Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-14
GROUND FOR DIVORCE
National Congress Deciding
What Shall Constitute It.
SHALL BE FOUR GRADES
Two Years is the Limit for Habitual
Drunkenness.
CONVICTIONS FOR CRIME
A Two-Year Jail Sentence is Provoca-
ton for a Suit for Legal
Separation.

PHILADELPHIA, November 1.-THE ma
tional congress on uniform divorce laws.
which yesterday began the consideration
of a bill for adoption by all the states in
the Union. today took up article 4. which
| names the causes for divorce from bed and
beard.
The three articles adopted yesterday were
as follows:
Article causes existing at marriage
for annulment of marriage shall be incur
able physical disability, consanguinity or
affinity according to the table of degrees
established by law, bigamy, fraud, force or
coer,ion, insanity of either party when
the wife is under sixteen years or the hus-
band under Is, at the suit Of either party.
Article 2-kinds of divorce shall be di-
vorc6 from the bonds of matrimony, or
absolute divorce and divorce from bed and
board or judicial separation.
Article 3-Causes for divorce from the
bonds of matrimony shall be adultery. big
amy. conviction and sentence for at least
two years for crime extreme cruelty on
the part Of either husband or wife as to
endanger the life or health Of the other
party and render cohabitation unsafe will
full desertion for two years. habitual drunk
enEess for two years.
w men article 4 was taken up To-Day there
was long discussion as to whether the
terms extreme cruelty and "intolerable
cruelty should both be included in the
causes for divorce from bed and board, and
as to whether one or both terms. if left in
the BILL should be Interpreted by the bill or
left to the courts. After long discussion
it was decided to retain only the term lex
treme cruelty" Article as finally adopted
is as follows:
Causes for divorce from bed and board
shall be: (a) Adultery; (b) bigamy, at the
suit Of the innocent and injured party to
the first marriage; ec) conviction and sen-
tence for at least two years for crime (d)
extreme cruelty, ON the part of either hus-
band or wife, such to endanger the life
or health of the other party, or render CO.
habitation unsafe; (e) winful desertion for
two years; 60 habitual drunkenness for two
years; (g) hopeless insanity of the husband
The cause stricken out of article 4 of the
bill is as follows:
Such indignities threats or acts Of abuse
as to render the condition of the other
party intolerable and life burdensome and
to force such party to separate from the
other and to live apart
In reply to an inquiry as to why the in
sanity of wife should not be included in
paragraph G of article 4, member of the
committee explained that a husband should
| support nlS insane Wlle, because she may
| have become insane after marriage, and
her mental trouble may have been due
to the matrimonial state.
Article was adopted without debate. 1t
| Is as follows:
mo decree for divorce shall be granted
| II 1t appears to the satisfaction of the
court that the suit has been brought by
| collision, or that the plaintiff has procured
or connived at the offense charged or has
| condoned it. or has been guilty Of adultery
| not condoned.'
May End Today.
| Article 6, which relates to jurisdiction to
| be acquired by personal service in actions
| for the annulment Of marriages or for d.
| vorces so worded as to minimize migratory
divorces, was adopted as recommended by
| the committee which drew up the bill. Ar
| ticle also provides that any one charged
| as particeps crimini shall be made party
upon his or her application to a court, SUBJ
| ject to such terms and conditions as the
| court may prescribe; that all hearings and
| trials shall be public and be had before a
court, and not before a master, referee or
| any other delegated representative, and
| that in all uncontested cases, and in any
| other case where a court may deem it nee
| eSsary is proper, a disinterested attorney
! may be assigned by the court actively to
| defend the case.
The congress may complete its work and
| adjourn at the afternoon session.