Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-22
HOURS FOR MARRIAGE.
Why English People Must Marry
He fore Noon if They WO0td be
MYTHICAL RI ALL

BE fore Noon if TAey would be
The London Post Il a recent issue. says: 1t
remains to be seen whether In the co ming
all engrossing session On coercion In Ireland
and Irish land Mr.. r. P. Blennerlassett
this year and for the third ums) reintrodacs
his Marriage Law Amendment bill TO
enable all marriages In the f0ture to be cele-
DRAFTED up to O'Clock each afternoon. The
origin of the eanoDical hours of marriage
namely. between a. m. and " o'clock noon
may not be generally known TO most OF our
readers. These hours were decreed by the
earnest canoEs OF the church, coming down
almost from the times OF the Apostles them.
selves; they were Incorporated in the more ma.
sulsd canons OF the Church OF Rome, and
Inc canonS or 1908. No. 102 OF the canonS Of
1908 says:
tine 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, con sanguinity,
affinity, or other lawful cause to hiuder the
said marriage Secondly. that there is not
court before any ecclesiastical Judge touching
any contract or marriage OF either OF tho said
parties with any other: Thirdly. that they
OF their parents III they be Nvlng), or other
wise of their guardians or governors. Lastly,
that they shall celebrate the said matrlmoay,
publicly In the parish church or chapel where
one OF them dWelleth. and IN no other place.
forenoon"
In the recent Judgment OF the queens Bench
DIVISION OF the High Court OF Justice In the
dale, case IL was again ruled that: The
canons bind the clergy. but not the laity"
however. before Lord Hardwicke's Marriage
act or 1854. certain suspend or Unfrocked
clergymen were found to celebrate marriages
not only after ~ O'Clock tnoon). but even up to
~ and O'Clock at ntght.to witness the many
dlsgla,c:efql marriages which took place in the
chapel 10 Mayfair and In the Fleet, where the
degraded priest was only too delighted to
marry persons at 81 couple. To put an end
10 these often illadVised unions and to protect
out the country, 1.-The canontcal hours Is am.
to IL poOD) were from that time INCORPORATED
into the various acts or Parliament, which
nave Msd rom a1 time to TIM regulated marriage.
The art1zan, the farmer, and almost all ord1-
nary classes were supposed to dine at noon, or
not later than O'Clock, and the legislature
thought 1t wise that when entering upon so
solemn an act as marriage the ceremony should
lake place Lot later than ~ o'clock in the day.
The clergy also might have grievance, espe-
clally Ia all large and populous parishes, II
after u O'Clock, instead OF being free to attend
to their many other parochlal duties.
The extension OF the marriage hours beyond
~ o'clock would In like manner affect the
movements ma engagements OF Roman CathO-
nc priests. dissenting ministers and the civil
registrars throughout the country. To 1.-The
upper ten tRousand' 1t can hardly be said to be
o'clock and to sit down to their wedding break.
last at ] o'clock, or 1870 o'clock-in fact, to
luncheon. While to the Peers and the Com
mons there Is always the luxury of special
license open on the payment OF the usual 30gs.
10 stamp and fees, but these special licenses
ISSUE We believe solely by the favor of the
Archblsh0p OF Canterbury, the fees belonging
Wei known, going into the details and merits
OF each case himself, the Archbishop always
signing the ''nat' authorizing the special
license to issue. Special licenses. it is Under
n Ea al fO
future without good cause. and certainly not
simply for the purpose OF saving the general
pubic from reasonably early rising, from lunch
eons, and from. In fact, having to comply with
the ordinary law OF the land
To alter the canonical hours In satisfactory
manner, and finally the royal liceese of Her
houses OF the Canterbury ana York conyoca-
lions, and should the result be an altered canon
70 extend the hours to p.m., as the synod OF
me irish church has done, that hour would no
DOUBT DE Immediately adopted by act OF Parlia-
Ment Tor all marriages throughout England and
wales Marriages at night In churches in Lon
don have been found to be most inconventent
and even unpieasaD ut things and special licenses
lor that purpose will probably never be applied
ior again. aid, II applied for more than proba-
Oily never granted. the objections being ladies'
evebing dresses eemly In church, the
crowd and concourse. the livery servants hang
Ing around the church pOrches as at ball, and
the uncOuth mob Oh the departure of the bride
ana bridegroom only by far too merry. The
!alo Ease VI LIE young iuau IMPRISONED Dy the
Vice Chancellor for having married ward of
Of is. without the consent Of the
court, and who had stated falsely, for the pur-
pose OF getting Ais banns published, that the
young lacy was OF full age, illustrates that a
bride has far greater security from her in
teIdtd husband wnen he goes before clergy
lnan surrogate and obtains from linn a license
leI marriage. for IL has, il must be remembered.
Always TO be founded on The affidavit OF the
orlcegroom himself In writing on oath and On
hich !! false he can be prosecuted.