The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-24
FORMULATE NEW
 DIVORCE RULES
Recommendations Made for
 Legislative Enactment
MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT
Little Change Is Made In Causes for Divorce, But the Intention Is to Limit the Increasing De-s
 mand for Severance.

Philadelphia. Pa, October 23-Judge staake, of this city, secretary of the di- vorce congress- has received from Its committee on resolutions and forwarded to the various delegates a proposed meas ure for bringing about uniformity in the present divorce laws of the United Statees. The proposed statute is the out come of deep study on the subject by emi- nent lawyers and jurists and prominent churchmen all of whom are conversant with existing conditions of the so-called divorce evil and the proposed new act is calculated to insure remedial results all oyer the country. It's completion was en- trusted to the resolution committee which consists of representatives to the congress from this state and New Jersey and they will unanimously report the proposed act to the congress which reassembles in this city November 23.
 Into Three Chapters.
 The proposed new act is divided into three chapters. The first consists of juris- dictional provisions the second pro- ceedure; and the third general provisions and Is entitled An act regulating annul- lnenI or anu ulNDTtes
 While little or no change is made in the given causes for divorce as now ex lsting, certain provisions of the new act were evidently made with view of ar resting the increasing demand for legal severance of marital bonds. Under these stipulations secret or star chamber ses- sions for hearing divorce cases before masters or other representatives of the courts are done away with, and All hearings and trials shall be had before the court and shall in all cases be public" It is also provided that "A de- cree dissolvng the marriage tie so com- pletely as to permit the remarriage of either party should not become operative until the lapse of a reasonable time after hearing or trial upon the merits of the case" The Wisconsin, Illinois and Cal ifornia rule of one year is recommended. Another enactment of the proposed new law prohibits the solicitation of divorce case by advertisement, circular or other wise and prescrbes for such an offense fine of not more than 5000 and im- prisonment of not more than one year.
 Causes for Two Kinds. | Annulment of the marriage contract as distinguished from divorce will be made for the following causes: Impotency, con- sanguinity, existing former marriage, fraud, force or coercion, insanity and il- legal age. Divorce, 1t Is provided. shall be of two ltinds-absolute and divorce from bed and board Under the first classification the brounds shall be adul- | tery,. bigamy, conviction and sentence for crime followed by two years continual l imprisonment; extreme cruelty, wilful de- sertion and habitual drunkenness for two i years
 The same causes will prevail in the sec ond class with the additional cause of l Hopeless insanity of the husband" No divorce shall be granted if it appears to 1 the satisfaction of the court that the suit l has been brought by collision or that the l plaintiff has procured or connived at the offense charged or has condoned 1t, or has been guilty of adultery not condoned l The new law also makes some important l changes in the practice and procedure necessary in divorce cases and their l trial.