The Hawaiian gazette., 1878-02-06

tions to our Courts for the dissolution of the |
marriage relation; and thus the evils of which
the Adcertissg complains, would be increased |
instead of diminished But again, it is not
among the poor that we find the greatest
amount of discord and family infelicity;
but among class who are well able TO
pay for the luxury of beirg released from
rue bargain, or the consequences of a caprlcious
taste. The poor have no time to quarrel
about trihes, because they are neither thrown
into the same round OF temptations, nor are
they so prone to take umbrage at supposed
are wont. The AdreTiSsr in the article we
are now considering inter ala, says: " But
We believe and know, that there are many
cases in which legal severing of the tie
would not only be blessing to the parties
concerned, but would be conclusive to public
morality, and therefore good public policy.
We need not refer to what all must know to
be the result of refusing dissolution of the
marriage tie in those cases in which there are
Just grounds for such action, that is to say,
.
provide, desertion, &c, SC" Now if our amia-
Bile brother will just put himself to the trou-
bic to consult the Statute Books of the King
dom, he will find that the law has made ample
provision, in all cases of family grievances
arising out of the causes enumerated in the
foregoing extract, by making adultery, cruel
or brutal treatment, future 10 prOpiis and de-
serfi0H, causes for divorce. if any or either of
those causes are shown to exist, on proper and
legal proof exhibited to the Courts of the
Kingdom hut above and beyond the remedies
provided in the present divorce statutes, for
these causes of complaint, the law has thrown
open the Police Courts for immediate redress
al an almost inconsiderable cost TO the parties
complaining. Again, the Ad0-Ttiser SAYS
- Aside from these considerations, there are
other reasons why a modification Of our di-
vorce laws is desirable We claim that our
present divorce system leads TO much of The
celibacy that Is so prevalent among our young
/ people. They witness great deal of the
unpleasantness that marks the married lives
1 OF many of their friends, and they hesitate to
! incur the dangers from which they see it SO
/ hard to escape"
If we rightly understand what our neighbor
means by the passages just quoted, he thinks
! that if the Divorce Laws were less stringent
IN these requirements, that is, if The laws
were so modified that parties after marriage,
might go into Court, whenever they felt so
inclined, and by presenting their grievances,
/ divorce from the bonds of matrimony would
I be foregone conclusion: that then celibacy
among the young people wonld not be so
prevalent. If our neighbours reasoning is
correct, then II is plain that the remedy would
be worse than the disease: because his cure
for celibacy would be, to open the door suffi-
ciently wide, that parties when so minded
after marriage, could invoke the aid of facile
| laws, TO dissolve the marriage tie and set
them free. The result of such a state OF
things would be, to enlarge the area of do
nestle misery, in order TO afford facilities fol
young people of both sexes to contract mar
riage, and dissolve il at will We have not the
space to followout our neighbor's thesis on the
law of divorce in this Kingdom any farther,
but we venture to say, that when he comes tO
consider the delicate and vital question to So
ciety, of the dissolution of the marriage relation
by the Courts, more calmly and seriously, he
will be convinced that any radical change il
our Divorce Laws as at present existing
would be, TO say the least of it, doubtful il
not hazardous experiment. We give oul
neighbor credit for his cincerity in his mode
| OF treating the subject of the Divorce Laws
but we must be allowed TO differ with him.
from deep conviction that the result which
he desires would not be obtained by any radi-
cal alteration in the present Divorce Laws
but that the remedy for existing evils in thi,
community, SO far as the marriage relation is
concerned, lies deeper down, and must be
looked for, bv teaching higher mora! stand
ard, and sacred regard for the divine insti
tuition of homogeneous marriages, which is the
the foundation stone and pillar of the Who'll,
edifce of civilized society