LAW AS MATCH-MAKER

Shannon News, 12 October 1926, Page 4

LAW AS MATCH-MAKER

OVEB-BULED BY THE COUBT. YOUNG GIRL OF TWENTY. LEAVE TO MARRY GRANTED. Assertions of apprehensions by a mother regarding her daughter's marriage met with no support from the Westminster magistrate when the matter came before him recently. He said he' could see no reason for the refusal of the mother, Mrs. Alice Maud Spong, of Clapham, to give the consent required by law to enable her daughter to achieve.her heart's desire. The matter was taken out of the parent's hands when she was summoned to show cause for taking up this attitude toward the marriage of her daughter Violet to Mr. Osaar Ignatius Lacey.

Mr, J. W. Symmons, for Miss Spong explained that the, proceedings were taken under last year's Guardianship of Infants Act for the consent of the court to her marriage. Miss Spong was 20 and had been engaged for 19 months. Her parents consented to the engagement and the father agreed to the marriage, but Mrs. Spong, for some reason, refused. Until quite recently Miss Spong lived at home with her mother .and contributed £1 a week to the expenses of the household. Mr. Lacey, an Australian, aged 28, had been offered an appointment at Sydney on : a four year's contract, and was desirous of marrying the girl and taking her out there with him. His parents lived In the Commonwealth. There was every prospect of his being able to maintain his wife comfo^aMy. Miss Spong gave evidence that she had known Mr. Lacey for two years. Some few weeks ago she .left her mother's house, and in any event would not go back to her. The latter had an aversion to Mr. Lacey, but witness did not understand the reason.

The Magistrate: Is your' mother upset because you want to go away? Is it a hardship for her to be deprived of the money you were bringing in?

Miss Spong: I expect so, sir.. Mr. Oscar Lacey, the prospective husband ,told the court he went to England with the Australian troops at the time of the war, and, for five years had been in the employment of the same firm as clerk and accountant His father recently sent him a fairly substantial sum to get married on and bring his wife to Australia, where a berth was awaiting him. Mra. Spong declared her grievance was that Mr. Lacey had not given her the address of his father in Australia so that she could communicate with him. "I will not giv e my consent: to my dying day," she added. The Magistrate: Have you any other reason?

Mrs. Spong: I don't care for himt I know nothing- of his people. How do I know what will happen to my daughter in Australia? I have been forced to work ,even though I am in ill-health.

Counsel handed up a letter in which Mrs. Spong said she would accept £2O from Mr. Lacey for her consent to the marriage.

Mrs. Spong: My daughters have left me like a dog. The magistrate remarked that he dare say Mrs.' Spong felt it was very hard to lose her daughter, but he could see no reason for her refusal, and the consent of the court would be given.