The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-10-12
DIVORCE DEBATE BEGINS.

uties.
DIVORCE DEBATE BEGINS
Deputy Lewis of Pennsylvania, the Lead
the canon requiring the officiating cler-
gyman at a marriage to record the age
of the contracting parties.
The Rev. Mr.. Martin of Texas convulsed
| the committee and the well filed galleries
by making an earnest plea against the
section, on the ground that it was not
fair to ask a woman her age and that to
do so provoked falsehood. The speaker
offered amendment, which was defeat
ed amid much laughter.
The Rev. DR.. Moore of West Virginia
offered an amendment to the section re-
quiring that the signatures of the con-
tracing parties to a marriage be placed
on the church record. After many depu-
ties had spoken on the subject the amend
ment was put to a vote and defeated by
III noes to log ayes.
Paragraph Of section of the canon
was then carried by vote of 27O ayes to
Al noes. The paragraph is as follows:
mo minister shall solemnize marriage
except in the presence of at least two
witnesses, nor, in case the parties are un-
known to the minister, without the pres
ence of witnesses to whom the parties are
personally known, unless in the Judgment
of the minister it shall be impracticabIe
to obtaiA such witnesses"
Deputy Lewis of Pennsylvania read Sec
ton of the canon, which particularly
prohibits the remarrfage of divorced per-
sons, and asked for it's acceptance.
The much talked of section is as fol-
lows:
mo minister shall solemnize mar
riage between any two persons unless, nor
until, by inquiry he shall have satisfied
himself that neither person is the hus-
band or the wife of any other person then
alive or has been the husband or the wife
of any other person then living, unless
the former marriage was annulIed by the
decree of some civil court of competent
jurisdiction for cause existing before the
former marriage"
In explaining the section Deputy Lewis
said:
Mr.. Chairman, the provision speaks for
itself. AT proper stage of the debate I
may have something to say upon 1t. but
only desire to make one statement in
response to numerous questions which
have been asked me as to the purport OF
this amendment, and 1 simply wish to
say that it is not proposition to stop or
forbid the marriages of anybody.
That Is matter over which we have
no control whatsoever. 1t is a matter for
the state and any action that may be
taken In that regard would be entirely
ultra wires and void. II is a proposition
only to forbid the ministers of this church
from solemnizing a certain class of mar
riages. That's all there is to II and let L
not be misunderstood"
DIR. HUNTINGTON AMENDS.
The Rev. DIR. Huntington of New York
then addressed the convention. In part
he said:
Mr.. Chairman, l desire to offer the
following amendment: To strike out all
in the clause after the words persons
then living and substitute as follows:
But this shall not apply to any one pro-
ducing a certified copy of decree of IL
vorce on the ground of adultery in which
he or she is found to be the innocent par
ty by court of competent Jurisdiction.
or to a case where the former marriage
has been annulled by such court for cause
existing before said former marriage