Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-09-01
ENGLAND PROBES
DIVORCE PUZZLE
Royal Commission Now Hearing
Proposed Changes.
HAVE SEPARATION PREVENTER

Agents In Breaking Up Prearransed
Cases-More Leniency In Laws 10
Desired. Though Church of England
Is Divided on Matter.
In America when a law becomes un-
workable on account of its age and
the changing conditions of civilization
or from some other reason the people
either calmly ignore it and allow it to
sink into desuetude or they have 1t
changed.
In England when d similar state of
affairs comes about the people usually
grumble about it for a generation or
two; then they begin to ask ques-
tions in parliament, and finally a royal
commission is appointed to inquire in
to the whole business
The commission holds an immense
number of sittings, takes reams upon
reams of evidence and publishes a
whole library of reports. After the
lapse of a few more years these re-
ports are digested and parliament gets
around in its leisurely way to abolish
ing or amending the law in question.
English Now investigating.
This process is going on now in rela-
ton to the English divorce law. Most
Englishmen have been agreed for
years that the divorce law is antiquat-
ed and that a change is needed, and
now they have got to the royal COM
mission stage. Among the members
of the commission are two women,
Lady Frances Balfour and Mrs. j. II.
Tenant, and they have to sit day aft
er day listening to evidence Il great
deal of which is quite unprintable.
The commission so far has elected a
lot of interesting information, but
about the most interesting thing that 1t
has brought forth is the existence of
the kings proctor. A good many peo-
pie knew in n vague sort of way there
was such an official, and some persons
who had run foul of the strict regula-
tions governing divorce in this country
had good reason to know. but what his
functions were or how he exercised
them seems TO have been a mystery
even to lawyers. ........ .-.--..
Proctor Has Detective Force.
The present holder of the Office is J.
p. Mellor, and he gets a salary Of S10,-
600 a year He has an assistant proc
tor at 5000 and a staff of clerks to
help him, and he has an office at the
treasury IN Whitehall. He is supposed
to inquire into every uudefended di-
vorce suit, and for this purpose he can
call on the detective staff at Scotland
Yard.
This is why those who think they
have fixed up a nice, friendly little di-
vorce case which will so through with
out trouble and without publicity are
surprised to find themselves shadowed
by shrewd looking men in the most
unofficial of plain clothes. but with ex-
tremely broad toed boots, and later ON
TO find that some one or other has in
formed the judge they were really
quite friendly and didn't need a sever
anCe of the marriage bond at all.
AS a matter of fact. however, the
self. He usually is set in motion by
some busybody or some person who
is interested in the case. Thus a wife
who has been adjudgcd by a jury guilty
of unfaithfulness and against whom
a decree nisi has been pronounced may
set the kings proctor on the track of
her complaining spouse. with the re-
81, hN
band is as bad as she and not entitled
to relief.
Divorce Question Divides Church.
The sittings of the divorce commits
sion have brought forth II good many
other interesting things in addition to
the existence of this mysterious Off
cial One of them is the wide diver
gence of opinion in the English church
on the subject OF divorce. Officially
the church takes the high Catholic po-
sition that marriage is indiSsouble for
any cause. and a good many church
men still adhere TO this. but apparent
ly there are more who are thoroughly
dissatisfied with even the present
strict divorce law and wish to have
divorce made good deal easier.
Among these are Canon Hensley Hen
son. the famous preacher at West
minister abbey. who declared that the
present marriage laws were a danger
TO public morals and absolutely mediae-
val in their character
So far the two demands that seem
to be most iusiStent are that divorce
shall be made cheaper and the sexes
shall be placed on an equality as re-
CARDS the cause for divorce. There
is a certain limited demand for the ex-
tension of the causes. but apparently
public opinion would be satisfied with
the present situation on this point II
divorce were within reach Of all and
the sexes had equal opportunities.
In England at present man may
obtain a divorce because of the un-
faithfulness of his wife, but for no
other reason 4 woman, however,
must not only prove unfaithfulness,
but either cruelty or desertion as well.