Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-11-05
To the Honorable the Legislature Of inc Sid''
of Vermont:

-ho9ytCdttoH "'
DirOTce.
To the Honorable the Legislature OF inc '''"'
of permont:
The undersigned, Clergymen and Laymen OF
.he Protestant Fnjscopal Church. and members
M The Convention Of the Diocese of Vermont,
beII at Rutland en- the u and I'd days Oh
.Iupe. A. d. 1863, do herewith Respectfully
r,enoralize and petition the honorable Lesisla-
ture Of the State of Vermont, as follows
In view usp of the alarming frequency anu
increase Of ibels Of Divorce, sought for anu
,,ran,a1 in the State of Vermont during the
- Eve ve,rs ~ shown by the recent reports
IF the REGISTRAR of the State; by which the
.,,,,1ba- - l,i,,,,es i to the number of mar
,-;.I,e as ooe Ia nineteen; and by which 1t ap-
,eaTs that 10 every hirty-sight persons married
hiring the last 1--WE years, ttco persons are con-
,..rned in divorce; and by which 1t appears ths'
here has been granted at the rate OF one d.
vorce 10 every fro hundred and Sirfy-siT
marriaZeable persons
In view (2d) of the fact that the STATUTE Jaw
laws down. on the one hand, before marriage
o1Iv list of the forbidden degrees me age
which the parties must have REACH anu Tue
titles Of those qualified to soIenniIe 'he mar
risre. and on the other hand, after marriage,
nr1yides full facilities for dssolving the tie up
an various pleas, allowing re-marriage IN every
case:
In view (3d) of the opportunity afforded by
che law of Divorce, and the practice under 1t, TO
,,,ccsssirs polygamy; by which man may
have succession of wives, and u woman
succession of husbands, without limit Of number,
and all at the same time living in the
In view Ci.h) Of the Christian Law laid
down in the Holy Gospel by which the tie OF
marriage is pronounced to he indissoluble ex-
e1eept for one cause only; and by which, c1-
cent for this cause, TO put away wife anu
marry another, or to put away husband anu
marry another, or for third party to marry
the one nut away, is distinctly condemned as a
breach of the seventh commandment
In view (5th) Of tie imminent danger which
threatens the domestic morals Of the whole
community, whenever the sanctiiy OF the iamly
Is invaded and the durability OF the marriage
bond impaired; danger that marriage be held
in low esteem as an affair Of convenience, no
longer binding them; the capuclous viii oil
either marty may direct; danger of moral evil,
scandal, domestic strife, immodesty and Do
hatchery; danger that the springs OF VIZ
tue in the people be poisoned, and that
premature decay and corruption sap the
foundations Of the State.
In view, finally, of all these considerations,
we respectfully pray your honorable body to
take such measures as in your wisdom seemeih
best. lst, to reiterate the Law of Divorce upon
such a basis as 20 distinguish between legal sep
aration and absolute divorce, and to grant abso-
lutte divorce with liberty to marry again only IN
cases OF well proved couuubial inhdelliy "a, 10
iucre-se the penalties for the crime Of adultery
81, to invest the Law Of Marriage with such
precautions and protective formalities as To dig
Nifty and enn0ble il in the sight Of the people,
without ohstructing the marriage OF any honest
citizen. whatever his station and at the same
time to protect the community, so far as practl-
cable. against the misfortune Of ill-judged, has
~. clan1estine and criminal marriages 4'h, so
10 IDENTIFY. by license or otherwise, The parties
seeking marriage as 10 guard the rights Of pa
rents and to protect the officiating minister from
imposition At the hand Of designing persons,
aud from becoming unWittlugly an instrument
FOR soemnizing cllnlestine or criminal unions.
/ With profound sense Of the Importance Of
this subject. and believing that il involves,
through the family, the best and trgvst inter
ests Of the State, your petitioners respectfully
Commit the whole natter into your hands.
MACON DoUGLAs-,
/ NEWTON FAIRHtNKs, C,,.....,,.,
II. OANFlELb,
GEORGE NICHOLS,
Rutland, Vermont, June 9, 1863.
Upon presentation Of the foregoing report the
following resolution was unanimously adopted
By the Convention
Rg5irsi. That the report Of the Committee
o1 the Canon on Divorce now submitted, be
accepted and adopted by this Convention, and
that Il be signed by the President and Secretary
Of the Convention in behalf Of the Clergy and
Lay Delegates, and presented, together with
their resolution. 10 the Legislature AZ the next
session. bv a Committee consisting Of the Hon.
z Richardson. Hon. Harmon Cauheld, and
the Hon Charles Dewey.
ia behalf If the Clergy AMI Lay Delegates,
ard bv order Z the Convention, the uniers On
ei have caused their signatures 70 be- attached
" Il. A BISSELL.
President or Coarsafi11-
Tu0N,s II. CANrEID, Secretary.
BURLINGTON, June +, lc69.
This cert.ies that the foregoing Report and
Resolution were unanimously adopted openly
by the Convention Of the Protestant Episcopal
Church in the Diocese Of Vermont, holden at
Trinity Church, Rutland, On the second and
third days Of June, 1859.
THOMAS II CANFTELu,
Secretary ofthe CoarentoH.