The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-01-31
CHANGES
IN DIVORCE
LAWS
Further Arguments Made Before
the Ssnals cOmnliIa] on
Judiciary.

The senate judiciary committee gave
third and nna hearing in room 3l3 "a the
state house. THIS afternoon. ON the Fro
man bill designed Ia make more difficult
divorces in this commonwealth.
An the members uf the committee were
present aud Senator Freeman as chair-
man declared at 1880 clock the hearing
rpgued, inviting any OF those present dc
string 90 express their opinions. The au-
dience was much smaller than az the TWO
previous hearings blt. nevertheless. INTEL
ugent and deeply interesting, while the
remarks OF the speakers were OF "a forei-
blc nature.
The first speaker WAS Attorney Walter
H. Barney associate OF city solicitor
Colwen who appeared before the commit
Tee AT the previous hearing aud opposed
the bill nn the ground az striking out the
non-support clause AZ a ground Cor dl-
Norce.
Mr. Barney believed that every possi-
ble form OF legislation should be enacted
90 prevent people coming here from 9th
err states aud easily securing a divorce
without good ana sufficient cause. Bat
the non-support clause was In the
speakers mind uf great Importance. In
his experience. he found that outside Of
non-support petitions he had only two
Of any other character adultery and all
were well grounded
The proposed addition in section ten
would help The fraudulent and overlook
the innocent II was not fair 90 push
aside worthy woman who may not be
able 60 care for herself say nothing OF
her children III for unqucstionable cases
OF support she can not secure absolute
divorce then there should be- made pro-
vision for at least, partial divorce aud
maintenance OF herself and children, di
vorce from bed and board.
While the deserving wife should be en-
titled 10 relief yet foreigner ought 20 be
required Go establish a residence OF at
least two years as a domicleA inhabitspt
before divorce proceedings he permissible,
The last part of section ten Of the pro-
posed bill he declared vicious
As TO section ~ he did not think II as
stringent the present law. He advo-
Gated section in the bill which would
not permit remarriage for At least a year
after divorce Is granted
N these two important conditions were
enacted into legislation-first, increase the
time OF actual residence 20 two years;
second. make Il plain that there can be
no remarriage within at least a year Of
either of the divorced parties-then there
viii be fewer migratory petitioners and
the number of divorces greatly decreased
I'm the state Of Rhode Island
Rev. Mr.. Wesley endorsed the proposed
amendments suggested by Attorney Bar
| ney and cited personal experiences which
were OF striking character He knew of
| one man alone having six divorces grant
! ed from six different women right here in
| Rhode Island.
Time aud again he had turned couples
away from his door and refused 10 marry
them when Informed OF the divorce of
one cor both He heartily coincided with
the Roman Catholic clergy and decided
| majority OF the High Episcopalian priest
hood that man. divorced he may be.
but living with another woman As his
second wife. WAS an adulterer absolute
and simple lie hoped that the committee
would from an ethical as we'll as legal
view, give the question due consideration.
Or George r. Peck read lengthy pa
per. obiecting To various sections of the
bill from medical standpoint aud de-
claring that the bill could we'll be termed
AN Act for the Rejection of Virtue and
the Promotion OF Vice.
Attorney NJ. -. l.. Mowry next ad-
dressed the committee. and with Bible in
hand quoted from Deuteronomy. chapter
o. 90 show that divorce was IN u coun-
tenanced and encouraged,
AT $3.50 O'Clock the hearing was still In
progress.