§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill."
§ Sir F. BANBURYI should like to know exactly what this Clause does. There are only two Clauses in the Bill. Clause 1 reads:
Any decree granted under the Act of the Indian Legislature known as the Indian Divorce Act, 1869, and confirmed or made absolute under the provisions of that Act, for the dissolution of a marriage the parties to which were at the time of the commencement of the proceedings domiciled in the United Kingdom, and any order made by the Court in relation to any such decree, shall, if the proceedings were commenced before the passing of this Act, be as valid, and he deemed always to "have been as valid, in all respects, as though the parties to the marriage had been domiciled in India.I do not know what these words actually mean, but I think we ought not to pass this Clause without some further explanation.
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Mr. Montagu)This Clause is simply to make valid certain decrees granted in India for the dissolution of the marriage of persons domiciled in the United Kingdom. This provision legalises them, and will remove a great hardship in such cases.
§ Sir F. BANBURYI really do not see why this Clause is necessary at all. If this has been going on all these years, why should it be necessary at this time to come forward with such legislation? I do hope that we shall have some further explanation as to the object of this Bill
§ Clause 2 (Short Title) ordered to stand part of the Bill.
§ Bill reported, without Amendment; read the Third time, and passed.