The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-27
BRITISH LAWYERS
TALK ON DIVORCE
Interesting Facts Developed
During the Sittings of the
Divorce Commission.
QUESTION OF SEX EQUALITY
Is ALSO DISCUSSED
President Of the Divorce Court
Makes Several Sensational
Statements.
BY PAUL LAMBETH.
, TO The Tribune.

special Cable 10 The Tribune,
LONDON March 26.-There is no d.
vorce FOR the poor man in England. This
has been emphasized repeatedly during
the slttings OF the royal commission on
divorce. which, by the way. has deyel-
oDed some very interesting facts. The
position of the poor is a shocking one"
sir George Lewis. the famous solicitor.
who has just retired and who perhaps
has handled moro divorce cases than
any man IN England. said in reply 10
Lord Gorell. LAS the law stands there
Is no divorce for them. The poor can
not AFFORD 10 bring their cases to Lon
DON All that can be done in case
OF domestic disagreement is TO obtain
an order OF separation. and 10 these, Sir
George said. replying TO Lord Guthrie.
ne was strongly opposed. looking upon
them as an odious poor. or punishment"
Confined TO Rich.
But while divorces practically are con-
fined TO the rich they are increasing in
England and Wales at a greater rate
than the population, as was shown by
figures produced by Sir John MacdonneD.
master OF the supreme court The sta
tistics showed that in very large pro-
portion Of dissolved marriages there were
no children. Witness also produced fE-
ures showing that two-thlrds OF tho di-
vorces took place when the parties had
been married from FIVE TO twenty years.
There were hardly any divorces IN the
first year OF married life. very few after
n couple OF years, whilst the number In
creased after five years. Forty per cent
OF the divorces occurred when tho par
ties had been married between ten and
twenty years.
Viewed by Lawyer.
In relation to the poor mans position
the consensus Is that the poor should
have increased facilities for freeing them
selves from undesirable partners. Sir
John Bigham. president OF the divorce
court, made several statements during
his testimony which created some sem
sation. Questioned as to the subject
OF sex equality, Sir John said: II do
not think that act OF misconduct on
the part OF a man has anything like the
same significance as an act OF miscon-
duct on the part OF n woman. Most men
i think all men-Enow IT perfectly well.
An act Of misconduct on the part OF n
man may be more or less accidental II
does not dminish-very frequently. at all
events-and nm not talking OF contln-
uous misconduct-it is not inconsistent
with his continued esteem and love for
his wife. On the other hand. an act
OF misconduct on the part OF a woman
Is quite inconsistent with continued love
and esteem for her husband"
a similar position was taken by 7. s.
Grifhths. solicitor, who quoted from
Boswell's LIE OF Johnson" to show
that Johnson thought act OF mis-
rious because confusion OF progeny"
might result. whereas misconduct by
husband, although IL might ps Crlmlnal
in the sight OF God. did not do the wife
material injury.
Depends on Wife.
This extract led 70 questions by Lady
Francis Ralfour. who is member Of the
commission do you consider that in
fidelity on the part OF n husband with
n servant in the house would be cTuelty?'
she asked. do you mean cruelty In
the divorce court sense or actual?" the
witness replied. 'Tt would be actual
~ gtyal
do you think such an act would make
the wife feel that her own VOW OF fidelity
was loosened?" was Lady Balfour's next
question. and the answer WAS: 1T de-
pends very much on the wife. With
good many wives. yes: with n good many
wives. no. It depends on how high an
opinion the wife has OF the marriage
tie"
Father Of Mr.. Speaker.
Mr. William Lowther, the father Of
"AIr. Speaker" is In London for the
season Mr.. Lowther. who has reached
the ripe old age OF 50. was In the dip
lomatic service for twenty-seven years.
He Is the younger brother or the third
Earl of Lonsdalc and the son OF Colonel
Henry Cecil Lowther brother OF the
second earl. who represented Westmore-
land i'm the house OF commons from 1St2
until 1885, when Mr.. Lowtber replaced
his father. and he held tho seat until
1892, when he retired.