MARRIAGES IN FRANCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5267, 9 February 1878, Page 5 (Supplement)

MARRIAGES IN FRANCE.

The civil ceremony is the only one recognised as valid by French law, and must be performed l at the Mairie of the district in which one or other of the parties contracting marriage resides. Six months of residence are necessary to constitute the domicile, and even in this case it is necessary to make a publication of the intended marriage at the Mairie of the previous domicile. Two publications must be drawn up aud placed before the door of the Mairie of the present domicile ou the two Sundays preceding the marriage. These publications declare the names, ages, professions, and residences of the parties, as well as those of their parents or nearest relations. Ou the third day after the second publication, the marriage may be celebrated, provided no opposition has been made in any quarter. The Maire is the officer appointed by the law to perform the civil ceremony, and the Fren oh code expressly forbids the celebration of a marriage by any minister of any religion until after the performance of the civil ceremony. Registrars are kept at the Catholic churches, aud certificates given ; but they are invalid in the eye of the law. The original contract of marriage is kept at the Mairie where the ceremony takes place, and a duplicate of the contract is deposited with the Clerk of the Tribunals of the Arrondissement. A copy of the contract of marriage is given to the married pair, should they express a desire to possess such a document ; aud should this copy be lost, another can always be obtained by application at the Mairie. The law of France with regard to man iages has not been changed during the last quarter of a century. It may be well to mention that French law requires the consent of the parents of the persons to he married (or in default of parents, of the next relations), until the age of twenty-five years for a man, and twenty-one years for a woman. Before these ages, no marriage can take place without such consent. After these ages, it is nece,sary, in case the parents refuse their consent, to make what is called an “ acts respcctueux,” asking in formal terms for the said consent. Should this be withheld, the marriage cannot legally take place till the “ acte respcctueux ” has been twice renewed, unless, indeed, the parties should be over thirty years of age, in which case one “ acte respcctueux” is sufficient. A Frenchman who may contract marriage in a foreign country is equally obliged to obtain the consent of his parents. .