HC Deb 13 July 1882 vol 272 cc270-1
MR. BELLINGHAM

asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether, after notice has been given of an intended marriage at the Superintendent Registrar's office, and the parties are desirous afterwards of being married at a licensed place of religious worship, it is necessary that a fresh notice of the marriage, of twenty-one days, should be given; and, if such fresh notice be necessary, whether Her Majesty's Government will take into consideration the advisability of proposing further legislation on the subject?

MR. DODSON

In reply to the hon. Member, I have to inform him that the Statute expressly requires that at the time of giving notice of marriage, the party giving the notice shall state in the notice the church or other building in which the marriage is to be solemnized, and any person who solemnizes the marriage in any other place than that specified in the notice is guilty of felony. It is quite clear that if parties wish to be married at some other place than that specified in the original notice, a fresh notice is necessary; and as the object of this is to prevent clandestine marriages, I do not think I can hold out any hope of any alteration being made in the law.