cruel treatment, endangering the life of the wife; incestuous marriages; fraud, force or coercion; imprisonment for more than two years for felony.

RHODE ISLAND.-For marriage originally void, or voidable by law; conviction for murder or arson; impotency; adultery; extreme cruelty; willful desertion for five years; continual drunkenness; neglect to provide for wife; gross misbehavior repugnant to, and in violation of the marriage vow.

SOUTH CAROLINA.-For adultery; abandonment for two years. TENNESSEE.-For impoteney; previous marriage still subsisting; adultery; desertion for two years; conviction of any crime which the law renders the party infamous; imprisonment in the penitentiary; attempting the life of the other; refusal of the wife to remove into this State; pregnancy of wife by another than the husband; habitual drunkenness.

TEXAS. For adultery; abandonment for three years; excesses cruel treatment, or outrage towards the other.

VERMONT.-For adultery; confinement to hard labor in the State prison for life, or for three years; absence for seven years, and not heard from, or desertion for three years; neglect to provide for the support of the wife.

VIRGINIA. For adultery; impotency; confinement in the penitentiary; convicted of an infamous crime; fugitive from justice, and has been absent for two years; abandonment for five years; the wife enciente by another than the husband; notoriously a prostitute; cruelty.

WEST VIRGINIA.-For adultery; impotency; willful abandonment for three years; confinement in the penitentiary prior to marriage without the knowledge of the other; the wife enciente by another than the husband, without his knowledge; notori ously a prostitute; marriage of a white and colored person; in sanity; the male under fourteen, and the female under twelve.

WISCONSIN. For adultery; impotency; after sentence to three years, or n ore imprisonment; willful desertion for one year; cruel and inhuman treatment, and for wife's being given to intoxication; habitual drunkard for one year; entire separation for five years voluntarily.

In a divorce on the ground of adultery, the guilty party cannot marry again during the life of the other; but the innocent party is free to marry again at any time.

Custody of Children.

The custody of the children of a marriage, during the pending of a proceeding for divorce, and subsequently, will be granted

by the tribunal before which the proceeding is pending, to the party, in its judgment, most fitted to bring them up.

WHEN A DIVORCE WILL BE DENIED.-The application for a divorce for adultery will be denied in the following cases:

1. Where the offence was committed with the privity or connivance of the complainant.

2. Where the offence has been forgiven by the complainant, either by voluntary cohabitation after knowledge of the fact or by express condonation or forgiveness.

3. Where the complainant has been guilty of a similar offence. 4. Where suit is not instituted within the time prescribed by the statute of limitations.

Alimony.

Alimony is an allowance, either during the pendency of a suit for divorce, permanent or temporary, granted to the wife, on petition or motion, from the estate of the husband. The granting of alimony rests entirely in the discretion of the proper tribunal, and when a wife desires to commence a suit for divorce against her husband, the latter can be compelled to furnish her with sufficient means to prosecute such complaint. On the event of the custody of children being awarded her, the Court can order an allowance for their support from the means of the husband.

Dower.

Dower is the right possessed by every married woman, with the exceptions mentioned below, to the use, at his death, of onethird of all the real estate of her husband during her life. In California and Indiana the right to dower has been abolished, but in all the other States it is still in force, and in Connecticut her dower right is to the use of one-third of all which he dies seized. Where she is entitled to dower, she must join in every conveyance, mortgage, &c., of real estate by her husband, as otherwise her right of dower does not pass, and her right of dower cannot be assigned or conveyed otherwise than by herself personally or by agent or attorney by instrument under her hand and seal. A wife under twenty-one years of age is incapable of binding herself by any instrument, debarring herself from her right to dower, and has the option, on arriving at majority, of ratifying or annulling the instrument.

The wife's dower right operates against the estate only after all liens and incumbrances against the same have been satisfied and discharged.

In the event of a wife's being divorced for adultery she forfeits all right to dower as well as any part, share or interest in his personal property.

The right to dower does not embrace crops growing at husband's decease on such real estate, they going to the heirs.

Rights of Widows,

At the death of the husband without children the widow takes, as a general rule, in addition to her dower right, one half of the personal property absolutely. In Missouri the widow takes absolutely all the beds, bedding, wearing apparel, household furniture, provisions, spinning wheels, cards, and other implements of industry necessary for the family; also kitchen furniture to the value of twenty-five dollars and any other personal property desired, not exceeding two hundred dollars in value, and takes all property brought by her to her husband at marriage, and one half of all property real and personal after paying debts. In Pennsylvania she takes, besides her dower, all personal property. In Tennessee she takes all real estate in fee simple after paying the debts. In New Jersey she takes all personal property owned by her at marriage or acquired by her subsequently. In Ohio she takes all articles of personal furniture owned by her at marriage, or acquired subsequently, and they cannot be sold to pay the debts of the estate. In California she takes the whole of the common property of both husband and wife, real and personal. In Indiana, where the estate of the deceased is not more than three hundred dollars, she takes it all, free from creditors, in fee, unless she marry again, in which case she has only a life estate, the remainder descending to the husband's issue; if the estate is not more than ten thousand dollars she takes one-third; if more than ten and less than twenty thousand, one quarter; if more than twenty, one-fifth.

At the death of her husband, leaving children, the general rule is that the widow takes, in addition to her dower right, onethird of the personal property absolutely. In Alabama, however, if there is but one child she takes one half; if more than one and under five, a child's share; and if five or more, one fifth. In Missouri she takes a child's share of the personal property absolutely, or, if preferred, one-third of it, after payment of debts. In Indiana she takes one half, if there is but one child, and onethird if two or more. In California she takes one-half of the common property of both husband and wife, real and personal. In Louisiana she is also entitled, in the absence of a will, to the rents, issues and profits of the children's portions till they attain their majority, or she marries again.

In Missouri the widow is entitled to dower in all property leased for twenty years or more.

In the event of the husband's leaving a will containing devises or lequests to the wife, in lieu of dower, she has her option at his death, whether to claim her dower or to take such deviscs or bequests in its stead.

In Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota Mississippi, New Jersey,

New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Wisconsin express provision is made that alienage shall not bar the right of the widow to dower in land to which the alien might have died entitled.

Marriage Certificate.

I, Jacob Miller, Minister of the Gospel and Rector of St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church at Smithtown, Suffolk County, and State of New York, do hereby certify, that, on the fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty two, at the rectory of said church at Smithtown aforesaid, I joined together in Holy Matrimony, John Smith, of the City, County and State of New York, and Jemima Jenkins, of Jersey City, in the State of New Jersey, according to the forms and customs of said church to which I belong, in the presence of Charles F. Banks, of said City of New York, and James T. Baker, of said Jersey City, attesting witnesses thereto. I further certify, that the said parties married by me as aforesaid, were personally known to me (or, if not, were satisfactorily proved by the oath of Charles Banks, a person known to me,") to be the persons described in this Certificate, and that before I solemnized such marriage as aforesaid, I ascertained that the said John Smith and Jemima Jenkins were of sufficient age to contract marriage; and after duc inquiry made by me at such time, there appeared no lawful impediment to such marriage.

Same by a Public Officer.

JACOB MILLER.

This is to certify, that on the first day of August, 1852, I, John Smith, Mayor of the City of Brooklyn, joined together in marriage, at my office in said City, Thomas Jones, of Jamaica, Queen's County, and Sarah Briggs, of the City of Chicago and State of Illinois, according to the law in such case made and provided, in the presence of James Blake, of the City of New York, and Charles Ambler, of Yonkers, Westchester County, New York, attesting witnesses thereto. Í further certify (same as preceding form to end, altering names.)

Given at my office, in said City of Brooklyn, the day and year abore mentioned. JOHN SMITH, Mayor.

Marriage Settlement.

This Indenture, made this tenth day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, between Peter Grey, of the City, County and State of New York, baker, party of the first part; Jane Sm'th, of the same place, spinster, party of the second part; and William Johnson and James Culver, both of the same plase merchants, partics of the third part.

Whereas a marriage is intended to be solemnized between the said Peter Grey and the said Jane Smith, and in consideration of such intended marriage the said parties have agreed to bring into settlement, for their benefit and for that of the issue of the said intended marriage, the property following, that is to say: The said Peter Grey hath agreed so to bring into settlement. (Here specify what property the husband brings in.)

And the said Jane Smith hath agreed so to bring into settlement. (Here specify what property the wife brings in.)

And whereas, by two several Indentures of Assignment respectively, being even date herewith (or as the case may be), the said parties hereto of the first and second parts, have conveyed, assigned, transferred and set over, all and singular the said property to the parties hereto of the third part, as trustees for the trusts and purposes hereinafter mentioned, Now, therefore, this Indenture witnesseth, and the parties hereto of the third part, at the request, and by and with the direction and consent of the said parties hereto of the first and second parts, do hereby respectively covenant, declare and agree, to and with the said lastnamed parties, their executors, administrators and assigns, that hey, the said parties hereto of the third part, and the survivors ɔf them, and the executors, administrators and assigns of such survivor shall, and will stand possessed of and interested in the said property so respectively assigned to them as aforesaid: To the uses upon the trusts, and to and for the ends, intents and purposes hereinafter declared, that is to say, upon trust when, and as they, the said trustees shall, from time to time receive, or become entitled to receive, the said property, cither to continue the same in its then present state, or, from time to time, call in and convert the same into money, and invest the proceeds thereof in any Government, State, or real security in the United States of America, and, from time to time, to vary the investment thereof, as aforesaid, at their or his discretion; but every such investment or variation to be so made as expressed, to be, from time to time, made with the consent and by the direction of the said Peter Grey, if then living, and upon trust that they, the said trustees do, and shall stand possessed of the said securities, to be so from time to time standing in their or his name or names as aforesaid; and of the interest, dividends, income and annual proceeds thereof, upon trust; to pay such interest, dividends, income and annual proceeds, from time to time, to the said Jane Smith, during her life, for her sole and separate use, as if she were sole and unmarried, apart from the said Peter Grey, her intended husband, and not to be, in any manner, subject to his debts, control or engagements, but without power to her, the said Jane Smith, to anticipate, charge or incumber the same. And from and after the decease of her, the said Jane