THE DIVORCE LAW.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4724, 18 May 1894, Page 2

THE DIVORCE LAW.

Husband-Flogging Suggested,

(Christchurcli Press Correspondent). Mkuiookxe Bth May Some three or four years ago Mr Sliiols, who was afterwards Premier, carried 'through the Victorian Parliament a Divorce Act which widens very considerably the door to a dissolution of the marriage tie. Throe years' desertion, for instance, is one ground of divorce, and there is a belief that the necessary period is not unfrequontly socared by connivance, between the parties. The Chief Justice, Sir John Madden, sees another cause for four in the working of the Act, and, in deciding a case the other expressed himself as fol-' lows:—He was very much afraid that designing vagabonds, and perhaps designing women also now entered into marriage only for a time and without any real intention of observing their responsibilities, During the short time he liiul himself presided in the Court he had decided several cases of a like kind, and many cases had come before the other Judges within the sarno period He was very much afraid that a well conceived piece of legislation would be a sourco of disaster to this country to an extent which lie thought was not fully appreciated. Yet perhaps a good deal of the mischief would he •prevented if authority were given to order such men to be flogged in cases where it was clear that marriage had been used by tliomns a cover for baser ends.