Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-02-20

the American vice-consul, Mr.. Hooper;
Mr.. Healy, the portrait painter; Mr..
Kelly, the well-known American law
yer; Mr.. Vaucorbell, the director
of the opera and other witnesses.
There was no ceremony ut the
legation, the reason being.
The contract of the marriage in
question provides that the marriage
shall be made subject to the laws of
the state of Maine, in which state both
Mr.. Covers wife and himself were
born. These laws, like those of the
other states of the union, provide that
q marriage made abroad shall be held
valid in Maine only when made in
accordance with the laws Of the coun-
try where such marriage is contracted.
The law of France recognizes no mar
rlage except that performed before the
civil authority, and severe penalties
would be incurred by any clergyman
or other person, French or foreigner,
who ventured to perform marriage
ceremony in this country between
persons who had not been previously
married according to French law.
Under these circumstances it
seems needless, if not I'M
wise, for the american citizens wish
ing to marry in France, and the
validity of whose marriage at home will
depend wholly on their exact obser-
vance of French legal requirements, to
add to the marriage required by law Il
further ceremony which has 10 legal
value in this country and would not
therefore obtain any legal recognition
in these United States. A more. salts
factory procedure would be .for such
marriages to be performed here ac-
cording to American customs by the
American Consul, as is done with
most other nations, but this is forbid
den by the United States statute for
the reason that the United States as u
nation does not possess the Lower of
| legalizing marriage this being among
the powers reserved by the states in
dividually, and a Consul as an officer
of the nation can not of course be al
| lowed to assume more power than the
nation possesses"
1t seems TO follow from this then,
that persons who have been married at
the United States legation have not
been married at all according to Amer
lean law, because they have not been
married according to French law. The
sole marriage recognized by French
law is the one before the mayor and
this, | may observe, | saw to-day for
the first time. 1t was anything but
impressive, unless we are to consider
that there was something impressive
in its very swiftness. 1t was over in a
moment, like modern execution.
We went into room at the old-fash-
Toned Marie in Rue d'Anjou, and
which had been arranged with some
taste. This was the Sale DIES mar
riages. 1t WAS curious to observe how
in spite of themselves, the civil up
holsterers had arranged it somewhat
on the model of u church. 1t is in
tended to be if not as anti-religious al
least as unreligious as possible and yet
| find the long, narrow table has q
most suspicious resemblance to an
ALTAR, and beside it there is little mar
row desk which looks for all the world
like the structure from which old fash
Toned clerks read out the responses in
; country churches. Even the figure OF
atitular deity is not wanting, for above
the altartable stands the bust in the
purest plaster of the Republican,
} francaise. There is even spac,
, within the rails" and space without
. the rails, for a kind of balnstrad,
divides the place for the parties to tn,
marriage from the place for the public
NO solemnity Is sought and none is OBJ
tanned. While waiting for the cere
: mony TO begin the parties and theil
friends chatted and laughed in the
most unconcerned fashion, and n
most OF the assistants were acquainted
with each other there was very little o
that mere blank staring which Otter
: makes gatherings of this sor
SO embarrassing. While they
were talking, the assistants of tn,
marie llitted in and out, and suddenly
one OF them, opening side door, an
nounced, Monsieur lie Maire.n ant
everybody stood up. NJ. lie Marie wa.
the priest of the law for the purpose o
this ceremony. He wore evening
dress, which had its usual depressing
effect in the morning light, and il
sign OF his office he was girt with ,
SILK tri-colored sash about the waist
lie took his place at the table, tn,
clerk went to the standing desk, tn,
parties arranged themselves in order
before him within the rails, and thu
ceremony began by the clerk reading
with swift humble, worthy of any
sacred editice, the name, birthplace
and quality of each of the parties
and a statement of their wish
TO be united. The MARE
then, Bending toward them, asked
them severally if that was their wish
On their replying in the affirmative he
addressed them short homily, from
which every moral consideration was
studiously kept out. 1t was mere ex.
tract from the code on the legal duties
and obligations of marriage. The wo-
man owed her husband obedience; the
husband owed his wife nourishment,
support and residence under his roof;
both owed each other iidelity--and
that was about all. He then told them
that they were man and wife, and man
and wife they Were. Ii was all over in a
momentum the twinkling of an eve.
Yet this is evidently as far in solemni-
~ AS the civil service can 90. for a rs
cent circular from the minister of the
interior enjoins all the maires through
out the country 10 make such ceremo-
MES as impressive as possible. Here,
then. in this short hemily on marriage
as a mere partnership we have the