Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-12-19

1t will be necessary to bear in min,
that q short time ago the supreme cour
of the canton of Soleure, Switzerland
set aside a marriage on the ground tina
it had been contracted in America, Oh,
consent of the commune to which th,
husband belonged not having been OBJ
tanned. If this be. true, it behoovel
young ladies in this country TO be careful
to see that they have every Formally
attended to when allying themselves with
Swiss admirers.
The particulars of the case are NOT
given, but if the above reason be the
only one assigned for invalidating the
marriage, a wrong has been perpetrated
upon the wife akin to that by which NJ me
Patterson Bonaparte was divorced from
Prince Jerome.
The French law, which once required,
and perhaps still requires the consent of
the parents, if they are living, to the
marriage of the parties, although the
latter may be of mature and even adj
vanced age, was embarrassing enough;
but it seems that things are worse in
Switzerland.
In Lucerne the man is obliged to pay
100 francs $500 to the communal council
for permission to marry, and he must
prove thathe is worth 1000 francs (S40O.)
II he marries without doing this, he is
liable to two years imprisonment. In
the Catholic cantons, a marriage once
solemnized is indissoluble, but in the
Protestant cantons divorces can be OBJ
tanned. In Neufchatel the wife retains
control over all property which belonged
to her before marriage. while in Berne
her property vests absolutely in her nus
band. Many more anomalies exist.
The attention of the Swiss federal or
national assembly has been turned to
the impolicy of the marriage laws, and
there is prospect of their being modi-
fed. The assembly, some time back,
appointed a commission to inquire into
the subject and report upon it. The re-
port contained recommendation that |
the following articles should be made /
law: That the right of marriage shall
be placed under the control and prote G.
ton of the Confederation, thereby de.
priying each canton of its jurisdic ton
in the matter. That no marriage shall
for the future be forbidden on account
Of poverty, conduct, mode of living or
other cause. That marriage contracted
in any particular canton or 70 reign coun.
try, in conformity with the laws of the
place where the ceremony is performed.
shall be regarded as valid, and that by
The fact of marriage the wife shall &C.
luire the settlement and citizenship of
ler husband. That no tax or money
payment of any kind shall be demanded
rom persons about to marry"
When these articles came up for dis.
,ussion they met with opposi tion, espe-
italy the second and third; bat common
Iense and justice prevailed. and they
we're passed by the national c,ouncil. with
/ prospect that they would be successful
n the Senate. Switzerlar. d will thus be
id of q reproach which till applies to
he united kingdom of Great Britain,
'tc., as illustrated in the case of Mrs.
Theresa Yelverton, who was declared To
,e Major Yelverton's wife il Ireland, but
lot in England; while in Scotland, one
declared she was his wife and
mother declared she was meta state
# things which Sir Rounded Palmer
'ery properly characterized as scandal
Ius.