Ihave,asIsaidbefore,learnedtheEnglishlawpiecemeal,bysufferingunderit。Myhusbandisalawyer;andhehastaughtitme,byexercisingovermytormentedandrestlesslife,everyquirkandnibbleofitstyranny;ofitsacknowledgedtyranny;——acknowledged,againIsay,notbywailing,angry,despairingwomen,butbyChancellors,ex-Chancellors,legalreformers,andmembersofbothHousesofParliament。Andyetnothingisdone!indeed,whentheSolicitor-General,May10th,inthissession,informedtheHousethatthedelayedMarriageBillwouldbebroughtforward\"assoonastheHousehadexpressedanopinionontheTestamentaryJurisdictionBill,\"therewasagood-humouredlaughattheveryvagueprospectheldout,——butnobodymurmured;forPage146
nobodygreatlycaredwhenitshouldcomeon;orwhetheritevercameonatall。
Nevertheless,solongashumannatureiswhatitis,somemarriagesmustbeunhappymarriages,insteadoffollowingthattheoryofintimateandsacredunionwhichtheyoughttofulfil:andthequestionis,therefore,whatistobetherelationofpersonslivinginastateofalienation,insteadofastateofunion,——alltheexistingrulesfortheirsocialpositionbeingbasedonthefirstalternative,——namely,thattheyareinastateofunion,——andonthesuppositionthatmarriageisindissoluble,thoughParliamenthasnowdecidedthatitisacivilcontract?Divorcedorundivorced,itisabsolutelynecessarythatthelawshouldstepin,toarrangethatwhichisdisarrangedbythismostunnaturalcondition。Itbecomesperfectlyabsurdthatthelawwhichappointsthehusbandlegalprotectorofthewoman,shouldnotfailinghimwhohasceasedtobeaprotector,andhasbecomeaverypowerfulfoeitselfundertakeherprotection。Shestandstowardsthelaw,byanillustrationwhichI
haverepeatedlymadeuseof,——inthelightofanill-usedinferior;andsheistheonlyinferiorinEnglandwhocannotclaimtobesoprotected。
Thosewomenwhodesiretolearn,inamorePage147
formalanddirectmanner,whatthelawsare,——haveonlytorefertoMacqueen,Ferguson,Hosack,andotherlawwriters。Theretheymayread,——thatifacollectioncouldbemadeofallmunicipalrulesastodivorce,it\"wouldappearlittlebetterthanaludicrousexhibitionofhumaninconsistencyandcaprice;\"that,tillthecelebratedCouncilofTrent,eventheRomanCatholicChurchhadbeen\"constantlyshiftingtoallpointsbetweentheoppositeextremesonthesubjectofdivorce;\"thatundertheGreekChurch,andintheProtestantstatesofEurope,theutmostdiversityofrulesstillprevails,——\"fromtheextremeofrefusingtogivedivorceavinculo,evenforadultery,——totheoppositeextremeofallowingdissolutionofmarriageforcauseswhichourlawaccountsperfectlyfrivolous;\"thatwhentheCouncilofTrentpromulgateditscanonsDesacramentoMatrimonii,thesamechapterwhichsaid,\"Accursedishewhoaffirmsthatmarriagecanbemadedissoluble,\"alsocontainedasimilaranathemaagainstanyonewhoshouldaffirmmarriagetobeasuperiorconditiontovirginityorastateofcelibacy——anyonewhoshouldaffirmitsuperstitioustoforbidmarriageatcertainseasonsoftheyear——oranyonewhodeniedthattherightofjurisdictionPage148
inmatrimonialcasesbelongstotheEcclesiasticalCourts;
underwhichlastcanonwillcomeLordsCranworthandCampbell,andallthePeersandCommonsvotingwiththemforreforminthepiecemeallawofEngland;——ofthatcountrywhichpublishesaLiturgyforitsEstablishedChurch,containingaRomanCatholicceremonyformarriage;overrulesthevowsofthatceremonybyActsofParliament;evadesthembytheMarriageRegistrationAct;solemnlyquotesthem,asanargumentforkeepingwomentotheindissolublebond;andsetsthematdefianceasaforminvolvingnolegalobligation,whentheindissolublebondistobebrokenformen!
There,also,womenmaycomfortthemselvesbyreading,thatLordEldon,afterthirtyyears\'experienceinthehighestcourtofjudicatureinthekingdom,reversedhisearlieropinions,andstatedthathe\"sawnoreasonwhyawomanwasnotasmuchentitledtosuefordivorceasaman:\"——thatMrHallamwrites,——\"Nothingcanbemoreabsurdthanourmodernprivilegia;ourActsofParliamenttobreakthemarriagebond;neitherdoIseehowwecanjustifythedenialofredresstowomen,ineverycaseofadulteryanddesertion:\"——thatMontesquieuaffirmedthelawtobe\"verytyran-Page149
nical\"whichgivestherighttomenanddeniesittowomen;——adding,thatwomenarelesslikelytoabusetheprivilegethanmen,becauseawomanrarelyimprovesherpositionbyrepudiatingherhusband。
TheymayreadMilton,Gibbon,andHume,——orthemorepiousPaley,——insuchchaptersandsectionsoftheseauthorsastreatonthesubject。Theymayreadalso,howtheScotchandEnglishsubjectsofQueenVictoriaareasdifferentlydealtwithasthoughtheyweresubjectsoftwodifferentcountries,andundertwodifferentsovereigns;andhow,fromtimetotime,greatandclevermenhaveexpressedtheiropinionoftheabsolutenecessityof\"assimilating\"thoseconflictinglaws。
Theymayreadlistsofthenamesofthoseatpresentemployedinlawofficesunderthecrown:andfind,totheiramazement,——inthathelplessgroupwhoconsiderthesereforms\"sosurroundedwithdifficulty,\"thattheycandonothing,——LordChancellorCranworth,andLordChiefJusticeCampbell,headingfamousandfamiliarlawyer——names;some,withalreadyanhereditaryclaimtodistinction,andsome,whoseableandenergeticpleadingwillmaketheirnamesaboasttotheirsons。TheymayreferPage150
totheformerspeechesofmenlikeLyndhurstandBrougham,——whosecelebritybegansoearlyinlife,thattheyarestillheretoenjoyandaddtoit;thoughtheiryouthfultriumphsarealmostamatterofhistorytotherisinggeneration。Allthis,womenmaystudy:andwhentheyhavereadallwhichtheyhavetime,patience,orinclinationtoread,andabilitytounderstand,——theymaytaketheircrochet-work,embroidery,or\"Potichomanie,\"
andruminateovertheirneedlesandpaste-brushes,howitisthatlawscontinuetobeinforce,whichsuchmenthemselveshavesorepeatedlycondemned,asamassoffolly,indecency,andcontradiction!
Ihope,duringthisperiodoftranquilreflection,therebelliousthoughtmaynotoccurtothetapestry-workingsex,thattheobstacletothislegalreformmustbe,thatmenfeartocurbthelicenseoftheirownpleasures。Itisimpossible,seeinghoweager,energetic,andenthusiastic,menareinotherreformswhosenecessityisonceprovedandadmitted,nottofancythatthereasonwhythisparticularchangeis\"sosurroundedwithdifficulty\"isbecauseitisextremelyunpalatabletothereformers!Ithink——tousethewordsoftheSolicitor-General——Page151
theHouse\"willexpressanopinionontheTestamentaryJurisdictionBill\"withinfinitelymorespeed,clearness,anddecision,thanonaMarriageReformBill。Everymanseemstodreadthatheissurrenderingsomeportionofhisownrightsoverwoman,inallowingtheselawstoberevised;evenwhileheadmitsthatabuseswhichare\"adisgracetoEngland,\"blotthestrangebarbarouscode,whichremainsintactwhileotherbarbarouslawshavegraduallybeenrepealedoraltered。
Toallthatwomencanreadonthesubject,Iaddthismorefamiliarlyeasytreatise;andIshallfollowthistreatisebyapublishedselectionof\"Cases,decidedaccordingtoLaw,andcontrarytoJustice;\"admittedtobesodecidedevenbythejudgesandcounselengagedinthem;thesentencesgivenbeingoftenaccompaniedbycourteousandsincereexpressionsofregretattheirmanifestoppression;andbyahopethatthecodemightbealtered,whichmadesuchsentencescompulsoryonthepersonswhosedutyitwas\"toadministerthelawastheyfoundit。\"Myhusbandhastaughtme,bysubpoenaingmypublisherstoaccountformyearnings,——thatmygiftofwritingwasnotmeantforthepurposestowhichIhavehithertoappliedit。ItwasnotPage152
intendedthatIshould\"striveforpeaceandensueit\"throughalifeofmuchoccasionalbitternessandmanyunjusttrials;thatIshouldprovemyliteraryability,bypublishingmelodiesandsongsforyounggirlsandwomentosinginhappierhomesthanmine,——orpoetryandproseforthemtoreadinleisurehours,——orevenpleasemyselfbybetterandmoreseriousattemptstoadvocatetherightsofthepeople,ortheeducationandinterestsofthepoor。
WhenMrNortonallowedme,Isay,tobepubliclysubpoenaedincourt,todefendhimselfbyaquibblefromajustdebt,andsubpoenaedmypublisherstomeetmethere,hetaughtmewhatmygiftofwritingwasworth。Sincehewouldnotleaveeventhatsourcetranquilandfreeinmydestiny,lethimhavethetriumphofbeingableatoncetoembitterandtoturnitsformercurrent。Hehasmademedreamthatitwasmeantforahigherandstrongerpurpose,——thatgiftwhichcamenotfromman,butfromGod。Itwasmeanttoenablemetorousetheheartsofotherstoexamineintoallthegrossinjusticeoftheselaws,——toaskthe\"nationofgallantgentlemen,\"whosecountrywomanIam,foroncetohearawoman\'spleadingonthesubject。NotbecauseIdeservemoreattheirhandsPage153
thanotherwomen。WellIknow,onthecontrary,howmanyhundreds,infinitelybetterthanI,——morepious,morepatient,andlessrashunderinjury,——havewateredtheirbreadwithtears!Mypleatoattentionis,thatinpleadingformyselfIamabletopleadforalltheseothers。Notthatmysufferingsormydesertsaregreaterthantheirs;butthatIcombine,withthefactofhavingsufferedwrong,thepowertocommentonandexplainthecauseofthatwrong;whichfewwomenareabletodo。
Forthis,Ibelieve,Godgavemethepowerofwriting。TothisIdevotethatpower。Iabjureallotherwriting,tillIseetheselawsaltered。Icarenotwhatridiculeorabusemaybetheresultofthatdeclaration。Theywhocannotbearridiculeandabuse,areunfitandunabletoadvanceanycause;andoncemoreIdenythatthisismypersonalcause;itisthecauseofallthewomenofEngland。IfIcouldbejustifiedandhappytomorrow,Iwouldstillstriveandlabourinit;andifIweretodieto-morrow,itwouldstillbeasatisfactiontomethatIhadsostriven。Meanwhile,myhusbandhasalegallienashehaspubliclyproved,onthecopyrightofmyworks。
LethimclaimthecopyrightofTHIS:Page154
andlettheLordChancellor,whoseofficeisthusdescribedinChamberlayne\'sStateofEngland,——\"Tojudge,notaccordingtotheCommonLaw,asotherCivilCourtsdo,buttomoderatetherigouroftheLaw,andtojudgeaccordingtoEquity,Conscience,andReason:andhisOathistodorighttoallmannerofPeople,poorandrich,aftertheLawsandCustomsoftheRealm,andtrulycounseltheKing,\"——lettheLordChancellor,I
say,——the\"SummaCancellarius\"ofGreatBritain,cancel,inMrNorton\'sfavour,——accordingtothelawsandcustomsofthisrealmofEngland,——myrighttothelabourofmyownbrainandpen;anddocketit,amongforgottenChanceryPapers,withaparodyofSwift\'scontemptuouslabelling。
\"OnlyaWoman\'sPamphlet。\"
ButlettherecollectionofwhatIwrite,remainwiththosewhoread;andaboveall,lettherecollectionremainwithyourMajesty,towhomitisaddressed;theonewomaninEnglandwhocannotsufferwrong;andwhoseroyalassentwillbeformallynecessarytoanyMarriageReformBillwhichtheLordChancellor,assembledPeers,andassembledCommons,mayPage155
thinkfittopass,intheParliamentofthisfreenation;where,withaQueenonthethrone,allothermarriedwomenarelegally\"NON-EXISTENT。\"
Iremain,Withthesincerestloyaltyandrespect,YourMajesty\'shumbleanddevotedSubjectandServant,CAROLINEELIZABETHSARAHNORTON。No。3,CHESTERFIELDSTREET,MAYFAIR,This2nddayofJune,1855。