Dix, Morgan (fl. 1886) to the Bishop of Albany
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05508.086 Author/Creator: Dix, Morgan (fl. 1886) Place Written: New York, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 18 February 1886 Pagination: 6 p. 26.5 x 20.2 cm Order a Copy
Suggests possible reforms to help arrest the rising rate of divorce. Dix first establishes a difference between holy matrimony and secular matrimony. He proposes six reforms including publication of bans, a state license requirement, discouraging marriages in private homes, requiring the couple to furnish two witnesses, devising alternate forms of marriage when both parties are not members of the same church, and requiring Clergy to keep records of all marriages performed. He also mentions that the innocent party in a divorce case may be allowed to remarry, depending on the situation. He also bemoans not having the power to stop the "deceased-wife's-sister-nuisance."
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