The daily gazette., 1883-03-13
MATTERS IN DOVER.
Divorce BiIls-Tne Judiciary Amendment
and the Regular Proceedings.
Especial CORRESPONDENCE or The Gazette.

DOVER, March l3.-1he House gave tn
crank of the divorce mill another turn ves
terday and passed four bills freeing William
Parvis, Elijah N Clymer, Walter G. Hur
lock and Edward IL. Packard aud theii
wives from the yoke that gals. Another
bill of q similar character was on it's pa
sage when the House adjourned. This
seems tn be dl1inctivPly divorce Legisla
ture. Divorces are considered God-giver
boon and the members are willing thai
| people shall have them without money and
without price. Despite the fact that thu
Legislature has no business divorcing people
whose cases are for causes cognizabIe be.
fore the courts, 1t calmly goes ahead grant
| ing petitions whether the causes are sharI
word or violation of the marriage vows.
| Speaker Bates yesterday suggested that II
might not be bad idea TO pass a genera
divorce act so that every man can consider
himself unhitched by registering his nam'
| at the court house. Mr.. Bates is opposed
to this promiscuous legislation on domestic
difficulties and marital miseries, and so II
Mr.. Cooper
The Legislature is not the proper place
for granting divorces, and the members are
unable to judge fully of the merits of the
cases. DIR. Lewis, chairman of the Divorce
Committee, admitted to-day that the COM
mlttee could not get at the facts at all sat
isfactorially because, to avoid putting parties
to expense, all witnesses were often not
summoned. Charlotte d. Burton of Lewes
is after divorce from her husband, John
Lot. Charlotte s colored, and this Is the
first case on record of a colored person ask
ing the Legislature for divorce.
JUDICIAL REFORM.
Speaker Bates introduced in the House
yesterday the Bar Association amendment
TO the Constitution affecting the judicial
system of the State.
1t amends article of the Constitution
and provides for the appointment of five
judges for term of twelve years each, who
may be reappointed and who are Chancel-
lor, Chief Justice and one associate resident
Judge in each county. They may be ap-
pointed from any part of the State, but the
resident Judge must after his appointment
reside in the county for which he was
chosen. The Superior Court, Court of Gen.
eral Sessions and Court of Oyer and
Terminer shall be presided over by
the resident Judge, and If he be absent the
Chief Justice shall sit Not. less than two
terms year shall be held in each county.
No Judge shall charge juries with respect to
matters of fact, but only declare the law.
Accused prisoner shall have the right to a
writ of error to the ensuing term of the
SOuEb III WHICH, bu6N are ITlcu anu IL budll
have priority over all civil business and be
decided then unless the Court deems sub
stantial justice requires a continuance. If
a resident Judge fails to qualify the Chief
Justice shall sit in his stead. The Court of
Appeals shall issue writs of error and receive
appeals from the Chancery Court on
writes of error. This court shall con-
sist of the Chancellor, the Chief Justice
and the Judges who did not sit in the
cause in the court below. If the resident
Judge who ought to have tried the case did
not he may sit unless otherwise disqualified.
The Chancellor shall preside in cases of ap-
peal from the Chancery Court, in which the
Chief Justice and Associate Judges shall
also sit, any three being quorum. The
Legislature shall provide for reporting deci-
sions The Orphans Court shall be held
BY the resident Judge. Appeals may be
taken in real estate matters. The process
of the Superior Court shall be limited to the
countyjn which it is issued. The salaries
of the judges are to be fixed by the Legisla-
ture at not less than S2, 800 per annum. The
present Judges shall hold offices for twelve
years. One hundred copies OF the bill were
ordered printed.
In the House yesterday bills were intro
duced first time as follows:
House bill to incorporate the Kirk Branch
Ditch Company; Senate bill authorizing the
reappointment of constables in South and
North Murderkill hundreds; House bill re-
quiring the expenses attending the second
application for new public road to be paid
by the applicants.
Petitions were presented and referred az
follows: From Benjamin F. C.. Kothwell
and four others, asking to be relieved from
paying assessments of the Morris and Beaver
Branch Ditch Companies; from W. D.
Hawkins and seven others, asking that
stockholders in the Jamison Branch Ditch
Company be required to contribute to the
GraVelly Run Ditch Company; from 225
Sussex countians, asking for the passage of
Mr.. Messick's School Appropriation bill;
from the Dover bar, asking that some pro-
visiOn be made for completing the work left
unfinished by the last clerk of the Orphans
Court for Kent county.
Under a suspension of the rules the South
and North Murderkill hundreds constables
bill was read a second time and referred.
Messrs. Comegys, Williams, and Dukes
were appointed committee on conference
with the Senate to fix the date, after which
no new business shall be received.
SENATE.
The Senate met at 4.20 o'clock D. m,
Speaker Cooper in the chair. Bills intro
duced and read: House bills, to provide for
the erection of gates at railroad crossings in
Brandywine huadred; for stock laws in Dis
tricts 80 and 140 Sussex county; authorizing
the Levy Court of Sussex county to appro-
pirate annually money for the repair of a
road in Little Creek hundred. Senate bill,
by Mr.. Cooper, authorizing the Governor to
appoint an additional notary public for New
Castle county.
Read second timo and referred: House
bills, to amend the charter of the town of
Middletown; to provide for public parks in
the city of Wilmington. Senate bills to
divorce Julia Mohlen from her husband
Charles F. Mohlen; to divorce Louisa A.
Cummins from William A Cummins.
Passed: Senate bills, authorizing the Levy
Court of Kent county to appoint for an ad-
Gitionaf term or terms a constable for North
and South Murderkill hundreds; divorcing
Annie Gibbs from Thomas Gibbs.
Two hundred copies of the bill for the
protection of game were ordered printed.
A petition for stock law In district 25,
Sussex county, was presented and read.
The bill allowing owners of hotels, al
watering places, to procure a half yearly
license was reported unfavorably and
further consideration indefinitely postponed
photographs Reduced
In Drices Fine retouched cahinats radnoad