Man and Wife.

Cromwell Argus, Volume 1, Issue 50, 26 October 1870, Page 6

Man and Wife.

Archbishop Manning, in a recent philipic against society, declared that modern civilisation was founded on divorce. There was some truth in the sarcasm. The tendency of the times is undoubtedly to loosen the fixity and disturb the completeness of the marriage tie. Divorce is no longer the luxury of the rich, and in lingland man and wife have no longer a common estate. The advocates of " Women's Eights " have carried a "Married Women's Property Bill," very similar to the measure introduced by Mr lliginbotham in Victoria ; but which, for lack of any expression of public favor on its behalf, fell still-born from the Government printing press. But Lords and Commons have agreed to reform the English social system. Under the new act, a married woman who inherits property does not hand it over to her husband. It is set apart for her separate use. Her earnings are set apart for her separate use ; her savings are dedicated to the same purpose. A cheap and expeditious substitute for marriage settlements is also placed within the reach of the working classes. When a woman holds shares in any registered security, she may, with the consent of her husband, or her intended husband, have the same made to stand in her name alone, or if. the shares belong to the husband, he may in like manner transfer them to his wife or intended wife. The husband, however, is no longer responsible for his wife's debts, contracted while she was a spinster ; and, moreover, if he is a lazy or unfortunate fellow who wid not or cannot work, she is responsible to the parish for his support and that of their children, so long as- they have means. Mr Higinbotham, it may be supposed, will go on with his measure now that he is thus encouiaged, and the new arrangements will no doubt put a stop to the tyranny of the husbands who live in habitual sloth on the earnings of their wives. Whether it will not encourage wives to separate their interests from their husbands' ; whether it will not open up new avenues for fraud on creditors by wedded swindlers ; and whether women themselves will not think the "obligations " they are saddled with outweigh the " rights " conferred upon them, are very tliflerent questions. We would like to see the system tested in England for ten years before adopting it here.—Melbourne Weekly Times.