The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-05-21
Whom NOT TO Marry.

We believe there is perfect concur
renee, the world over in the propriety
as we'll as in the morality, of the civil
and ecclesiastical decree, that ga man
may not marry his grandmother, "but
there is clearly less unanfrhfty, espe-
,cially in England, upon the vexed
question of marriage with deceased
wife,s sister. The question is persist
emily brought up in about every session
of Parliament, and though It has many
earnest ad vocates Herewith seeming
prepondeTance of public sentiment
outside, its friends, somehow or other,
have never been able to obtain for II
votes enough to make it a law. On the
evening of the Sd of this month the
matter was the subject of another ex-
haustiye debatein the Houselof Com
mons, in the course of which the advo-
Gates of the propositions, maintained
in general terms that the prohibition
of such marriages rested on the law Of
the Chnrch and not on the law of
God, which they asserted, was the only
platform on which Parliament could
leeislate. on this point--that. Gods
law is the only rule of marriage, and
that these marriages are not contrary
to it-some of them dwelt at great
length; and in touching incidentally on
the social arguments, they denied that
the prohibition secured anything but a
fictitious purity forthe domestic circle.
or that these marriages wereo opposed TO
tae moral feeling OF the country, or con-.
.trary to public opinion. Persons who
had. married their sister-in-law, It was
urged, in proof of this. were received in
the best society. To maintain the re-
strictions, therefore, it was contended,
was only TO act in defiance OF public
opinion thus practically expressed. On
the other hand, however, it was
argued that marriages of the kind
under consideration were utterly
opposed TO the divine law, and az
variance with the best interests of
society, and the higher and purer prin-
ciples Of morality introd duced under the
f,hrfstfari 1tspensatioIl. There were
other and more practical objections..of
a sanitary and social nature. The
roysl family of Spain 6y fhtertnarry-
Hing with their own kinspeopie had be-
come az effete race,-and what was true
!, OF Spain; under the same .circumstan-
l Ger, wonld be true of Great Britain.
1 This was one ofthe sanitary delnur-
| l.rers,-while from social point of view
fitwas claimed that to legal iZe these mar
fiages would be to destroy the hnre-
\ strained confidence which at present
isubSistedi in family circles where tthe
| Wife's sister was an inmate.- These ar
| Vuments ,tinallys carried the House
4 along withSthemIy and the result, on q
/ motion to- send the bill to a. second
reading, was defeated, as usual, by 10
majority. II Is not not 70 oe suppose, sec
| however, that that is the last ofit. The
I bill .Ril turn up again, IL not at this
4 session. then at Ihe-pext I, and as its
1 friends are pretty well accustomed to
repuIse we do not suppose a new Sc
L ries of defeats Will dishearten- them.
4 Eventually, lis more than Proba Bile
force of presidency. The dissenters
generally vote in l{thei affirmative.
Church hmen have got 1t into their heads
4 that the proceedings is but another of
/ those various e1pedients TO weaken the
lauthoeity ofsthe estab blhhmept which,
,kthey tel 9fs, are getting to be so common.
/ we manage these things better in this
/ country. If a man chooses TO marry a
4 deceased wife's sister he may do SO,
without ioIating any law of man that
we are aware Of Whether IL is u VIOLA
lfIon OF the law of God is matter
which we leave with his own con
i science.
the Episcopa1l churehJin America,
which Is sometimes called the eldest
| daughter OF the Church of Eng land I'VE
believe leaves IL to the discretion OF the
/ minister to sanction, these marriages,
or otherwise. We are not aware of any
ltcanon of It's own on the subject, and it
is quite certain it is not bound by the
rnle which IS followed by the English
tChufch. The PresbYterinnS body are
\ diyided ON the subject batthe Baptists,
ilNfetI5odfsts and ioiher tretigio bodies,
fiexeeEiiuSl the Roman Catholics inter
4 sssfsl no iobiectfon, With the latter,
si,srrifs ce With IA ased wiz Ter,
4 NJ l,fiieye. can only take place by
i s,.f,1e ~ & on from the Pope