, in 1910, they
formed the design of living apart with
view to Mr.. ConneIly's obtaining orders
in the Church of Rome. After another jour
ney to Rome, undertaken by the husband
alone, and another return to Louisiana, in
1s43, they both proceeded to fulfil their IN
tentions, and again reached Europe in the
month of December of that year. A peh,
ton of Mr.. Connolly was addressed to Pops
Gregory xvi, and referred by him to the
Cardinal Vica-General and Judge Ordinary
of Rome, who pronounced in effect (as is
contended by Mrs. Connolly sentence OF
separation accordingly. In April, 1874, Mrs,
Connolly became nun in the Convent OF
the Sacred Heart, on the Monte Pinco, and
Mr.. Connolly received the first clerical ton.
sure and assumed the dress OF Romish
ecclesiastic. In the month of June, 1S46,
Mrs. Connolly bound herself, with the con.
currence of her husband, by the following
VOW, which we can give in no words but her
own: H
Almighty and eternal God, /, Cornelia
the lawful wife of Pierce Connolly, trusting
in thine infinite goodness and mercy. and
animated with the desire of serving Thee
more perfectly, with the consent OF my hus-
band, who intends shortly to take holy or.
ders., do make Thy Divine Majesty VOW
of perpetual chastity at the hands of the
reverend Father Jean Louis Rozaven, Of
the Society of Jesus, delegated for this pur.
pose by his Holiness for the city of Rome.
supplicatiug Thy Divine Goodness by the
precious blood of Jesus Christ to be pleased
to accept this offering of Thy unworthy
creature as sweet smelling SAVIOR; and that
as thou hast given me the desire and pows
er to make this offering to Thee, so Thou
wouldest also grant me abundant grace to
fulfil the same. Rome, at the Convent Of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus, on the eighteenth
of the month of June, in the year one thous.
and eight hundred and forty-fve.
$50 it is-Jean Louis Rozaven, of the
Society of Jesus.-So it is-Pierce Connel-
" Victorine Bois, of the Sacred Heart OF
Jesus Loide de Rochequairie Rse, OF the
Sacred Heart of Jesus"
From this period until May, 1646, Father
Connolly and this Reverend Mother a.
thew were now called) continued to reside.
in the religious houses in Rome to which
thew respectively belonged. But at that.
period Lord Shrewsbury brought Mr.. Con.
nelly to England as his private chaplin, and
the lady also came to England, where she
became, and we believe now is the Superi..
Dress Of a community of religious women,
under the title Of Congregation ofthe Holy
Child Jesus" at Hastings of Sussex; hav.
inc brought with her from Rome rules for
the government of this community. SUBJ
seouehtly, however, and at some time in
the wear 1s4S Mr.. Connolly Quilted Lord
Shrewsbury, Alton Towers, the Romish
Church. He appears to have renounced
the opinions, the costume, and the obliga-s
tions which that church had imposed upon
him and after personal attempt to re-
claim his wife from her convent this gen.
tleman proceeded to institute suit tor the.
restitution of conjugal rights in the Court Of
Arches. Mrs. Connolly put in an allega-
tion in this suit, in which claims to separa-.
ton were strongly stated on the grounds Of
conscience and humanity; but many i'm.
portant matters in the case. especially tho
questions relating to domicil, were not rais-
cd The Dean Of the Arches rejected this'
allegation altogether as an insufficient de-
fence.
Mrs. Connolly then carried the case be'
fore the Judicial Committee OF the Priyy
Council, where the arguments on both sides
we're re-stated. In behalf of Mrs. Connolly,
he appellant, it was contended that there.
would be great cruelty in compelling her to
i've acain with her husband, simply be-
cause he had been reconverted from the
Romish Church while she remained mem.
,er of il; that the VOW respectively taken
w her. with the consent of her husband.
,fter a mutual agreement to separate. a.
mounted to sentence Of separation, and as
,ucb was considered; and that unless We ac.
.ent the defacto relations of marriage ex'
sting under the laws of other countries,
which yary so much. we shall INTRODUCES o
endless confusion. .ref "a
The case of Mr.. Connolly was much sirnp;
er It was contended that the law Of Eng
and only recognized two causes for separa- .
ion; and as neither of these could be plead. 4
ID, therefore, the alleged separation, though,
" consent, was null and void. Also that
he domicile at Rome, and in England, was
90 transltory to affect the law by which
hey were bound together. a. ,Ts
On, the part of the committee, Dr.. LUSH
ngton said that the marriage law Of PENN