Sherburne v. Sherburne , 6 Me. 210 ( 1829 )

But the coukt said that to construe the statute in such a manner would be a violation of private rights. Until the passing of the statute, the desertion of the wife could not affect the existence of the marriage contract", and to declare it dissolved now, for that cause, would be to give the statute a retrospective operation which the legislature could not have intended. Libel dismissed.