The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-03-22
CAUSES OF DIVORCE IN THE SEvE-
RAL STATES.

More than thirty causes of divorce, says the
Tribune, recognized by the statutes OF the diff
ferent States. In South Carolina not one has ever
been obtained. In Virginia there are three causes,
namely natural and incurable impotency at the
time of marriage, idiocy and bigamy In Ala
bama, adultery, or two years abandonment. In
Rhode Island, imrotency, adultery, extreme cruel
ty, wlful desertion for the space of FIVE years, con-
tinued drunkenness, neglect of the husband to pro-
vide the necessares for the subsistence of the wife,
gross misbehaviour and wickedness repugnant to
the marriage contract. In New Jersey, divorce Is
granted for prior existing marriage, adultery, and
wilful absence for five years. In Vermont, for
nouage, mental incapacity, impotency, force or
fraud, adultery, confinement in the State Prison
for three years more, ntolerabe severity, wlltu
deserton for three years, absence for seven years
unheard of, and where the husband, being Of abii-
ty, grossly and wantonly neglects to provide for
his wife. In Maine, for adultery, impotency, de-
sertion for five years. joining the Shakers for five
years, confinement in the State Prison of any one
one of the United States for five years, fraud in
obtaining the consent of the other party, habitual
drunkenness for three years; marriage with an
Indian or mulatto is void; and an imprisonment for
felony in the State works divorce without any
judicial proceeding. In Kentucky, for llabitual
drunkenness, condemnation for felony, cruelty OF
the husband, and for several other causes which
we 1OfOCaf 10 nenllOn LII 1llHOIS lOI
willful desertion for two years, extreme cruelty,
habitual drunkenness for two years. In Missouri,
for adultery willfu desertion for two years, con-
viction of an infamous crime, habitual drunken
ness for two years, cruel treatment, endangerng
LIFE, intolerable indgnties, vagrancy of the hus-
band. In Iowa, the same causes exist as IN Mis-
souri,, to which is supperadded, ''when the parties
cannot live in peace and happiness, and their well
fare requires separation" The laws of Arkansas
is the same as in Missouri, except that one years
absence is sufficient to free the abandoned party
from the bonds of the marriage relation. In
Tennessee and Mississippi, the law is nearly simi
lar while in Florida to like enactments are added
habitual indulgence of violent and ungovernable
temper for one year. In North Carolina. impoten-
cy, adultery, abandonment turning the wife ont of
doors, cruelty or indignity the part OF the hus-
band, any other just cause. In Texas, lmpoten-
cy excess, or cruel treatment, outrages, or de-
sertion for three years, the husband may have a
divorce for adultery of the wife, and the wife when
the husband abandons her and lives In adultery.
In Maryland the law is the same as in New York,
except that abandonment and three years absence
from the State is a cause of divorce In Georgia,
the old English ecclesiastical law governs. In
New Hampshire and Ohio, similar laws to those of
Vermont prevail. Extreme cruelty and absence
for three years are causes for divorce in Delaware,
to which Pennsylvania has added intolerable in
dignities Congress has never conferred the pow
er to grant divorce upon the courts in the District
of Columbia.