Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-07-15
DIVORCE LAWS OF EUROPE
Husband and Wives Separate for Many Causes-Recent Changes.

huspdAu ana W1veS Separate for Many Causes Recent Changes.
 A paper was presented to parliament 1n lS94 containing returns in which an outline was given of the marriage laws prevailing in foreign countries, espe- cially ages at which marriage could be contracted, the laws of prohibition, the | hours in which the ceremony could be performed and the fees charged Re turns showing the state of the law on divorce in the various countries. espe- clally the grounds on which divorce could be obtained, and the cost, were also included in the correspondence. Tn June, 1902, Lord Lansdowne wrote circular letter to his majesty's repre- sentatlves abroad in which he request ed them to furnish him with a report In form suitable for presentation to parliament, showing in what if at all, the marriage laws and laws of divorce 1n the various countries to which they were accredited had been amended since 1894. These reports have now been officially published, and show that some Interesting changes that have been effected in the two branches of law, though the great majority of our representatives state that no amend ments have been made in the statutes Of the countries to which they are ac- credited. It is the simplest course to deal with the various states in which the laws have been altered in the al- phabetical order in which they are ar ranged in the correspondence.
 In Belgium considerable amend ments were made in the marriage laws by new law in 1896, which cheapened and simplifed the formalities prelimin- ary to marriage. A similar policy was pursued in France in the same year, and the position which marriage occu- pied in that country as family insti- tuition is well exempliied by the modi- fcation introduced into article GIL of the civil code:
 Where the children of family have attained the majority fixed by act 14S they must, previous to contracting mar riage, request in an instrument couched in respectful and formal terms the ad- vice of their father and mother, or that of their grandfathers and grandmothers when their father and mother are dead or incapable of manifesting their will.
 In Germany the imperial law of 1875, which regulated personal status and marriage throughout the German empire, has been embodied, with modi- f1cations, in the civil code, which came into force on January 1, 1900. The marriage of English women in foreign countries has recently been the subject of discussion, and it is Interesting to observe that, under the civil code, Eng | 1Scl1 5 I s,a or subject to German marriage laws, while English subjects not domiciled in Germany are subject to English law. But the most sweeping change has taken place in the German law of di- vorce. The laws of the separate states have been annulled and the principles regulating the divorce law for the whole empire are now contained in the civil code. At the same time the req sons for divorce have been largely a1- tered. and may be profitably compared with the narrow limits of our own di- vorce laws. The new German law recognizes not only divorce but separa- ton, which has all the effects of di- vorce, the separated parties, however, not being allowed to contract new mar riages, and being able at any time to resume conjugal relations. The fol- lowing are the statutory reasons for di- vorce:
 1. Adultery. equivalent to which are considered unnatural vices and illicit intercourse of any kind. In the case of adultery the guilty parties may be imprisoned on the application of the innocent party.
 2. Endangering of life, when one of the married pair seeks to destroy the life of the other.
 B. Desertion in certain circumstances.
 4. Insanity, which must have existed for three years and be pronounced fn- curable. ~
 5. Finally. a plea for divorce can be found when one or other party grossly neglects his or her duties against the other, or leads such an immoral or dis honorable life as entirely destroys the conjugal relations. The plea of 'sin- superable aversion,' formerly allowed in Prussia, is no longer permissible un- der the civil code
 An extension of the grounds for di- vorce has occurred in Norway, where, by the criminal law amendment act of 1902, either party can apply for di- vorce if the other has been sentenced to Imprisonment exceeding six years or to period of uncertain duration, or to imprisonment exceeding three months for any crime committed against the petitioner, or for any act by which his or her life has been de- 1iberately endangered, or, finally. sen tenced to any imprisonment for crimes of an outrageous or unnatural charac- ter. By the prescriptions of the same law husband or wife can apply for di- vorce if either has been sentenced for vagrancy, intemperance or other ill., conduct.-London Chronicle.