GOVERNMENT AND LAW. 



75 



two years, attempt upon the life of the other by poison 

 or other means showing malice, extreme cruelty, con- 

 viction of felony or other infamous crime. If no de- 

 fense is interposed, decree may be granted on testimony 

 of complainant alone; but examination of witnesses 

 must be had in open court, and the judge is required to 

 1m satisfied that all proper means have been taken 

 to notify defendant. When decree is granted, the court 

 may restore the wife's maiden name. During pendency 

 of suit, the court may require the husband to pay such 

 sum as may enable tlie wife to maintain or defend the 

 suit, and alimony when declared just and equitable. 



Indiana. Petitioners for divorce must be bona fide 

 residents of the State for two years, and of the county 

 at the time of, and for at least six months prior to, filing 

 the petition ; the oath of, two resident freeholders being 

 required to this fact. Decrees may issue by the Superior 

 or Circuit Court for the following causes : Impotency 

 at marriage ; adultery (where connivance or collusion is 

 not proven) ; habitual cruelty or habitual drunkenness 

 by either party ; abandonment for two years ; failure 

 by the husbund to provide for the family for a period of 

 two years, and conviction of either party of an in- 

 famous crime at any time subsequent to marriage. 



Iowa. Divorce may be granted by the District or 

 Circuit Court of the county in which plaintiff resides. 

 Plaintiff must declare under oath that he or she has re- 

 sided in the State for one year next preceding the filing 

 of the petition, unless defendant is resident, and re- 

 ceived personal service of the writ. A decree may issue 

 against the husband for adultery, willful desertion for 

 two years, conviction of felony subsequent to marriage, 

 habitual drunkenness and continued ill-treatment. 

 The husband may obtain a decree for like causes, and 

 also when the wife at the time of marriage was preg- 

 nant by another. Bigamy or impotency at the time of 

 marriage is also a sufficient cause to annul. 



Kansas. To obtain a decree of divorce, plaintiff must 

 have resided in the State one year, and must bring suit 

 in the county of residence. Decrees are granted in the 

 Circuit Court on the following grounds: Adultery, 

 impotency fraudulent contract, extreme cruelty, 

 habitual drunkenness, gross neglect, abandonment for 

 one year or conviction of felony. 



Kentucky. Before a petition can be presented for a 

 decree of divorce, one year's continuous residence in 

 the State is required. Jury trials are not permitted, and 

 decrees are granted by courts having equitable juris- 

 diction. An absolute divorce may be granted to the 

 party not in fault on the ground of adultery, impotency, 

 etc., separation for five years, condemnation for felony 

 subsequent to the marriage, force, duress or fraud in 

 obtaining the marriage, or uniting with any religious 

 society which requires a renunciation of the marriage 

 contract. Habitual neglect or maltreatment on the part 

 of the husband, or where the husband is a confirmed 

 drunkard, may give the wife a divorce; and where the 

 wife is proven unchaste, or pregnant by another man at 

 at the time of marriage, the husband is entitled to 

 divorce. The parties are free to marry again, and their 

 personal property if restored. 



Louisiana. Sentence of either party to imprison- 

 ment in the penitentiary is sufficient ground for 

 divorce. A decree may also be obtained by either party 

 for adultery, habitual intemperance or cruel treatment 

 of such nature as to render living together insupport- 

 able. 



Maine. The Supreme Judicial Court grants divorce 

 for impotency, adultery, or for three years' willful 

 desertion. Alimony may be allowed and dower if the 

 husband be to blame. 



Maryland. Absolute, for adultery, three years' 

 abandonment, or ante-nuptial misconduct of wife. 

 Partial, for cruelty, abandonment, and desertion. Ali- 

 mony and restoration of wife's property. 



Massachusetts. Unfaithfulness, incapacity, three 

 years' desertion, cruelty, drunkenness, neglect to pro- 

 vide, sentence to five years' imprisonment and joining a 

 sect which disavows marriage, are grounds for absolute 

 divorce. Alimony is allowed, and where the husband is 

 at fault the wife's personal property is restored. 



Michigan. Absolute divorce may be granted for in- 

 capacity at time of marriage, adultery, two years' con- 

 tinuous desertion, drunkenness or three years' sentence 

 to imprisonment. A life sentence dissolves the mar 

 riage without any proceedings in court. Divorce from 

 bed and board for cruelty and neglect to provide. 

 Separation of property, dower, and alimony as per 

 statute. 



Minnesota. Absolute divorce for unfaithfulness, in- 



capacity, three years' abandonment, one year's drunk- 

 enness, cruel treatment or sentence to State's prison. 

 Limited divorce for abuse, desertion or failure to sup- 



Eort. Plaintiff, except where breach of faith occurred 

 i the State, must have been one year a resident. The 

 court uiay order alimony and custody of the children, 

 and the wife regains possession of her real estate, un- 

 less decree has been obtained on account of her bad 

 conduct. 



Mississippi. After one year's residence in the State, 

 divorce may be obtained for impotency, adultery, big- 

 amy, cruelty, two years' abandonment or imprisonment 

 in the penitentiary. Alimony is allowed when the wife 

 is the injured party, and the court awards the custody 

 of minor children. 



Missouri. Grounds : Impotency at time of marriage, 

 unfaithfulness, bigamy, conviction of crime, drunken- 

 ness, cruelty, and one year's desertion. Petitioner must 

 have been one year a resident of the State. Trial with- 

 out jury. 



Montana. Divorce may be granted for violation of 

 the marriage vow ; physical incapacity ; willful desertion 

 one year ; habitual drunkenness : conviction for felony ; 

 cruelty. 



Nebraska. Unless the marriage took place in the 

 State, and the plaintiff has since continuously resided 

 therein, a residence in the county of six months next 

 preceding the application is necessary. Divorce is 

 granted on the grounds of impotency at the time of 

 marriage, adultery, two years' desertion, drunkenness, 

 cruelty, three years' sentence to imprisonment, or fail- 

 ure on the part of husband to support wife. The court 

 may order alimony, and where a decree is granted on 

 account of the husband's bad conduct the wife takes 

 dower. 



Nevada. Plaintiff must have resided six months in 

 the county. Grounds of divorce are physical incompe- 

 tency at time of marriage, adultery, one year's deser- 

 tion, drunkenness, cruelty, conviction of crime, and 

 failure on part of husband to support. 



New Hampshire. Divorces are granted by the 

 Superior Court for physical incompetency, adultery, 

 drunkenness, cruelty, three years' desertion, one year's 

 sentence to prison or adherence to a religious sect that 

 condemns marriage. 



New Jersey. Absolute for adultery, bigamy, two 

 years' abandonment and intolerable cruelty. Applicant 

 must reside in the State, unless the marriage or the al- 

 leged misconduct occurred here. 



New Mexico. Divorce may be granted for violation 

 of the marriage vow; habitual drunkenness; cruelty; 

 failure of husband to provide. 



New York. -Only for adultery will an absolute 

 divorce be granted. Partial divorce is ordered for 

 cruelty, desertion and neglect. Marriages are annulled 

 for fraud or force, idiocy, lunacy or impotency at the 

 time of marriage, or for bigamy. 



North Carolina. Only for impotency or adultery 

 can absolute divorce be obtained. Partial divorce is 

 granted for cruelty, desertion, or drunkenness. 

 Ohio. Divorce is granted for unfaithfulness, bigamy, 

 incapacity, cruelty, drunkenness, deception, three years' 

 neglect and abandonment, or imprisonment in a peni- 

 tentiary. Alimony may be granted; and if the decree 

 is obtained on account of the husband's ill conduct, the 

 wife has her separate property and her maiden name 

 restored. 



Oklahoma. Divorce may be granted for violation of 

 the marriage vow ; physical incapacity ; willful desertion 

 one year ; habitual drunkenness : conviction of felony ; 

 crue'lty. 



Oregon. Plaintiff must have been a resident for one 

 year before bringing suit. Grounds are impotency, 

 adultery, two years' drunkenness, three years' abandon- 

 ment, cruelty, conviction of felony. Plaintiff gaining 

 the suit has a right to one third of the real estate be- 

 longing to defendant; and if a successful plaintiff be 

 the wife, she may have a maintenance awarded her. 



Pennsylvania. Plaintiff must have been a resident 

 of the State for one year next preceding the applica- 

 tion. Grounds: Deception or force in procuring the 

 marriage, impotency. adultery, bigamy, cruelty ana two 

 years' abandonment, and two years' sentence to impris- 

 onment. Divorce will not be granted on the ground of 

 adultery if proved to have been condoned. Even after 

 a divorce, defendant is not allowed to marry a co-re- 

 spondent. A wife may obtain partial divorce and ali- 

 mony for ill treatment. 



Rhode Island. Divorce is granted for impotency, 

 adultery, cruelty, drunkenness, neglect to support, five 



