LAW OF DIVORCE IN ENGLAND

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 174, 20 April 1937, Page 9

LAW OF DIVORCE IN ENGLAND

Fate of Mr. Herbert’s Bill LARGE MAJORITY FAVOUR MEASURE (British Official Wireless.) (Received April 19, 5 p.m.) Rugby, April IS. The Marriage Bill, amending the law of divorce, introduced by Mr. A. P. Herbert (Independent—Oxford University) has reached the report stage in the House of Commons. There was a general expectation in view of the support accorded from all quarters of the House and by representative opinion outside, including church opinion, that the stage would be completed. However, the determined resistance of a minority, which the divisions show to number about 40, prevented it. Owing to the rules of Parliamentary procedure governing private members’ Bills, the outlook for the Bill is now uncertain and the Parliamentary correspondent of “The Times” is almost nlone among his colleagues in the Press gallery in showing any confidence in its prospects, which he bases less on the ability of the Bill’s supporters to overcome the obstructive tactics of its opponents in the small time still available this session for private members’ Bills, than on the probability that, the Government, in view of the obvious desire of an overwhelming majority to pass the measure will, without itself taking up the Bill, grant the request for extra time which, it is stated, over 900 members are prepared to endorse. The “Daily Telegraph,” at the end of a long leading article condemning the use of technical Parliamentary obstacles to defeat a Bill which has secured widespread support as embodying overdue reforms, says: “If obstruction carried out in this spirit can lay its dead hand on every measure brought forward by private members, the time has surely come when the Government must abandon its neutral attitude and give official facilities to reform.”