THE DIVORCE LAWS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8892, 12 August 1907, Page 2

THE DIVORCE LAWS.

Per Press Association. Wellington, August 12. A deputation waited on the Premier to-day to urge the amendment of the Divorce Law. It was urged . that a serious blemish was cast upon tho reputation of the colony by the use that was made of the section of the Act which mado failure to comply with an order for restitution of conjugal ground for divorce. Dr. Findlay explained that the Act of 1898 was the first Act in which this section appeared, and there had been a certain amount of misapprehension as to its origin. In England under the Act. of 1884 there was a provision that where an order for restitution of conjugal rights had been made and disobeyed it should, be deemed to be equivalent to desertion without reasonable cause for required by the Eugilsh Act. two years. When the draughtsman of the Eill of IS9B came to draw it lie embodied the- section contained in the English Act, obviously not recognising that he was creating an entirely new ground of divorce.

The Premier said the Government would submit legislation to remove what was admittedly a gross abuse of. the divorce laws/