Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-06-01
c1EIE GAZETTE.



\ very curious case has lately been heard
end decided in the English courts, III which
III, question was raised, how far divorces
between French subjects married in England,
could be granted in Eng land for causes arls-
ing under the French laws.
y young Frenchman from the provinces
became very much euamored OF an actress OF
the Theatre Francois, and proposed marrl-
age. BY the French law, no marriage OF wo-
men under u or men under -, IS valid
without the consent Of their parents, or III
the want Of parents. OF the grandparents, II
surviving. Women between the ages OF Il
and %. and men between the ages OF 20 ana
80. in order to make Il marriage valid, must
ask this consent; il refused, may renew the
request within month, and iagain refused
NAV marry without the consent, alter anOth-
or delay of month. Persons above these
AGES need only make one request, and II re-
fused need only delay one month. No mar
rage is valid while parents or grandparents
survive. without these formalites.
Tie French lover, Mr.. Marac, despaired
Of getting the consent Of his parents in adj
vance of the marriage, persuaded the young
woman, VI He Simonin, to accompany hlm to
England and be married there, III due form,
on the faith that his parents would thereupon
consent to Il repetition OF the ceremony In
France. The law provides for the legaI1za-
ton of q marriage by the subsequent consent
Of parents within given period. Inc par
ties we're accordingly married IN England,
but the young lady was 50 discreet as TO re-
fuse to consider the ceremony complete until
il had been legally solemnHed III France
On the return 10 France, she continued TO re-
fuse to live with him, unless remarked.
Within three months he formally announ-
crd that he could not remarry her under the
French law, and proposed to her to consider
he English ceremony as sufficient, and to
live tore.hcr as man and wife. She, who Is
described a. of excellent character and de-
pertinent, refused, and instituted proceed
inys in the French Tribunals, for aunulllng
the marriage. as void for illegality, and new
or contaminated The Court granted her
divorce in full. She resumed her profession,
when the ex-lover commenced a series OF
prosecutions and annoyances, from which she
escaped by going to London with her mother
and sister, and having abandoned the stage,
commenced q business with them as DON'T
ciled British subject, in the PREPARATION OF
ancient books and manuscripts. She then
made application to the courts to declare the
marriage null and void, in England, as 1t had
been declared in France.
1t was a case appealing evidently to SYM
patty and 10 equity. She was a merltorlous
lazy, who had been trapped into false Po-
sition: was married woman, under the Eng
lish law, and unmarried by French law and
decisions, and was thus tied in this distress
ing manner to very worthless personage.-
But the English court decided that the courts
of England could give no relief: They
would not recognize or administer IN Eng
laad any of the local restrictions placed upon
marriage by the French Code, but must
pronounce all marriages contracted in Eng
land, in compliance with English law, TO be
yplid. So this unfortunate lady is condemn
81 to be, in the eye Of the English law, wife
of man who refused 10 marry her, and
whom she has repudiated for his pcrtidies in
every possible was. This may be good law,
probably it is, but it is very harsh and
unjust.