MARRIAGES IN QUEBEC.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 28 March 1922, Page 5

MARRIAGES IN QUEBEC.

A STRANGE DISCOVERY.

Aicurious discovery w.as made recently .whereby a thousand marriages mi ±he province of Quebec .durjjag .the last Jialf-century are rendered technically! illegal. Under the Quebec law civil marriages are not permitted, and the solemnisation of marriages is entirely iin *he hands of the clergy of the different denominations, who perform marriages and keep the recapds. Civil registers are provided by the Provincial Governments for this purpose, and are returned to the Government at the -end of the year, when new registers are issued. These are the only official *eg*ters. Recent investigations showed "ileiA^iiccording to the law of 1829, ■which is still in effect, only clergymen "who are British subjects are entitled to Iceep such registers. During the years fiinee the Confederation hundreds of -America-n clergy ha^e come to parishes in the province of Quebec, and also jpnests from France, whose standing is unquestioned. They received the official registers, and solemnised a thousand marriages, which have now 'been found *o be technically illegal. The matrfcer was brought to an issue ■when the Provincial Attorney of Quebec refused to issue a marriage register to a Unitarian minister at Montreal, on the ground that he is not a British subject, being an American. The point Tras brought to the attention o€ the Provincial fxovernment, and it is announced that remedial legislation will be adopted.