The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-21
HOurs for Marriage.


WHY ENGLISH PEOPLE MUST MARRY BEFORE
NOON IF THEY WOULD BE MARRIED AT ALL.
The London Post, in q recent issue. says:
II remains to be seen whether in the COM
ing a!l-engr0ssing session on coercion In
Ireland" and Irish land" Mr.. X. +.
Blennerbassett, NJ. p. for the county Of
Kerry, Ireland, will this year land for the
third time) reiniroduce bis marriage-law
amendment bllI, to enable all mar
riases in the future TO be celebrated
up TO 5 O'Clock each afternoon. The
origin of the canonica hours for marriage
namely, between 8 A. NJ. end II O'Clock
n0on-may not be generally known TO most
OF our readers. These hours were decreed
/ by the earliest canons of the Church. coming
down almost from the times OF the Apostles
themselves; they were incorporated IN the
more matured canons Of the Church OF
Rome, and finally adopted by the Church Of
| England into the canOns OF 1908. No. 102
OF the canons OF 1903 says:
"The security mentioned shall contain
these conditions: First, that at The time OF
the granting every such license there Is not
any impediment or prtc0ntract, cOnsaD.
guinity, affinity, or other lawful cause TO
hinder the SAID marriage. secondly, That
there is not any controversy or suit depend
ing in any court before any ecclesiastical
ligdge touching any contract or marriage Of
either OF the said parties with any Olher.
Thirdlv. that they have obtained thereuntO
the express consent OF their parents Uf they
be liying), or otherwise Of their guardians
or governors. Lastly, that they shall eele-
brate the said matrimony publicly in the
parish church or chapel where one OF them
dwelIeth, and in no other place, and that
! between the hours Of and IL in the fore
noon."
In the recent judgment OF the Queens
Bench Division Of the High Court OF JUS
tice i'm the Dale" case il was again ruled
that "The canons bind the clergy, but
not the laity." However, before Lord
Hardwicke's marriage act OF 1854, certain
suspended or unfrocked clergymen were
found TO celebrate marriages not only after
| II O'Clock noon, but even up TO II and
O'Clock at nigbt--tO witness the many dis
graceful marriages which took place In the
chapel in Mayfair and in the Fleet where
! the degraded priest was only too delighted
to marry persons at El a couple. TO put
an end to these often il-advi>ed unions and
| to protect all the industrious and poorer
classes throughout the country, the
canonical hours" Is A. NJ. TO II noon)
were from that time incorporated into the
various acts of Parliament, which have
from time to time regulated marriage.
The artisan, the farmer, and almost all or
binary classes were supposed TO dine at
noon, or not later than | O'Clock, aud the
| Legislature thought it wise that when en-
tering upon so solemn an act as marriage
! the ceremony should take place not later
than II O'Clock in the day. The clergy also
might have a grievance, especially in all
large and pOpuious parishes, ii compelled
| 10 wait about on duty at the church after IL
O'Clock, instead OF being free TO attend TO
their many other parochal duties.
The extension OF the marriage hours be-
yond ~ O'Clock would in like manner affect
the movements and engagements OF Roman
Catholic priests, dissenting ministers, and
the civil registrars throughout the country.
TO "tne upper ten thousand" It can hardly
be said TO be a hardship to have to marry
! Just before IL O'Clock and to sit down to
their wedding breakfast at l O'Clock, or
1880 O'cock-in fact. to luncheon. While
to the Peers and the Commons there is
always the luxury OF special license
open on the payment OF the usual
30gs. in stamp and fees; but these
special licenses issue, we believe. solely
by the favor of the Archbishop Of Canter-
bury, the fees belonging to the master Of
the faculties, his Grace, as is well known,
going into the details aud merits Of each
case himself, the Archbishop always signing
the L" fat authorizing the special license
TO issue. Special licenses, ii is understood,
will in no case be allowed to issue in future
without good cause, and certainly not SIM
Div for the purpose of saving the general
public from reasonably early rising, from
uncheons, aud from. in fact, having TO
| comply with the ordinary law OF the land.
| To alter the canonical hours in satisfac-
tory manner, and finally the royal license OF
her Majesty, would have to be obtained for
both houses OF the Canterbury and York
| Conyocations, and should the result be an
altered canon to extend the hours 10 T..
NJ, As the Synod OF the Irish Church has
done. that hour would no doubt be i'm
mediately adopted by act OF Parla-
ment for all marriages throughout Eng
| land and Wales. Marriages at night in
churches in London have been found
| TO be most incOnvenent and even I'M
pleasant things, and special licenses for
that purpose Will probably never he applied
for again, and il applied for. more than
probably never granted, the objections be-
| lug ladies' evening dresses uDseemly In
church, the crowd and concourse. the
livery servants banging around the church
porches as at pail, and the uncOuth mob
on the departure OF the bride and bride
groom only by far too merry ! The late case
Of the young man imprisoned by the Vice.
Chancellor for having married ward OF
cbancery Of eighteen without the consent OF
the Court, and who had stated falsely, for the
purpose of getting his banns published, that
the young lady was OF full aye, illustrates
Il. r.. ...s.
her intended husband when be goes before
q clergyman surrogate and obtains from him
license for marriage; for it has, It must be
remembered, always to be founded on the
affidavit of the Bridegroom himself in
writing on oath. and on which, IL fal>e, he
can be prosecuted.