The hydraulic press., 1859-06-04
THE REGISTRATION LAW.

| registration OF marriages, births, divorces
and deaths in California, and that said law,
owing to its looseness and inefficiency, was
me lded by the Legislature which has just
adjourned, and made more thorough and
stringent. On two or three occasions be-
fore now, we have briefly called attention
to the importance of general compliance
with this law, and sought to show that
| full registration would afford statistics of
the greatest value and interest As the
State Registrar observes in his first annual
report, ITO the political economist and
statesman the statistical information afford
ed by a fut and correct registration is of the
utmost value, embodying, as it does, a state
ment of facts, comprising all the relations of
man in health and disease,-th increase of
population of q -country,-its vital and
mortuary statistics,-itS climatology, and
the class and character of its prevailing dis
cases." BY means of such statistics, care
fully kept for many years, scientific men in
other countries have been able to procure
| data which afford reason for the belief that
the average duration Of human life, under
our modern form Of civilization, is actually
increasing. By the same means have been
ascertained the relative healthftlness Of diff
ferent localities and regions, the difference
Gus classes of population, the effect of occu-
patton upon vitality, what periods of life are
most liable to disease, aud what social, NOR
al and physical conditions are most flvora-
BILE to longevity a multitude of
other important facts, tending to develope
the laws which modify and preserve, or de-
I'stroy human existence.
| Registries were kept in very early times
by the more enlightened nations, but not so
elaborately as at the present day. In the
Swiss city of Geneva, registry has been
kept for more than three centuries. a writer
referring to the fact says, that ''this city,
which has attained to a high degree of re-
fnement, furnishes, in the improvement, in
the progression of its population, and in
creased duration of life striking ev. lence
| in favor Of the adoption Of the registration
system.
If the system has produced such interes-
ting results elsewhere, it would be still more
useful in a new country like California,
whose mortuary and vital peculiaritics are
| In
migratory and transient, and know so little
of one another, keeping no private records
even of the most interesting events incident
to the family relation. The State Registrar
reports that his office has already Been the
means of furnishing informatian to parties
abroad, who had long made diligent inquiry
friends. This feature alone should awaken
the attention of every one to the subject,
even if it were not the duty of the people to
cheerfully obey legal requirements which are
intended for the public advantage.
Such being the Importance of the regstra-
tration law, it is with much regret we learn,
that there has been registered in this county
but two marriages and one birth. The fact
exhibits very discreditable indifference to
ally on the part Of those persons whose duty
it is made to see that the law is complied
with. Perhaps if it were more f;imiliary
known that a non-comb bliance with the law
subjects such parties to prosecution and a
fine of not less than ten nor more than one
hundred dollars, they would be more atten-
pleaded as an excuse, within the narrow
limits of our home circulation we shall here
publish those portions of the law which
ought to be popularity known. 1t first au-
thorizes the appointment by the Governor,
Of State Registrar, who receives from the
various County Recorders all the registries
same, and condensing the information thus
obtained into regular annual reports. Sec
ton second then says:
at shall be the duty of all persons performing the
ceremony of marriage. to file in The office OF the
der of the county in which such marriage takes place.
certificate of the setting forth the date. loc;li
tv age. and color of the parties when
the record made together with the name. place of
residence and official station of the person performing
the marriage ceremony and it shall be the duty of all
parents and heads of families, keepers and supern
tcudents of prisons almshouses hospitals houses of
correction. and other public and private Institutions,
and the commanding officer IF ship other
sell file in like in the office OF the recorder
of the comfy wherein such birth record of
every birth taking place in their families tie inst
tutiou vessel under their charge supervision
cordng the following form Entries OF the date and
locality of the same: the if any be gven)
nnd color Of the child: the name, nativity. color AMI
rasdeice of the parents and date of the record 1t
shall he the duty of clerks of all the courts wherein
divorce is granted, to file in the office of the recorder of
the cot,utv in which the said divorce occurs, the fol-
lowing record of the Entries of the date of the
decree of divorce: christian Surname and residence of
the ,arfies the SAME; title Of tile court granting the
divorce the of the party Making the ar caion
for the same: the groinds po which said divorce
granted ard the date ssen the record was made. And
the said clerk for making such entry and filing the
he entitled tn receive from the