Smyrna times., 1893-01-04
WHOLE NO. 1910.
Inc Question of Divorces in
Delaware.

AH ehort was made at the last sss.
',ou OF the General Assembly to amend
the divorce laws of the stnte an tbot -
would be difficult for non.residents hv
securing nominal, residence qualiiica.
''oh' TO obtain the divorces eitber
lhro'gh the courts or by means Of
legislative enactment. One Bill drawn
Dy Chief Justice Comegys and one
drawn by senator Pilling were nra.
sen'ed. The net result was the mas.
sage of the following amendment r.
the existing divorce laws
Section Is. No divorce from tho
ponds OF matrimony shall be decreed
Dy lhe court when the cause assigned
there IN the petition occurred ont of
this state and the petitioner was a non.
resident thereof at the time of its oc.
curahce, unless for the same or LIE
cause such divorce would be allowed
oy the laws Of the state or cOuntrv in
winch 1t Is alleged to have occurred
The effect Of this amendment was to
put an end to several prospective
divorces which were to be sued for nv
non-residents then living in this citv
But the amendment in no wav made if
Impossible for the biennial legislative
mil to turn out divorces bv the score
no matter how himsy or ridiculous
the grounds were upon which tbev
were asked. We presume, therefore
that the next General Assembly will
continue the work of separating dis.
satisfied married folk who have real
or imaginary grievances. The Lewis
F"of makes a suggestion in this con.
nection as follows:
"A standing committe on divorce
Think Of il for moment and realize
just what il means. In each house Of
the General Assembly OF the State of
Delaware, at the very opening OF the
session, before any notice has been
glyen that any such business will be
presented, an open and standing in.
vestigation is held out for people to 90
before the Legislature and air their
matrimonial infelicjties. We are raising
no question now as to legislative divor-
ces IN themselves. That is matter
that will be discussed at another time
But we want to call attention to the
gross improperly of assuming right at
the outset, that there will be appica.
cations to the general assembly to
dissolve the marriage relation. IF the
members of the Legislature consider
themselves fully equipped for trying
matters Of this kind if they believe
that their experience in weighing and
sltlng testimony renders them the
proper judges to decide one of the
graVest questions that can come before
any tribunal, let them appoint in each
case that is presented TO them a spee-
lai committee to hear and determine it
or its merits. But in the name of
decency don't start with
proclamation that the peoples repres.
entatives are ready and eager to enter
tain business of this nature.
The hardest-wOrked committees At
all sessions of the General Assembly
are the divorce committees of the two
houses. It is often the case that the
members of such committees are pre-
vented, by the great mass of business
which comes before them, to neglect
other questions which are of far more
Importance to the people at large than
the petty misunderstanding of mis-
mated men and women. 1t would be
well for the General Assembly to
begin business with destinct under
standing to make some radical amend
nents to the divorce laws of the state.
looking to the sending of most of the
applicants for divorce to the state
courts, and thus relieve the General
Assembly of work which does not
properly belong to it Morning Ne,cs.