§ Read 3a(according to Order).
§
Clause 1,—
No marriage of any person whose former marriage shall have been dissolved on the ground of his or her adultery or crime, and whose former husband or wife, as the case may be, is living, shall be solemnised in any church or chapel of the Church of England.
§
THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK moved, after the words "Church of England," to insert the words:—
And any person knowingly solemnising, or being a party to such a marriage, contrary to the provisions of this Act, shall forfeit and pay a penalty of one hundred pounds.
His Grace said that without these words the Bill would be merely prohibitory, and the penalty now proposed to be inflicted was not for solemnising such a marriage, but for making use of the buildings of the Church for that purpose. Originally it was proposed that a marriage celebrated under such circumstances should be null and void, but this penalty was thought to be too severe and not altogether appropriate, as the injury would fall ultimately on the children of the marriage, and that provision was dropped.
§ Amendment agreed to; Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.