Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-14
The Motives that Govern Le:isia.

fine commentary upon the motives that
govern legislation In Congress is presented in
the declaration by members OF the House that
they will not permit an apportionment bill to
pass this session because Representative Cox,
who has It In charge. opposed the river and har-
Dor bill. Public interest is made subservient,
bymembers who have thus declared themselves,
10 private vengeance. In another case, men,
Der OF Congress went counter to the opinion of
all his colleagues on a committee because he
said. he vas under deep obligations TO parties
interested in the pending measure, and he
would be guilty OF ingratitude to them II he
did not make their interest his first considera-
ton. Instances OF the character here men
toned, where private feeling or personal In
terest IS made paramount TO the public good.
are not uncommon. The rejection Of the propo-
sitiOn 10 inc ude an appropriation for the
Improvement OF the Potomac flats was not
based upon considerations OF public veal on
the contrary, the very members OF Congress
who decliaed TO insert the provision admitted
that the improvement asked for was much
needed, and some OF them declared that Con-
gress ought to appropriate the money, but they
were afraid the amount requested would Increase
the total of the bill to figures that might endan-
ger It's passage. The debate ON the river and
harbor bill Indicates that its trainers mi ght have
increased its chances OF success Oy Including a
liberal appropriation for the Potomac. The
fierce opposition which has rendered the pas-
sage OF the measure very improbable was based
mainly On the ground that there was too little
appropriated to the great rivers and harbors
or the land. and entirely too muCn to small
unknown inland streams, which, even If It
were possible to make them navi,able, would
beEefit but few people
II any body ever had doubts as to whether
the subject OF marriage IN the United States
should be controlled BY national law Instead
or by the different and often conflicting stat
uteS OF the several states, q case which recently
occurred IL Ne" York would. one would think,
II fairly and generally understood, forever
dSpel them. A citizen Of that state recently
sued for divorce from his wife or the ground
OF alleged infdeIity. Without either admitting
or deny lrg the charge, she simply set up as her
defence or plea the facts that when the plain
tits first wife obtained a divorce from him In
New York, some years before, the Judgment
forbade him 70 marry again, that in spite OF
this prohibition he married nef in Philadelphia
and returned TO New York 10 live. and that she
is therefore not and never has been his lawful
wife, at least within the jurisdiction OF the court
before which the present case is brought.
whatever theiE relations might have been had
they remained ia Pennsylvania. This view of
the case the judge felt obliged 10 sustain, re-
marking IN rendering his decision that lit Is
but reasonable that every state must SO FAR re-
spect It's own laws and their operation on It's
own citizens as not to allow them to be evaded
by acts performed IN another state for the
purpose OF defeating them"
From his point OF view the Judge is unques-
tiOnabiy right; but what commentary It Is
upon our laws regulating the marriage relation
that under judicial Interpretation of them a
woman may be mans lawful wife In one state
and at the same time his unlawful concubine I'm
another. And who, in view OF such e state or
things being possible, would for a moment
oppose the passage Of law touching this Vital
matter which would operate alike In all parts
OF the country? 1t is not at al likely that all
the states would be able Ia their individual
capacity 10 agree upon statutes exactly alike
In all their provisions; but surely there could
be no valid objection urged anywhere TO sub
hitting the whole subject to the broader 1uris-
diction aud sounder Judgment OF Congress.
which, In its general representative capacity.
could have no other object Ia view than meet
lDg 1t with the best law possible