A DIVORCE LAW FOR FRANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5490, 21 June 1879, Page 7

A DIVORCE LAW FOR FRANCE.

A strenuous effort is about to be made to induce the French Parliament to vote a law of divorce ; none exists in France at present. Such a law was voted in 1792, on the ground that an indissoluable tie was at variance with

the principle of individual freedom ; and it remained in force until the Restoration. This law gave rise to great BC3ndala, and under its operation there were something like 30,000 divorce l , in a year. The Directory more than once threatened to repeal it, and Napclein deprived it of its most objectionable clauses. Sinco 1816 several unsuccessful attempts have been made to get a new law passed. Under Louis Phillippe the Lower House three times voted a divorce bill, but on each occasion it was thrown out by the Peers, and another bill brought in during the Republic of ISAS shared a similar fate. At present the law only allows of separation ; and some statistics recently printed show that in the course of 12 years there were 36,492 demands for separation—3oo9 on the part of the husband, 32,763 on the part of the wife; and this in spite of the unjust position in which a separated woman is placed. This is such that she can perform no civil act without the authorisation of her husband, who retains tho right of watching over her conduct and of procuring summary punishment in the the case of her misbehaviour. As illustrating the hardship of the present law, it is stated that not long ago the Princess de Beaufifremont, unable to obtain a divorce in France, bec.ime naturalised at Dresden, and as a German subject married again The Prince, however, unless he renounces his nationality, will not be able to marry again. It is alleged also that in the case of crime the waufc of a law of divorce is severely felt. A husband commits murder, and is condemned to hard labour for life ; the wife can obtain no release. The case is even harder where a ruffianly husband is condemneltoalongtermof imprisonment, and on leaving ga -1 or returning from New Caledonia can reclaim his wife. The other day a husband who had brutually ill-treated his wife deserted her, spent all her money with women of bad character, brought an action against her for adultery ; and an indignant court was obliged to sentence a dying woman, who could hardly give her evideuce, to two months' imprisonment.