, 1881-02-27

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. 103 of
the canons of 1908 says:
''The security mentioned shall contain
these conditions: First, that at the time Of
the granting every such license there is not
any impeachment or pre-contract, consanguin-
lty, affinity, or other lawful cause to hinder
the said marriage. Secondly, that there is
not any controversy or suit pending III any
court before any ecclesiast ical judge touch
ing any contract or marriage Of either of the
said parties with any other. Thirdly, that
they have obtained thereuDto the express
consent Of their parents lit they be living),
or otherwise of their guardians or governors.
Lastly, that they shall celebrate the said
matrilnony publicly in the parish church or
chapel where one Of them dwelleth, and in
no other place, and that between the hours Of
s and - id the forenoon
In the recent Judgment of the Queens
Bench Division of the High Court of Justice
in the Dale - case 1t was again ruled that
1.-The J, canons bind the clergy; but not the
Marriage act Of 1754, certain suspended or
unfrocked clergymeu were found tl cele-
brate marriages not only after II o'clock
noon, but even up to u and l O'Clock at
riages which took place, in the chapel in
Mayfair and in the Fleet where the degraded
priest was only too delighted tn marry per
sons ct 81 couple. To put all end to these
often III advised unions and to protect all the
industrious and poorer classes throughout
the country, !" the canonical hours'' Is q. III.
to - noon) were from that time incorporated
into the var lous acts of Parliament, which
have from time to time regulated marriage.
The artisan, the farmer, and almost all
ordinary classes were supposed to dine at
noon,- or not later than O'Clock. ami the
Legislature thought it wise that when enter
ing upon SO solemn all act as marriage the
ceremony should take place not later than
have a grievance, especially t,l all 1arge and
popu1Ous parishes, ii compelled to wait about
on duty at the church, after II O'Clock, In
stead Of being free to attend to their many
other parochial duties.
The extension of the marriage hours
beyond u o'clock would in like manner af-
feet the movements and engagements OF
Roman Catholic priests, dissenting ministers.
and the civil registrars throughout the
~ qpPer ha Ten IL
to marry just before II O'Clock and to sit
down to their wedding breakfast at o'clock,
or 80 o'ciock,-in fact. to luncheon. While
to the Peers ;u1d the Commons there is al
ways the luxury of a special license open OH
the payment OF the usual 80 gulneas in stamp
and fees; but these special licenses issue, we
believe, solely by the favor OF the Archbishop
Of Canterbury, the fees belonging to the
master of the faculties, his Grace. as is well
known, going into the details and merits of
each case himself. the Archbishop always
signing the ''tiat" authorizing the special
license to issue. Special licenses, it is under
stood. will in no case be allowed to issue in
future without good cause, and certainly not
simply for the purpose OF saving the general
public from reasonably early rising, from
luncheons, and from, in fact, having to
comply with the ordinary law OF the land.
Marriages at night i'll churches in London
have been found to be most lnconyenlent and
even unpleasant things, and special Licenses
for that purpose will probably never be ap-
plied for again, and il applied for, more
than probably never granted. the objections
being ladies' evening dresses QnSeelnly i'll
church, the crowd and concourse, the livery
servants hanging around the churctl-pOrcheS
as at ball. and tine uncOuth mob on the ue-
parture Ut the bride and bridegroom only by
fnr tcc merry: i,ile late case OF the young
man imprisoned by tile Eice-Chanccllor for
having married 4 ward Of cllancery Of IS
had stated falsely, for the purpose Of getting
his banns published, that the young lady WAS
of full age, illustrates that Il bride has Il far
greater security from her intended husband
when he goes before clergyman Surrogate
and obtains from him license for marriage:
for it has, it MUST be remembered, always to
be founded OH the affidavit Of the BRIDE
groom himself in writing on oath, and OH
which, if false, he can be prosecuted.