MARRIAGE MEASURE, 1930. (Hansard, 13 March 1930)

THE LORD ARCHIBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

My Lords, I have now to move to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Marriage Measure, 1930, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent. This also is an innocent Measure, 928 though I hope that it will not for that reason be found to disclose dangers which the noble Lord, Lord Banbury of Southam, described at an earlier stage of our proceedings. Although it may be described as an innocent Measure it is not an unimportant one. It affects the feelings of a great number of people at that important stage in their lives when they enter on the great adventure of matrimony. It provides that the present law shall be modified so as to allow a marriage to take place in the church which is the usual place of worship of either of the parties instead of in the church of the parish in which they reside. Your Lordships are no doubt aware that it continually happens that people are in the habit of worshipping at churches other than those in which they may be said to have only a geographical interest acquired by residence. If such people wish to be married, other than by special licence, in the church in which they habitually worship they qualify as residents, under the present law, in ways that are familiar to your Lordships. It is now proposed that where a person shows that a church is his usual place of worship by placing his name on the electoral roll he shall have the right to be married in that church rather than the church of his parochial residence, after the publication of the banns.

This Measure also has been in the hands of the Ecclesiastical Committee and passed through the Church Assembly with general consent. It does not raise any fundamental question of marriage. It was drawn up after consultation with the Registrar-General. It meets a very general wish, I think, and it affects no one in any adverse manner. The banns may be published in any parish church or public chapel which is the usual place of worship of the persons concerned, but it is provided that such publication shall not be in substitution for but in addition to the publication of banns in the parish church. The existing power of a superintendent registrar to issue certificates upon the production of which marriages may be solemnised is also extended by the Measure, which empowers him to issue certificates for the solemnisation of marriages in churches which are the usual places of worship of the persons to be married. I beg to move.