The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-20
DALH0USlE.

Strenuous Effort. Of this British Peer TO
wifs's sister Ia England - His LATEST
Move is an appeal to the Governors for
Their Experience.
Ia England the laws OF tho realm have
heretofore, and do yet, prohibit man
from marrying a sister OF his deceased wife.
but for some time past an effort has been
made TO have such marriages permitted.
The Earl OF Dalhousie is one OF the most
active movers in the effort TO have the law
referred to changed and he has addressed
the following circular letter to the govern.
ors OF the various states on the subject
The letter which follows will explain iteeli.
THE LETTER.
No, 10 Charles Street. Berkeley Square, London,
W., February 18Th. 1887. Your kIcellency;
In the last session OF the parliament OF
Great Britain aud Ireland, bill for legali..
ing marriage with a deceased wiie's sister
was deieatad in the house Of lords By 2 ma.
jority Of l3zl2S.
II am rightly informed, these marriages
have now Tor many years been legal In
every part OF the United States Of America,
and you have therefore had
ample experience OF their ef
feet on social aud domestic life, ana
can Say from practical knowledge whether
morality has suffered from the faat that In
the state of --marrlage with deceased
wlfes sister is permitted by law.
The opponents Of the legalikalion OF mar.
riage with deceased wife's sister In the
United Kingdom are fond Of referring to
America As illustrating in a marked de-
gree the banstul evils whish IL is alleged
must follow II these marriages are reoog-
niSei as legal.
In order 20 give your cxcelency an eI-
ample Of the statements that are made
oncl0so letter quoted Ia an article which
hes recently appeared In one OF our leading
periodicals, The Church Quarterly Re.
view, which Is being extensively circulated.
| am anxious to ascertain whether such as
scrtlOns as those contained In this letter are
generally supported by facts or whether the
writer has drawn his startling inierences
from an Isolated case
| May | ask that your oxcellenoy will
kindly honor me with such information MS
you can conveniently give az to how lhe la
which permits marriage with deceased
wlie's sister has worked IN the state OF -
My reason for making this request is, that
hope to Introduce In the house of
lords again this year bill similar To
the one which so nearly became law
during the last session of parliament, ard
am naturally concerned TO have all tho
knowledge OF the practical working in
America ofa law similar 10 the one which
] nm anxious to persuade the Legislature to
adopt IN this country. trust, therefore,
your cxoollency will forgive me for trOub.
ling you in the matter.
have the honor to be,
Your ExcolIency}
Very faithfully and obedien,ly yours,
DALnoBsIE.
ON THE sAME sURJECr.
ut IL evident writes an American
Clergyman, to those Of us who are old
enough To remember tho state of things
previous TO these innovations, that change
Tor the worse has been brought about.
can vol remember when the ladies' In the
lifettmes OF their husbands used to feel as
II their brothers-n.law were their own
brothers, and treat them accordingly, In
all the unfeserve of domestic relations,
aud when a brother-in-law, after an
| absence, would kiss his brothers. wife In all
purity as his own sister, and she would con-
Hide In him without thought of evil, or a
feeling OF embarrassment; and when, too
in case OF wife dying, her sister would
remain IN charge Of her family, or would
remove to tho bereavod home, to live with
the widower, and take charge OF his chill.
dron as thing OF course, without n whis.
per OF Islander, or any occasion tor It, when
the children, too, knowing that their aunt
| could never be any nearer relation to them,
loved and fevoronced her, and conhded in
her, and yielded readily a most wholesome
influence TO her
But snoe such increased nearness of con-
| neNlon has been deemed not improper and