The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-24
Easy Passage For Divorce
Bill.
Continued from Page Thrae.)

continued from Page Three.)
Owens. To regulate the fees of
county officers in Camden.
West. TO provide for the election
OF Board OF Education OF Cherokee
county.
Nash. To protect wild turkeys in
Clay Randolph and Rowan counties.
Cunningham. To permit owners Of
mills operated by gasoline in Person
county to charge toll of one seventh.
Ehringhaus. TO protect people
from bear traps and guns in Pasquo-
tank, Currituck and Camden counties.
Stokes. To regulate rates on GER
tain occasions.
Pink. TO allow Yadlln county to
issue bonds for electric railway.
Cannady. To establish Il new
school district in Johnston and 1ar-
nett counties.
McNinch. To amend the law of 1908
regulating the apportionment of school
funds in Mecklenburg county
Taylor. TO repeal the law of 1899
relative to shell fish in Brunswick
county; to repeal the law requiring IL
cense to hunt To be obtained from
commissioners of Brunswick county.
Graham of Granville. by request.
To amend the Code relating TO liability
Of counties for injuries on the public
road.
Stronach. To allow the State Lii
braran to have q seal.
McGill. To request the Governor to
report the number of officers on the
pay roll at the last encampment. and
asking his recommendation in regard
thereto.
Laughinghouse. To amend the law
Of 1901 relating to Gum Swamp church
in Pitt county.
Ryburn. To amend section S74 of
the Code relating TO service of Justice
Of peace process on agents.
Special Order Postponed.
The hour Of - arriving, the special
order on the Scales Reformatory Bill
was taken UP. The galleries We're
filled with ladies, and Senator Scales
was occupying u seat beside Repre-
sentative Gordon of Guilford.
Judge Graham, of Granville, stated
that it seemed there were three re-
tormatory bills. the Glenn, RedWine,
and Scales bills: that one of them had
been recommended by the Committee
on Education, and two by other COM
mittees. 1t would be impossible 10
intelligently consider them all in a
general session. They properly be-
longed to the Committee on Penal IN
stitutions. He therefore moved that
all three be referred to that commit
tee.
Glenn opposed any further delay or
having the bills sent To the committee
ana was heartily applauded by some
ladies in the gallery.
The motion 10 refer prevailed by
large majority.
Divorce Bill.
The McNinch divorce bill coming
t.. IL. 4
ham offered n substitute which en-
braced the law of 1883 and incorpor-
ated in the Code with an additional
cause Of divorce where either party.
at the time Of marriage without the
knowledge of the other had venereal
disease. Judge Graham made
strong speech in support of the sub
stitute. BigeS offered an amendment
to Graham's substitute and McNinch' S
bill r. substituting 'fornicaton ami
adultery for living in adultery"
Judge Winborne advocated the
McNinch bin, offering the venereal dis
ease cause as an amendment. which
was accepted by McNinch.
Judge Winborne said he opposed
the Graham substitute because the
law Of the Code did not give the wo-
man any chance OF getting rid of a
brutal, deDraved husband. while the
McNinch bill. by making a single act
of adultery on the part of the h.
band 1t cause for divorce would give
the wife Il hope of relief from intoler-
able conditions
Redwine advocated the McNinch
bill with the BiggS' amendment.
Femister spoke in favor of the Nc
Ninch bill with Winborne's amend
ment
McNinch made an extended argu-
ment in behalf of his hill and Win
borne'S amendment, strongly o~noS-
ing the amendment offered by Biggs, |
and the substitute offered by Graham, |
that the old law was all in
favor of the man. giving the woman |
no protection Whatever but recogniZ- |
ing the right of husbands 10 violate /
both the moral and Divine code with |
Judge Graham replied to Mr.. Me- |
Ninch, strongly opposing his bill and |
his argument and contendng for the |
law of the Code which represented |
the wisdom and experience of the |
fathers, guided by the teachings of |
the Bible.
Mitchell supported the Graham sub
stitute. claiming that it embraced the |
biblical cause of divorce. while Me- |
Ninch's did not. He said the very
fact that forty-three States of the |
Cnio~ had the -cNinch clause for an |
act Oh adultery on the part OF the |
husband as a cause of divorce. con-
vinced him that the law would be too |
loose. Judge Graham accepted the |
Biggs' amendment TO his substitute. |
Mr. Butler advocated the Graham |
with the Biggs' amendment.
He said that while Mr. McNinch had |
drawn his bill in accordance with the |
wish. as he thought of the moral |
forces OF the state, ii would be the |
oosest divorce law ever designed. and |
{ would be found that where there
are twenty-five divorces now, ther2
would be fifty under the McNinch bill.
The effect of relaxing divorce laws
lid to woman irreparable wrong. Good |
people who had committed themselves
% the McNinch bill were badly mis-
AIKEN when they thought it a string
ant divorce law, for it would be found |
o be a far looser law than the present
one which had created so much COM
)laint and scandal
Mr.. Stewart in speaking for the
Graham substitute said it carried ali |
he reformation that should be asked
or now aud that it was in line with
he recommendation by Bishop
cheshire and other churches before