CO129-282 - Acting Governor Major Gen Black - 1898 [3-4] — Page 200

Whether a

COPY.

ENCLOSURE

3.

Minute by the Attorney General.

199

9713

276 2 N 08

Hon. Colonial Secretary.

In this case the marriage appears to have

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been between an American Citizen and a Chinese born widow of a Mr.Jex whom I will assume to be an Englishman though I have at present no proof placed before me of his nationali-

ty.

The marriage in such case is between an Ame- rican Citizen and a widow whose nationality, following that of her husband, would be British.

The marriage occurred at the U.S. Consulate without compliance with those local preliminary requirements (certificate or licence) which, in the ordinary course, are

necessary in Hong-Kong.

So

The question is can an American Citizen be s

validly married at his Consulate in Hong-Kong?

Now the English Foreign Marriage Act 1892

(55 & 56 Vic. C 23) empowers British Consuls (among others)

to marry (or allow to get married in their presence) at

their Consulates in Foreign Countries, persons one of whom a

both of whom, is or are British Subjects.

This Act consolidates the Acts from 1840 and

I should think it extremely probable that there is a simi-

lar law in America. As, therefore, it would seem that a Bri-

tish