The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1852-01-31
THE MINI ESOTIAN,
St. a9aul, 5afnnesota.
Saturday, Jan. 81, 1852.

NEW ADVERTISEMENT.
Notice and summons to John II. Brewster, late OF Still
water.
The Mississippi Boom Company wish to contract fol
building piers.
LEGISLATIVE DIvORCEs---sPECIAL LE-
GISLATION.
1t is the prevailing belief among that
class termed unfortunate " in matrimo-
NAL adventures, that the legislature of
"new country is the great healing fount
for the cure of the numerous ills they have
brought upon themselves, by their own
rashness and folly, in the selection OF
partners for life. He that has taken
woman for "better or worse" and finds
out, or imagines, she is great deal worse
than he took her for, thinks it is only
necessary to make his way to some from
tier capital, where they are in the habit
of doing things up in loose and hasty
manner, in order to arrive again at state
of single blessedness, sand no questions
asked" And we have to acknowledge,
that the result has too often justified the
expectation. This legislative power,
doubtful in any emergency, has very GER
tainly been more frequently exercised in
the new States and Territories than in
older and more settled communities. 1t
is not necessary to enquire why this is
the case. So it is and the fact itself is
sufficient for present purposes. Our own
Legislature, at its two previous sessions,
gave encouragement to this species of
enactments, if not to degree entirely un-
bridled, at least to an extent greatly to be
reprobated. And it was therefore to be
expected, that the opening of the present
session would find the hen-pecked Cor
imaginary hen-pecked) portion Of our
population, as we'll as some from the
neighboring States, thronging our legis-
lative halls, and DIGGING members to I'M
tie for them the unfortunate knot with
which the god Hymen, in an evil hour,
had unclaimed them to some modern Kan
tippe.
Perhaps it would be considered the eX-
IRENE Of conservatism, were we to take
the ground, that no legislative body in
the United States has the power to di-
vorce husband and wife, let the griev-
ance be what it may. Yet, there are
great and good men-learned jurists and
wise statesmen-to be found all over the
Union, who do uphold this doctrine. If
this be good law,-and we do not doubt
that it is-what should we think Of that
law maker who goes for annulling the
matrimonial contract upon er-parte tes-
timony merely? Yet we never knew
solitary divorce granted by legislature
upon any other kind of testimony; and
that generally of SO frivolous character,
and for cause SO slight, that the petition
could not have been sustained in court
of law or equity for single Instant
We never go inside legislative hail,
when divorce bill is up, and hear the
reasons urged for the passage of nine out
Of ten of them, without a shudder at the
thought, that men under oath, can so tri-
file with the sacred character Of an insti-
tuition which lies at the very foundation
Of tho whole moral and social system
We have no doubt there are well mean
ing men, who are often misled by a NOR
bid sympathy, to advocate this descrip-
ton of legislation, without taking into
consideration the wound they are inflict-
ing nthe morals and purity of society +;
but men made of such "penetrable stuff
could better serve the interests of their
constituents by remaining in obscurity,
and leaving the business of law making
to those Of more frmness in matters of
public duty.
We have been led to these reflections,
by observing disposition on the part of
some members of our present Lcgisla-
tive Assembly, to grant divorces to every
petitioner that may offer, for every variety
of alleged complaint, from open adultery
down to pulling hair, backing eyes,
scratching noses, or even being little
"cross' and ill-natured. How any man,
with proper regard for the morals of the
community in which he lives, could vote
for either of the two divorce bills which
have been before the House this week,
we are at loss to imagine. If such is
to be the order of the day, we would GER
tainly answer $40" to the grave query
of the member from St. Anthony" NO;