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Untitled Article
A few words may be allowed as to the plan and details of this Bill . They are submitted with the greatest deference to the high authorities to whose arguments they msiy appear addressed , and are perhaps only rendered necessary by the haste with which the subject came before the House , and , th ^ probable want of time for weighing deliberately the details and operation of the measure .
And first as to its supposed liability to create civil irregularities , or facilitate what it is the object of the general law to prevent , " clandestine marriages . " On a careful perusal of the Bill , the Committee trust it will fully appear , ( at any rate such was their anxious desire , ) that every civil form and precaution is preserved , in as full force as in . a Church marriage . They were aware of the jealousy , ( and they admit the just jealousy , ) with which the Legislature would regard a project for entrusting a matter of so much civil importance to persons whom it was extremely difficult to define or controul , or for granting any release from the wholesome restraints of the law , to persons whose bon & fide possession of the character entitling them to such relief it was hard to secure . They saw too , that their plan would be necessarily unsafe and difficult in execution , if it implied the confiding of any civil function whatever , to persons not easily
brought within the superintendence of the law , or released the parties from any one safeguard which is imposed on marriages contracted in the accustomed forms . The Bill therefore imposes every form now required of a Church marriage , and adds others : the party who should avail themselves of it , would go
through precisely the same ordeal , ( except being compelled to join in a religious service ;) and it is impossible to conceive , that a person , wishing to contract an irregular marriage , would resort to a course which would impose on him more expense , all ( and somewhat more , than ) the usual Church forms , and the further inconvenience and risk of publicity occasioned by his having also to attend at the Dissenting Meeting-house . So far from a Churchman adopting the character of a Dissenter for such a purpose , it is
far more probable that the reverse would in practice be the case . Having preserved untouched all the civil requisites as to form and place , the operation of the Bill would prevent any risk from the jAisConjluct of the Dissenting minister , because his a , cts under it would be of xxq , more avail than they , jure at this moment . He has by it no new power , no means ( whatevelr . his inclinations might be ) of doing any mischief , for every thing necesstuny to the legal validity of the marriage is left where it was . ; / ; j '
A second objection is inttde to the proposal pf al lowing theyb $ uefit o ( thi£ Act in cases where only one of $ he parties U a Dissenter , Jf . th $ reV ^ f J # conceded where both parties dissent , there will probably , be , litJle obje ^ t ^ fli , $ 9 its being restricted to that case 5 but it may be observed that the reKe £ pro-
Untitled Article
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1823, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1714/page/47/
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