Statistics of Divorce

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 19, 7 May 1903, Page 6

Statistics of Divorce

The Most Rev. Dr. Kelly, preaching a few Sundays ago in St. Benedict's Church, Sydney, delivered a most impressive sermon on the evils of divorce. The advancing invasion of immorality due to divorce (said his Grace) is marie evident even by figures. Statistics upon this subject show that the number of petitions at the beginning of duoice procedure has been multiplied by t?"°t" '' an<J m S ° me places by flve with in twenty

For the five years, 1867 to 1871, marriages and divorces were : In England and Wales, marriages 905,000, divorces 724 ; in Scotland, marriages 115,000 divorces if i ; in Ireland, marriages 142,000, divorces 4 For the five years, 1882 to 1886 : In England and Wales, marriages 1,009,000, divorces 1891; in Scotland, mariSa 12 ?' 000 ' divorces 390 ; in Ireland, marriages 108,000, divorces 17.

It is worthy of note that judicial separation only is g °,o^ Ireland - also that of her 5,122,000 inhabitants in 1881, 3,9. >2, 000 were Catholics. Coming to homo statistics, it is ascertained by our most trusted authorities that the rate of di\orce for New South Wales is higher than that of any country of tho world except two the United States and Switzerland. The parent State is gi\mg bad example to Australasia. For the five years, 1H76-NO. the rate of di-vorce per 10,000 marriages was :\r, 6 in New South Wales. For the five years, 189190, it was 272.3