Brian Condon: Letters and Documents in 19th Century Australian Catholic History

[Source: Adelaide Archdiocesan Archives copy. Marked 'No. 17']

Rev John J. Therry presents his dutiful respects to his Excellency the Governor and begs leave to inform him, that he never before received the least intimation that the formalities mentioned in His Excellency's note just now received were either necessary or required, as if he had, whatever inconvenience (and he apprehended there would in a moral sense be many) should arise from their observance, he would not consider himself as acting with propriety in deviating from it.

But as Mr T. is aware that his Excellency never rejects an application without consideration, he is emboldened to take the liberty to inform him, as the Guardian (and he may add without flattery, the example of morality in the Country which he so beneficially governs), that the parties for whom he has made what His Excellency considers an irregular application for his permission for them to marry, have been living these six years in a state of sin and will continue to live in it, until they are either restrained by law or permitted to marry.

[Note: The most extensive collection of transcriptions of Fr Therry's correspondence remains Eris O'Brien's The Foundation of Catholicism in Australia; life and letters of Archpriest John Joseph Therry, Sydney, Angus & Robertson, 1922]