Morning journal and courier., 1884-08-25
The New French Divorce Law.

Paris Letter in the New York Times.
 Many hopes and fears are based upon this addition to the code. Wives tired of being wives, or in hurry to become wives again, and husbands craving for freedom were per plexed by the procrastination. Hundreds still in the bonds of wedlock have betrothed themselves afresh; contracts of marriage have been drawn up by the notaries; barris ters are at premium and there is scarcely standing room to be had in the offices of the solicitors. And yet, now that divorce has become national French institution no one is quite satisfed with the provisions of its law Even it's partisans, and first among them M. Naquet himself, it's great promoter, are disappointed. "It is 8 step in the right direction" admits NJ. Naquet, but 1t is an insufficient step; the chamber voted my pro- feet of law, but the Senate modified it and, not to procrastinate, I consented to that modification for is not half 0 loaf better than no bread at alla Still, we have not got enough and we shall not have enough until our legislature admits; CD divorce by mutual consent; (2) the validity of marriages con- tracted between respondent and correspond ent when the plea of divorce has been adul- tery: (31 that judicial separations having last ed three years or more shall be transformed into absolute divorces on the application of either party, whereas the senatorial amend ment renders this transformation optional with the tribunal before which the case is brought for examination"
 I am informed by some of my legal ac- quaintances that this law is big with compli- cations and difficulties, and that those who have been shipwrecked by marriage are like Iy to suffer many disillusions wi re they hoped to find salvation, not the least of which will be the inevitable delay of judg- ments which they fondly hoped might be i'm mediate Between three and four thousand applications for absolute divorce have been deposited with the tribunal of the Seine since last Thursday, and as business in the civil court was already behindhand, one, two or even three years may elapse before the petl- tioners can obtain hearing, unless special judges are mercifu1ly appointed, a measure strongly advocated by prominent and indu- ential members of the bench and bar, who are positively brought to their wits end by the terrible accumulation of unfinished busi-' ness However, be this measure of clemency adopted or not, people rush to Dame Themis for relief in shoals. And they are people of every class and creed-some only to get rid of slavery others to make new alliances in which they hope to find happiness. Nor IS this rush confined to the bourgeo1s1e or to those who are qualified as free-thlnkers. Duchesses and dukes, counts and countesses are as eager to rid themselves of the Vlncu- lun1 matrimonii as any of those shop-keepers of the Rue des Lombards who swear by Dld- erot and Voltaire and scoH at all forms ot re- lip,ion as-Vestiaes of the superstition of the dark aoes. and there would be queer revela- lions and very modifying details concerning coniuoal life and family jars in the nohl9 Faubourp if the legislators, with an amount of tact for which decent society cap never be