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Imperial Government has already sanctioned our laws, and by implication given its approval to the nature of those laws.
The President: So far as the Colonies are concerned which have passed such laws.
Mr. Wisdom: In all points but one they recognise the validity of the marriage in the Colonies; but upon the one point, namely, that of succession to real property they refuse to alter the law of England so as to meet our case. This grievance tends more in my opinion to create a feeling of irritation than any act on the part of the Imperial Government, as tending to throw a slur upon our marriages; for this, though not directly, yet by implication does seem to throw a slur upon them, and I know causes a great feeling of irritation. In a great many Colonies, in all the Australian Colonies except New Zealand,[1]marriage with a deceased wife’s sister is valid, and some of the Colonies go a little beyond that. As Mr. Downer has said, we do not ask the English people to change their law, so far as marriage itself is concerned, we simply ask them as an indication of that good feeling which should and does exist between the Colonies and the mother country, to so far alter the law with regard to inheritance as to recognise to the fullest extent the validity of these marriages. Considering the concessions which have been made hitherto, I do not think that is asking very much.
Mr. Upington[2]:I fail to see how we can fairly ask the Imperial Government to introduce a measure interfering with the law of inheritance or succession to pro-
