The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-28
nrIiIsh Diynrcc siniI.iIc,.

From the London Daily NcsS
The Return of Divorce Suits and Jul
dicial Separations, asked for by Mr., Glad
stone last December and just published,
gives a series OF figures extending from
1858 to the end of 1887. OF course no COM
men,s are made, only the bare numerical
statements printed, but the figures speak
eloqucnlly enough. Altogether during
the thirty years over which the rec
orl extends there were 2,73l pcii-
tons for judicial separation and 1861
for divorce. OF the former rather more
than onc.third were successful, aud about
onc.cighlh were dismissed; the rest, that
is to say, more than nlf being arranged
privately. A much larger part OF the di-
yorcu cases resulted successfully, the mum
Der OF DEGREES pronounced being 1921, an
average OF 26j per year, and nearly three
quarters Of the numbered petitions About
., i2S cases never came to n hearing, but OF
those which were brought into court only
Sl2, or one.thlrtecnth OF the total, were
dismissed. The Queens Proctor inter-
yenel in 2ol eases, four times out Of i've
with The result OF q reversal Of the decree.
But such general summaries give q very
poor idea OF the actual state Of things
which this striking return reveals. II
the various statistics are studied carefully.
It is ut once obvious how very greatly
the number OF petitions has increased in
recent years. Ia 1860 forty wives petit
toned Tor separation, and In only ten
cases was Il granted. After that date there
WIS n steady increase, slow nj first until
1853, when n gradual decline sct In, contin-
uing 10 1873. From that date tho in-
crease has been very rapid, 40 that the
number had risen in 1880 80 high as l37.
In 1857 il was still higher namely, ll2.
Petitions OF u similar character from the
husbands side have never been numcr-
Gus. Ia 1860 there was only 1, aud the
largest nuinbcr-that for ls5J-wns only
IA. Since that date such cases have
steadily declined until IA lSS7-thc last
year 10 which the report oXtcnds-thorc
were only I.
The divorce cases show similar series
OF ups aud downs. On the whole there
has bccn an increase. most marked during
the years between 1870 aud 1873 II mat
tiers not whether we take the figures To-
laiing 10 petitions Of the husbands Of those
In which proceedings were originated by
tue NlNfHf AhfN lNliNN ulNiU ANN hAillf
curves, rising aud falling together, and
yielding about the same high proportion OF
successes In lSG0.Gl both were at a mini.
mum, and again six years later. But from
that date or perhaps the following year the
numbers bound rapidly upward. Thus In
1919 petitions were lodged 10y 81 husbands
aud IA wives, OF which lSi OF the former
aud 100 Of the latter resulted Ia the pro-
nOuncing OF n decree Of dissolution Of mar
fingc. In 1883 no fewer than 800 husbands
aud 2Oj wives sued for divorce. This cnor-
nous number OF 3j3 forms the maximum
on the husbands siic, but In 1887 petitions
made by wives numbered 2jl, moro than
IN any previous year
One curious fact IL made apparent by n
comparison OF the respective numbers OF
petitions originating from husbands on
the one hand and wives on the other. IL
IL that. while the proportion OF DEGREES
pronounced u about the same, two OF the
mems petitions mrs dismissed for every
one Of The wumcn'A. This Is balanced by
the fact that ior every one Of the hus.
bands cases which never come on for hear
ing about two OF tho wives petitions are
settled in q similar way. Again, the num-
Der OF petitions for divorce brought by wo.
men Is about threequar,crs OF those
brought by men, proportion which, u Ne
bear ia mind the different conditions Of
the law, implies distinctly lar higher
Elato 0l morality among women. Nor iH
that nll. Practically the whole OF the
petitions for judicial separation are pre-.
scented by wives, aud II We add these on TO
the divorce suits We lind that Il has ifc-
qucnlly happened that more than hall OF
the successful petitions have been lodged
by women.