§ Read 3a according to Order).
§ Extent of Act.
§ 2. This Act shall not extend to Scotland or Northern Ireland.
§ VISCOUNT GAGE moved, after "Act," to insert "except in so far as it amends the Foreign Marriage Act, 1892."The noble Viscount said: My Lords, on behalf of the Ministry of Health I have to move two minor technical Amendments—one to Clause 2 and one to Clause 3. The point about the first Amendment is that the Bill as a whole is not to extend to Scotland or Northern Ireland since in those countries the ceremony of marriage is different from that in England, and consequently 659 the provisions of the Bill would be unnecessary and out of place. But the Foreign Marriage Act, 1892, provides a procedure by which British subjects may be validly married in foreign countries, and states in Section 8 that the marriage is to be solemnised "between the hours of eight in the forenoon and three in the afternoon." Clause 1 of the Bill substitutes six p.m. for three p.m. in this section. Consequently, assuming that the Bill becomes law, if a person domiciled in England marries, say, in France at five p.m. the ceremony would be valid. The framers of the Bill no doubt intended this to apply equally to a person who is domiciled in Scotland or Northern Ireland and married in France, but as the Bill is framed it is doubtful whether it has this effect. The Amendment is designed to remove this doubt.
§
Amendment moved—
Clause 2, line 15, after ("Act") insert ("except in so far as it amends the Foreign Marriage Act, 1892").—(Viscount Gage.)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
660§ clause 3:
§ Short Title.
§ 3. This Act may be cited as the Marriage (Extension of Hours) Act, 1934.
§ VISCOUNT GAGE moved at the end to insert "and this Act and the Marriage Acts, 1811 to 1932, may be cited together as the Marriage Acts, 1811 to 1934; and this Act and the Foreign Marriage Act, 1892, may be cited together as the Foreign Marriage Acts, 1892 and 1934." The noble Viscount said: My Lords, this Amendment is introduced merely for convenience of citation.
§
Amendment moved—
Clause 3, line 18, at end insert the said new wards.—(Viscount Gage.)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ Bill passed, and returned to the Commons.
§ House adjourned at twenty minutes before six o'clock.