Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-05-01
MARRIAGES ABROAD.

The French code requires that all
marriages shall be performed by a
mayor or his substitute. Although
it is customary at the marie, for the
parties to repair to a church and have
the nuptials solemnized by a priest
or minister of the gospel, this is not
obligatory, nor has it any legal sig
nifigance whatever.
Marriage cannot be contracted by
a man of less than eighteen, nor by
a woman of less than fifteen years
of age; the age to be established by
legal proof, or an eGtrdit de naissance.
No son of less than twenty-five, nor
daughter of less than twenty-one
years of age, can marry without par
entail consent. After majority the
consent of parents or guardians must
be respectfully asked, but their dis
approval cannot prevent the marriage
taking place. One of the parties to
the contract must have resided in the
district six months, and the other
sufficiently long to admit of the pub
lication of the bans. The bans must
be twice published, at intervals of
eight days, in the town where the
ceremony is to take place, and in
case one of the parties be a non-res-
ident, in the town where he or she
habitually resides.
Formerly Americans could be mar
ried by our minister at Paris, and
even at the various consulates; but
such marriages, not being recognized
by French law, it raised so many le-
gal bubbles in the settlement of prop
erty succession, that our Government
finally instructed its representatives
abroad to legalize no marriages not
in conformity with the existing laws
of the country in which they are con-
tracted. This ruling has naturally
been a great stumbling-blo to those
who wished to consummate their mar
riage in the briefest time possible.
At present, where the requirements
with regard to residence have been
fulfilled, certificates can usually be
obtained from the legation at Paris,
or from a United States consul, stat
ing that the statutes of the United
States do not exact the consent of
parents when the contracting parties
are of age; that the ertraH de ndis-
sauce is there unknown, and that the
bans are never published. Possessed
of these certificates, which, bearing
the official stamp of the United
States Government, are not likely to
be questioned by the French author
tiles, the marriage can be consumma-
ted within the space of fortnight.
As the requirements with regard to
residence are ineXorable, it is totally
imposslbIo for travellers, whose stay
in the country is only transient, to be
married in accordance with the laws
of Frauce.
There exists however, sort of
Gretna Green, where American low
ers can escape the jurisdiction of the
French code. This is aboard an
American man-of-war. There one is
virtually upon American soil, and
there American law reigns as supreme
as at home.
If at no other place upon the coast,
American frigates can be found har-
boring at Vile Frache, near Nice, al
almost any season of the year, and
upon their decks the marriage cere-
mony can be performed by any min
lister of the gospel. Such events are
by no means of rare occurrence, and
are hailed by officers and crew as al
agreeable relief to the ordinary rou-
tine of life on shipboard.
FEAR Nor-Al kidney and urinary complaints es
pecally Brights disease diabetes and liver troubles