M. Wingfield
als.
As to last sentences of your minute, see parr. 405 of 17273/90
18604/90 paper.
and minutes on
It seems to me
the latter
there will
be some considerable difficulty in framing a marriage law in harmony with Chinese customs & ideas, owing to the complicated question. As pointed
minute on 18604, out on p. 2 of my
law appears to be against bigamy,
Saving
to be absolute
clause, as in India, Ceylon
& the Straits, in favour of those
persons
whose religion permits
polygamy;
In view of the doubts
whether the Chinese religion
allows polygamy,
would it not be well to allow the
question of the registration of
their marriages
to sleep, until
it is raised by the Chinese themselves, and say nothing about it in answer to this despatch?
S.W. Or at any rate, write about it in a separate Confid. disp?? S. W. J. 6 Jan. 1891
Est 6 Jan 21.
[I think it is pertinent to stick to the present law in the
Bothell case,
We should be alert to the length of sampling
Hence, Except in cases where
a
marriage "between lovers which need
Either (Christian) have declared their authorization & Christian faith
* Except where the 2nd
Marriage is contracted outside the
Colony
by an alien
I did not mean to suggest
dealing with marriages of
Christians according to their own
custom but legislation catering to those who are not Christians to be curially married then the Register - I think there can
be no
harm
in asking the Governor whether the wanting legislation has been felt where it is all that the minutes
Draft
discuss
at we
Jan 6
K
9/1