Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-03-10
MARRYING A DECEASED wIFE,S
SISTER.


A Peer I'm Search Of Information.
The following is the full text Of the letter
from England, received by the District Commits
siOners recently, and mentioned in The STAR at
the time:
"LoNDoN, Is Feb, 1883,
10 Charles street.
Berkeley Square, W.
Your EXCELLENCE: In the last session or the
Parliament or Great Britain and Ireland bill for
was defeated in the House OF Lords 10y a majority
OF 1Ss 10 12S. II am rightly Informed these mar
nages have now for many years been legal In every
part OF the United States OF America and YOU
have, therefore, had ample experience OF their
effect on social and domestic Me, and can say from
practical knowledge whether morality has suffered
from the fact that in the District OF Columbia
r1age with deceased wfes sister is permitted by
law.
The opponents OF the legislation OF marriage
with deceased w1fes sister In the United King
dom are fond OF referring to America as ilustrat-
is alleged. must follow if these marriages are re-
cOgnlZed as legal
In order to give your excellency an example OF
quoted In an article which has recently appeared
IN one OF our leading periodicals., the Church Quar-
terly Rerietc. which is being extensively circu-
lated. 1 am anxious to ascerS ain whether such
assertions as those contained in this letter are
generally supported by facts whether the writer
has drawn bis startling differences from an isolated
May ask that your excellency will kindly honor
me with such Information as you can consistently
give as TO how the law which permits marriage
with deceased wifes sister has worked In the
District OF Columbia My reason for making this
request is that hope to introduce into the House
or Lords again this year bin similar to the one
which 30 nearly became law during the last Ses-
sion OF Parliament. and am naturally concerned
to have all the knowledge OF the practical work
Ing IN America OF a law similar to this one which
] am anxious to persuade the legislature to adopt
In this country. / trust, therefore, your excel
ency Will forgive me for troubling you in the mat
ter.
have the honor to be, your excellency, very
faithfully and obediently yours
To His Ercellency the Governor Of the Dist,c, OF
Columbia, o. s. A."
LETTER FROM AN AMERICAN CLERGYMAN
The inclOsed article from the Church Quar-
terly Recie,o is as follows:
"'1t is evident writes an American clergyman,
ito those OF us who are old enough to remember
the state OF things previous to these Innovations,
that change for the worse has been brought
about can well recollect when ladies In the
lfeimes OF their husbands used to feel IL their
treat them accordingly In all the unreserve OF do
mestlc intercourse; when brother.in-law, after
him without thought OF evil or q feeling OF en-
barrassment: aud when, too, In case OF q wife
dying, her sister would remain in charge OF her
family, or would removeto the Dereaved home to
live with the widower and take care OF his chill
dren. as thing, OF course. without q whisper of
Us
too, knowing that their aunt could never I've In
any nearer relation to them, loved and reverenced
her. and cOnflded in her, and yielded
readily most wholesome influence to
her. But since such increased nearness
Of connection has been deemed not
improper, and even desirable, there has grown up
In families perceptible and painful constraint-
the children learning to look with apprehension
on their mothers SISTERS and the wives becoming
jealous OF their influence with their husbands
while familiarities which formerly were thought
to be- and really were, innocent, have come to
possess CONSCIOUSNESS OF evil tendency which
itself Is OF the nature OF sin.
know wife whose health was gradually de-
Ginning, woman OF the world with husband as
worldly as herself, and In their house was young
and attractive sister OF hers. between whom and
her husband there had grown up gradually q de-
gree OF anectonate Intercourse which In the days
OF the wife's health had been thought only natu-
raj; but as her end drew near 1t became on his
part more pointed, and drew to her attention SO
agonfztngly that It became the one engrossing
feeling OF her soul for the last few weeks of her
life, exciting In her an undisguSed dread OF what
she foresaw would, as 1t did, take place, and SO
absorbed her to shut out all thought OF religion
and make her miserable to her very DEATH"