The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-09
Lords Again Balk VIII
 of Commons on Marriage.

wife. Sarah Brooks. The committee of privileges of the Housesof Loros' after lengthy deliberations extending over period of many months, came to the conclusion that at the time when Morgan Vane married his de- ceased wife's sister such unions were voidable, though not ab tnitio void, and, thanks to this view. the former 1000 year government clerk ls now Lord Barnard, master of Raby Castle, and in possession of an in:ome or $250,000 a year.
 DuIedOm of Beaufort Successioh' .
 Another case, still more compIicateh Il fort. who. in June, 1922, married his wife's half -sister--that Is, her sister by the same mother. He had no mare issue by his first marriage, but an ohiy son by his second marriage pecaHe the eighth duke, and father. therefore, of the present duke. Now, the eigntn and late duke would never have been permitted to take possession oi the dukedom and estates without bitter contest had not his father, the seventh duke. effected a compromise and pri- vate understanding with his only protn- CT Lord Granville Somerset, In con nection with which large amount or money and property passed 10 LoIo Granville, thereby impoverlsnlhs .ne dukedom. Had 1t not been TOT this legal proceedings would have inevi- tabIy ensued. and Lord Granville Som erset would undoubtedly have claimed both the dukedom and all the entaiieo estates. on the ground that the mar riage of his elder brother to ms oe- ceased wife's half-sister was wienln the canonical prohibition. Just what view the courts and the House Of Lords would have taken of this controversy, 1t is difficult to say; but sooner than lay bare all the affairs of their family in court. the two brothers agreed to settle the matter privately between themselves. Lord Granville left nve children three sons and two dausn ters. and as the sons have no male issue all the property thus ahenateo from the ducal house of Beauford VIII pass out of the family to the cniloren of Lord Granvilles married daughters.
 Cannot Inherit the Title.
 Lord Monkswelrs only brother. the well-known painter and Royal Aca- demician, John Collier. whose ara. matic picture entitled Ine cheat, was the sensation of the Academy ex- hibition two years ago, married. first, one daughter of Professor Huxley. ana after her death his wife's sister, going abroad for the purpose. Ills only son by his first marriage, Joyce Collier, now 23 years of age, Is in the line or succession to the Monkswen peerage. But Lawrence Collier, the son py the second marriage, lad now IT years of age. is barred, according to the ex- isting laws, from inheriting the fam ily titles and estates. Tn fact, In the eyes of the English law, both he and his sister Joan are subjected to all the civil disadvantages of illegitimacy.
 This is but one of many instances have married the husbands of their dead sisters enjoy an exceedingly eauivocal position. are barred from court and S are froWned d "pen em oy soGaeiy eny that the agitation which shas been in progress for so many years TOT the re- peal of all legal impediments to mar owes it's origin to Henry Sykes Thorn ton, the original of MT Falconet, the hero of Lord Beaconsfield's post hum ous novel the publication of which in The Times a few years ago was the literary sensation of the day. Henry Sykes Thornton the college friend of circle comprising William Wilberforce. Sir Walter Scott, the poet Woodsworth and in earlier years, the famous Pre- mier William Pitt, married in success sion two sisters, daughters of the Rev. MT. Dealtry, rector of Clapham going abroad for the celebration of the sec- ond marriage. A pillar of the church and a firm supporter of all church movements, he was profoundly dis tressed by the attitude of all his church friends towards his second wife, and at his death left large sum of money in trust for the purpose of securing, by means of agitation, the repeal of tho laws against such marriages.
 Henry Sykes Thornton made his home in a grand old Georgian house on the western side of Clapham Common, where for a hundred years or more there has been a center of parliament tary Iife and where the late William E. Gladstone and also Lord Beacons- field spent much of their time when young men. In my day it was occu- pied by Percy M. Thornton. the Con- servative member of Parliament for Clapham, who inherited from his great : grandfather the control of the Williams