§ Order of the Day read for the House to be put into Committee on re-commitment of the Bill.
THE EARL OF FEVERSHAMMy Lords, I beg to move that the House resolve itself into Committee upon the Marriages Provisional Orders Bill.
§ Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(The Earl of Feversham.)
THE EARL Of' ONSLOWMy Lords, before the House goes into Committee 851 on this Bill I should like to repeat what I said in the unopposed Committee yesterday. We have not had one of these Marriages Provisional Orders Bills for a considerable time. I remember that when I was at the Home Office we used to have them fairly often. They are brought forward in order to make good mistakes which have been made, and to legalise marriages which have been solemnised in places not properly licensed. This Bill covers several churches, among them Holy Trinity, Forest Green, Okewood. This church was consecrated in 1934 but was not licensed. The Vicar made a mistake and solemnised two marriages in the church last year. This Provisional Order Bill is introduced to put the matter straight. What I wish to draw attention to, and what I rather hope the attention of the diocese may be called to, is the fact that the Vicar has stated that he does not propose to take out a, licence for this church for marriages in the future. I venture to think that is an unfortunate decision, because the same mistake might be made again, perhaps even more easily, because this matter having been the subject of an Act of Parliament to put right a mistake, people will naturally think that in future marriages can be solemnised there. Of course the present Vicar will know, but he may go elsewhere and his successor may not know anything about it. Therefore I venture to hope that what I am saying may reach the proper quarter and that this church may be licensed in order to prevent the possibility of any mistake of the same kind occurring again.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House in Committee accordingly: Bill reported without amendment.