The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-07

rylng at all, while no person is permitted
70 contract a fourth marriage. The
further north we go the later becomes
the marrlageable age, till, in Sweden and
Norway. the law is that man cannot wed
TILL he is p, nor a woman till she is
Is. In America very curious differ
ences exist in different states 1t is ex-
tremely difficult to give even an outline
OF the marriage laws prevailing in this
country" remarks our representative, as
there are forty-seven sovereign states,
each claiming exclusive control over the
matter of the marriage of its citizens.
Hence II comes that in Montana and
Washington q is the earliest marrying
age for man and Is for a woman, while
IN New Jersey and Connecticut the ages
are respectively IA and u All that a
schoolboy in Washington. therefore. has
10 do IN order to wed a schoolgirl friend
is to induce her to lay her skipping rope
aside for time and tty with him over the
border into more complacent state.
In the matter of charges and fees there
is delightful lack of unanimity among
civilized nations. In Sweden and Nor
way, for example, time and place are
quite optional, weddings in church being
exceptional and you are not bound to give
the officiating clergyman any fee what
ever. In Switzerland the only fee is one
to cover expense of the publica ton of the
ana registration, and you can be married
al any hour you please. In Greece a
bishops license costs 3 drachmas, or half
a crown, and the registration 3 drachmas.
In Belgium they make little charge for
marriage pamphlet" presented to the
parties, and for stamps, but even these
are dispensed with If the parties make
declaration of poverty.
On the subject Of the grounds of divorce
very great divergences occur between the
laws of different nations. In France to
call wife ''canaille" before her children
justifies decree of divorce. as also does
wife's refusal to obey her husband when
1t is question of a theatrical engage
ment. >" A husband can also be divorced
for ill-treating his mother-in-law or his
step-chlidren. In spite of the proVerb
aoout the advantages of commencing mat
rlmony with little aversion, it is the law
of Germany that 'insuperable aversion"
may become ground of divorce if both
parties consent and there are no children
Roumania distinguishes itself by an
enactment that a divorce can be pro-
neupced if the tribunals are salts
fed that existence in common is
impossible" In Massachusetts and Mis-
sissippi "the habitual use of opium or like
drug is held sufficient excuse for I'M
| tying the marriage knot; and in some
| states, as West Virginia, marriage will be
annulled if one of the parties is a negro
and the other white person. AS. to the
| cost of divorce, the cheapest and simplest
| kind in the states costs about 500; in
| Germany it varies from 81 los up to e45
in Russia consistorial courts pronounce in
| divorce cases and the expense is great.
| Saxony's modest figure is from 92 los up
to e5.
| There are other remarkable regulations
disclosed in the reports furnished to our
| government. Thus. in Portugal, lit is
! the duty of a married woman TO accom-
pany her husband everywhere, except to
a foreign country and in France the
civ il code has the same law without the
exception. APortuguese married woman
also may not publish her literary works
without her husband S consent Parties
| divorced may not remarry in Roumania.
In Italy there is no divorce at all, mar
riage being annuiled only by the death of
! one of the parties; while in America the
only state that has similar law is South
! Carolina.