Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-01-13

jeots, State bonds and local option bills
put together.
The first divorce petition came up In
the Senate to-day. &. Alvan Cochran, of
Appoquinimink hundred, ia the petitioner.
He sets forth in bis petition that about
July 4th, 1876, he visited Philadelphia, and
spent some time there, during which he
drank more than WAS good for him. About
July Gath he visited the house Of Emma
Cochran, in that city, and she induced him
to drink more liquor, which he believes
contained some narcotic. While there be
is Informed that he was regularly
married to said Emma, but reoolleots
nothing Of any such proceeding. 1t sp.
pears from his statement that he was un.
conscious part OF the time he spent In
her house. He repudiated the claims of
Emma to be his wife and says that he was
engaged to New York woman at the
time, but In consequence OF this affair, the
match WAS broken off.
Afterwards, at the solicitation of friends.
he offered Emma Cochran shelter and
support In his home. But about July
Path, 1880, she left his house. He claims
that she treated him, during that time,
with great ingratitude and sometimes re.
sorted to blows, and, for various reasons
set forth, appeals for divorce pi,,eula
ndtrim0n2
The petition was laid over for future
consideration. When the time comes it Ia
reported that Emma will be on hand with
a remembrance and counterstatemsnt, In
which she will show that the marriage was
in due form and duly Witnessed, and that
Mr.. Cochran WAS perfectly sober at the
time.
But the legislators generally do not
want much TO do with divorce oases Mr.,
Pillings resolution, providing that the
Legislature shall consider only cases
which do not come under the oognizanoe
of the State courts, came up in due course
this afternoon and WAS again postponed
until next Tuesday. This was done to
give time for the consideration OF Mr..
Van Burkalow's proposed amendment TO
the divorce law, which ia designed to
relieve the Legislature as much "a possible
of this kind of business. Mr.. Van Burka-
low says that be ID informed
| by lawyers that the average cost
of getting divorce through the Legisla-
ture is more than the average costs In the
courts, and considers the poverty plea"
for legislative divorces as mere bunkum.
But, in order to accommodate the poor as
well as the rich, his amendment will pro-
vide that, where the applicant has no
property, ths costs of his suit In the
courts will be chargeable to the State
at the minimum price for the
work done. This need not exceed
a fee of $40 to the lawyer whom the
Court may appoint as a commissioner to
hear the testimony in any case. Where
the applicant has property, the costs are
to be made ohargeable to his estate. The
adoption of this amendment is expected
to render Mr.. Pillings resolution more
acceptable to those members who wish to
keep open an avenue through which poor
men and women may readily obtain
divorces in extreme cases.
| ANOTHER STANDING ooMMITTRR.
Mr.. Swayne succeeded to-day in getting
the House to appoint Standing Commit
tee on Grimes, Vice and immortality.
There was no especial opposition to such
a committee, but some of the members
could not see any need Of 1t. Questioned
as to what business might come before his
committee, Mr.. Swayne said that 1t might
deal with the tramp question, pool selling,
reprieves, pardons, House of Refuge, the
use of child labor and kindred subjects.