The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-08-07
Afternoon.

| Re-assembled at l o'clock.
ExplOsives-Thir reading of the bill tc
prevent the use OF explosives in taking
fish. Passed.
COffee-Third reading of the bill to pre-
vent the introduction of coffee leaf dis
eases. Passed.
DivOrce.-Third reading of the bill to
amend the divorce law.
Noble Hitchcock moved indefinite post
| pOnement. He did not approve of open
! ing the divorce doors wider. Everyone
! knows that divorces are easy enough in
! this country now. In States where divorce
| laws are lax they are now advocating more
| stringency. If this Act passes. there will
! be 90 to 80 divorces where now there are Is
! to 20. Special terms of the Courts will be
| needed to settle them.
Rep. Brown moved the bill pass. In the
statutes OF tWO-thlrdS OF the States of the
! Union, utter and wilful desertion is made
| a ground of divorce without specifying any
| particular space of time.
Noble Smith said that the law fixing
three" years deSertiOn as the limit of
time after which divorce can be claimed
on that ground, is too strict. He thought
the fears expressed of the results of this
| amendment were grOundless. A large
discretion is still left in the power of the
court.
Noble Townsend thought that marriage
should, for the good of the state and for
the good of all concerned, be for a term of
not less than three years. The argument
that the law is too lax as it is, is poor
reason for relaxing its provisions still
further. There will be desertions under
this Act for the special purpose of obtain
ing divorces. He hoped to see this bill
killed so dead that it will not raise its head
again for awhile.
views expressed by Noble Townsend. The
number of States in the Union In which
there are fixed periods making desertiOn
ground OF divorce is very much smaller
than stated by Rep. Brown. In Canada,
divorce Is not possible by anv judicial pro
ceedings. An Act of Parliament is re-
CURED. He remembered of only two or
three applications made there for divorce
but they all failed. Railway conductors
on trains are said to call out when they
minutes for divorce" He would not have
the steward on through steamer go about
the deck, beating his gong and crying
" Honolulu, two hours for divorce" In
proportion as facilities are provided for di-
VOrceS, just in the same ratio will infelici-
tous marriages be produced. The country
IS too notorious already for its divorce
cases, and If the door is opened wider, we
shall get class OF tourists that we would
be very much better without.
Rep. Kinney said: l shall vote for the |
bill, not because do not believe as much
as others in preserving the sanctity of
marriage, but because I believe something |
should be done to check the custom in this |
country OF people living in open adultery |
alter having hOpeleSsly separated from |
their wife or husband as the case NAV be- |
Having strict divorce law does not neces- |
sarlly mean a high state of morals, and |
With this native people it is far better for |
morality and for marriage that thew should |
obtain divorces from those they never will |
live with again anyhow and be compelled |
TO marry those they are living with and |
will not give up. The result will be simply |
TINS: Ii this law passes, persons who have |
OVNoV tod fc,, IL
remarry instead of drifting into illicit rela-
tons with others, as is now the case nine
times out of ten, simply because they have
to wait three years before they can get a
divorce. This is not very pleasant state
of affairs, but it is the fact and we must |
deal with it. Better poor marriage than
none at all.
Noble Baldwin favored indefinite post
ponement. He could not agree with the
hon. member from Hamakua in the idea
that existing social abuses furnish reasons
Tor breaking down the legal standard as re-
CARDS the marriage relation. Divorces are
only too easily obtained now People
should be educated up to a higher ideal of
me pcrmanency of the institution of mar
rage. He felt much sympathy for the
non. Noble Townsend. who exhibits
natural solicitude In this matter, being
about to enter into the relationship.
Minister Austin said it ought to be borne
n MIND that the assumption of the con- |
NSNNA AOi"ClOlA 10 q De- |
Ween parties. The sanctity of marriage
S OF great Importance to the moral welfare {
IL the community, He was decidedly in
ayor Of pOstponjng the bill. 4
Rep. Kauhi said the natives had been
aught by the missionaries to regard mar
'lage as an event of great importance and
olemnity. The ceremony now, since the
government has taken charge of it and
every Tom, Dick and Harry may issue
licenses and marry people, has, in their
minds, been Invested of all its solemnitv :
md importance. Still, h was in favor OF
he bill. Married persons separate, 90 and
i've with other men and women, aud the
present law says they shat live three years
n that fashion before divorces Gan be cb-
aimed.
The ayes and noes were called on the