The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-02-12
Speech Of Hon. r.. II. Randall.


In the House of Representatives., Thursday,
Feb. 3, 1858, upon the Bill to Diroree Henry
Buel from his ,cite, Susan Buel.
The House being in Committee of the Whole
for the consideration of the above Bill, Mr.
RANDALL said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: The passage Of this bill is Sc
riously to be apprehended, and if so, seriously
to be regretted; and before the final action OF
the House upon it, desire to say a few words,
as has been my custom, upon bills of this char
acter and magnitude; and as no more fitting
opportunity may occur, will detain the COM
mittee for few moments; although those who
have known me heretofore, know the views
entertain upon this subject.
Two years since had the honor to be placed
on a committee to prepare and report to the
House bill prescribing the forms to make
marriages legal, and the most easy of access for
all persons and all parts of the Territory.
My honorable friend who now occupies the
chair, was chairman of that committees; after
due deliberatiOn, the committee arrived at the
very sage conclusion that there was little ne
cessary to be done in the premises; and the
first and most important step necessary to be
taken was to gain the consent of the parties in
terested, and when that was attained people
young people in particular, would get married
whether the law offered any obstacles to the
cOnsummation their highest earthly aspirations
or not.
The committee, however, presented their re-
port, which was accepted and acted upon by
the House; and some of the very important
suggestions in that report are now embodied
in the law contained in our statute book the
very title of which, the sol,lnization of naarrio-
ges, portrays the feelings of that committee at
the time they were engaged in the work. The
committee finding but one obstacle of vast mag
nitude in the road that leads to the connubrial
state, next turned their attention to the subject
that then, as it has since, engrossed the public
mind, and thinking that relief should be within
reach of those that desire to be unmarried as
we'll as the aspirants to wedlock, they recon-
mcnded to the Judiciary Committee the ncces-
sty of law whereby any person feeling him
self or herself agricved or imposed upon by
their bosom companion might ask and obtain
redress for their grievances; and they did not
fail to recommend that the title of the bill be
~ Bill for the relief Of suffering humanity"
and any person that witnessed the number and
importantly of applicants for divorce, would
have supposed (at least if they credited the
current reports that the Territory was sparsely
populatcd.) that the larger portion of married
persons in the Territory would feel relieved
could they obtain once more their majority and
freedom.
A law for granting divorce was passed. and
occupies large space in our revised code
But the space is too small to have the effect
that was designed. 1t was supposed it would
relieve all future legislatures in the Territory
from any action in cases of this character.
when the legality and constitutionality of their
acts in the premises might in the opinion of
many, be very much doubted and very consis-
tently questioned. But as said, it does not
have the effect that was designed it should
how fr1, Inv
enumeration of all the grievances that one NAV
suffer. Although it presents all the cnormitics
that can be inflicted by one being on another.
and offers to every sufferer redress through the
only legal and proper channel, viz: our courts.
Yet the ingenuity of a petitioner far exceeds
them all. And who ever knew a person TO
present petition to legislative body that
did not portray in the most glaring light in
the most vivid colors, in the most comprebcn-
sive and abusive manner. the image of her
whom he but a short time since had sworn Mt
the alter. before God and man. that he would
love- cherish and protect till death should part
them, transformed into a fend incarnate and
with tears starting from his swollen ewes he
whispers in the ear of the susceptible and SYM
pathetic listeners:
ssOh. woman! woman! when to III her mind
Is bent, all hell contains no fouler tcnd.,
But. sir, am not one of those crcdulous be-
ings that believe all nor half that is set forth in
these petitions. And do not believe there is
one woman in thousand nor one in ten thou
sand that if properly treated by him who has
sworn to protect and cherish her, and who an
preciates her society, who prefers the prattle of
his children to the noise of the rabble that
nightly congregate at some place to hold their
say there is not one woman in ten
if treated with the respect and con-
that she deserves, that is not destin-
cd to make her home pleasant one, her bus-
band happy. and her children respected.
And what most sincerely regret Island have
no doubt, Mt Chairman, that you and other men,
bcrs OF this committee will mingle your regrets
with mine and fsO, may use the plural and that
is, that we are not each in possession of tbe
hand and affections of some confiding female to
consumate our earthly felicity.
would not under ordinary circumstances.
doubt the persons veracity who comes in this
instance and asks to he divorced from his wife
who he says lives in Michigan; and probably If
it had not been for his anxiety in this behalf
we should have classed him with ourselves on
me bachelor list, and never known he had a
wife. " n""
But he unfortunately has one. with Whom, 10
says he cannot and will not live Mr.. RneI hos
resided in this Territory more than a wear and
20 far as know of him he is man of resnecto-
blllty, integrity, and veracity. But s;r
Judge will tell you there is always allowance
10 be made when man testifies in his own
Ease; we are all too apt to have our preferen
,es and prejudices, and to let these nrenondor-
ate IN the scale of judgment. Consequently
y l sald before, every petition is but yolumn
u SCANDAL against the fairest portion of Gods
,reation. During the three years that have
'een honored with scat in this BODY. not
many less than forty petitions for divorce have
,een presented. and out of that number only
nree, II my recollection serves me, have been
y the request of females, and these cases were
y such an aggravating nature that had they
'een reversed, would have been a satisfactory