§ MR. LEEMANasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, having regard to the misery and distress arising out of the dissimilarity now existing between the English and French Marriage Laws, Her Majesty's Government will introduce a measure rendering it incumbent upon any legally authorised person celebrating a marriage 1118 in Great Britain or Ireland between English and French subjects to require proof of compliance with the French Marriage Laws?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTSir, we have done all we could in the matter by making as public as possible the provisions of the French Marriage Laws, and warning persons against the risks of marrying French subjects in this country; but I do not know that we could go to the extent of making persons who celebrate marriages in this country enforce the conditions of a foreign law.
§ MR. LEEMANasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether, having regard to the misery and distress constantly occurring through the dissimilarity between the French and English Marriage Laws, Her Majesty's Government is prepared to recommend to the Government of France such a modification of the French Marriage Laws as shall in future prevent English Women being entrapped into marriage with Frenchmen only to be dishonoured and cast off at will?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, Her Majesty's Government appreciate the serious nature of the results of the French law in regard to marriages contracted by English women with French subjects, but do not consider that it would be of any practical use to ask the French Government to propose to the French Parliament to alter the law.