Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-07-25
DANISH MARRIAGES ABROAD.
VIII They be Recognized ny the Home
Goye-n111e nt or Courts?

VII AElcE De Itec0BnlEeC ny me home
Gove-nIE eHt or Courts?
EDS, RECORD UNION: On thel5th Of jan
uary, 1879, my present wife and were
married in the German Lutheran Church
Of Sandhurst, in the colony OF Victoria, Aus
tralia Both Of rs being Danish subjects,
and both having permission to marry &C
cording to Danish laws, we naturally
thought that We married, not only within
the British dominions, but also over the
rest CT the ezrth, and above all, in Jur ma
tive country, both in civil life and III the
eyes Of the law. Later circumstances caused
Us to make Al inquiry in Denmark il or
der 10 be secured against any uncertainty
in matters that might be connected with
inheritance ii that country. Hence. in q
letter, dated Sacramento, Cal, September
"a 1884, I laid the question before the Dis
-trict Judge Of the Northern District Of the
Circuit Of Copenhagen, who however, No.
Vember 9th following, returned me al un-
meaning and eYesive answer. Prompted
b. this to prosecute my inquiry, ! addressed
another letter, December 3, 1884, contain
ing the same qQcstion-that Of the validity
in Denmark Of our marriage-to the Pre-
feet Of the Province of Zealand, who did
not answer me at all. Hence, in another
letter of March (, 1885 | addressed again
the question to the Ministry Of Public
Worship together with a copy Of the mar
rage certificate.
As after the elapse of a suitable time /
did not get an answer from that authority
therefore my last resource was TO apply 10
the King. IN an application, dated June
IS, 1855. l solicited his Majesty, through
the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Copen-
hagen, that he would cause the Ministry of
Public Worship to answer me. 1 had now
waited for an answer from the 4th Of
March to the 18th of June az already Inen-
toned However. | received unexpectedly
g Consular note from San Francisco that
transmitted to me from the Danish Minis
try of Justice which should represent an
answer 1t was kept in faithful accord
with the ancient oracles, AZ it can be inter
preted in two ways. 1t runs thus:
The Ministry must limit its statcuen.
to the following: Provided that the mar
riase thus entered upon by him was law
fully concluded according to the laws Of
the country in which il took place, and
hence it Is not entered upon for to concern
the Danish laws. 1t is supposed also to be
recognized IS lawful in this country but
chat for the rest no administrative author
itv can give any statement in this respect
binding upon the Danish tribunals
This caused me in a letter, dated the 18th
ulimo, to address the Minister for Foreign
Affairs in Denmark, begging his Excellency
to lay the Consular's writing, which | re
turn, before his Majezty, at the same time
soliciting his Majesty to recognize the va
lidity Of our marriage by special edict.
The matter then stands thus and which
is Of interest to all my COuutTymen, | re
main in the hope that his Majesty Will &C
cord me what / righteously beg for; but
any one who is married outside Of Den
mark, and who has not taken such steps as
| have, or who is not already in possession
OF royal resolution for the validity Of the
marriage, is liable to behighly disappointed
in case of death and inheritance in Den
mark for, as viii be seen in the above
mentioned ministerial writing, in which
have in vain looked for a logical constTuc-
ton, it is left entirely to the Judges to de-
eide whether or not persons in such cir
| cumstanceS are married; or the sentence
in the ministerial statement" and hence
it Is not entered upon for 10 concern the
Danish laws" 49, contains manifesuy 4
thought unnatural and sought for. Our
marriage was actually concluded for =" to
concern Danish laws" Marriages conclu-
ded. for instance in the Lutheran Church
IN Germany, cannot, according 10 TINS MN
sterial statement, with certainty expect to
be legally recognized in Denmark. 1t
looks to me as if these Danish authorities
Of our time rather endeavor to work
against family life and social order than
to protect them. / beg to notice that |
started this question, as above mentioned,
on the oath of September, 1884, and the
| first response | received was the ministe-
rial statement on the oath Of June, 1885
| How long time was thus required TO be
| informed whether one is married or not !
| What unconscionablencss towards man
his wife and children
| Finally must beg to notice, that as the
| said marriage certificate shows that the
parties had permission to marry according
to Danish laws, the mere declaration before
| the authorities of being married ought to
make any further discussion of the matter
superfiuous, and irrespective of what place
or under what rite the marriage may have
| been celebrated
| Hoping this truthful information will
! serve my countrymen abroad, as we'll as
| others, who may have such interests in
/ Denmark, l remain, respectfully,
c. A. SIkoNsEN,
Member of the Royal Forest College of
Copenhagen.
Sacramento, July q, 1885.
| BBoNcHITTs.-Sudden changes of the
| weather cause bronchial troubles Browns