Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-02
Clerk.
THE OLD RECORDS.

TIE OLD RECORDS
Prior to 1864 the clerk Of the court was re-
quired TO keep only list of those to whom
licenses Were issued. with the date and two old
books in the clerks office at the courthouse
contain the list entire from 1901 to july 1861
There il nothing in these books to Indicate the
Residence Of the parties. the only mark besides
the bare Names being the letters blk" or
cid or ttiGr.H1 the first wears of the wary
If. IN. c." aud #. c." Indicating that the
parties against whose names these authorizations
Were written were black colored or free men
or women of color.
THE HEALTH OFFICE RETURN.
The health officer requires. under the regnla-
tions governing vital statistics In the District.
u at returns OF marriages be made by the MIN
listers To his office within 4S hours thereafter
and penalty OF a fine OF not less than SIS or
more than 5200 IS imposed for a failure The
following is the form:
Certificate of Mariiage-To the Health Officer
District OF Colurnhia-Date OF marriage: full name
patton; husbands birthplace: number OF husbands
InarrlaSr, hsii!A EsAl.lOf Jvife. age color: place
OF Residence; "les birthplace; number OF wife,s
DaIIi ge We. Tie CONTRACTING parties, do certify
tiat me foregoing Information IS correct. sigma
This eertifies that on the - day of -, 1873 1
joined in holy matrtnOny the parties above de
scrfbed Name official station; residence
While this return is repngnant to many of the
parties and the ministers often hesitate to ask
ali the Questions prescribed the larger portion
OF the ministers comply with the regulations
and probably there IS more faithful compliance
with the requirements of the health office than
there is as to the license at the clerks office.
TIE MARRIAGEABLE AGE.
In the consolidated statutes relating to the
District there il nothing said as to the ages
when persons may marry. and. as stated above
all responsibility in this particular is placed on
the minister. The old law Of MARYLAND on the
subject is said 10 be in force here but it has
been treated as a dead letter. This imposes
penalty of $500 sterling. and provides that the
male shall be at least 81 years OF age and females
Is About twenty years ago Methodist clergy
man was Threatened with prosecution for marry
ing a glri Ol sixteen summers. and lawyer was
ENGAGED Tor the purpose. but the persons inter-
eSttd were lau%ned ont of their Intentions
There being no penalty imposed for failure to
certifr To the marriage. there are probably not
over half ct the marriages represented by the
maria re licenses certified Indeed some min
listers do not ever Visit tie Clerks Office tor that
purpose IL frequently happens that there is
Some necessity for procuring proper certii-
cate or record of "A marriage and in order to get
II persons put TO the trouble of first obtain
Inc Certificate that n license was issued and
then l0Diing 10 the register OF the church
where the rite was solemnized. and perhaps be
compelled. On account of the death or removal
OF the minister who tied the knot to take sec
In maxim. the proper return at the court house
Is often in after years the source of great en-
tarrassment.
MATRIMONIAL STATISTICS
The number of marriage licenses per year
Issued in the District is about sixteen hundred
and those issued TO colored people. which can
now be tod only by observation are thought to
BE- nearly it not fully one-haf Of the whole num-
Der. 1t is estimated that twenty-five per cent
OF the whole are couples coming from other
states. and II there Is counted those cases in
winch one Of the contracting parties comes from
nnroai about ten per cent more may be added
BY actual count Of six hundred licenses issued
10y the clerk i'll 1882 the record shows that $50
We're for parties residing elsewhere and a like
number in which one OF the parties resided ont
of the District. OF the number where both par
ties reside out OF the District IS couples were
from Virginia, 35 from Maryland. 81 from other
states and Z were Maryland and Virginia COM
bIed.
THE MARYLAND LAW
Tie present Maryland law on the subject of
marriage is found on page 479 Of the code. and
1t provides that the rites Of marriage shaf1hOt
be celebrated by any person unless by some
minister of the gospel, ordained according to the
rites and ceremonies Of his or her church or In
such manner as Is used and practiced by the
society of people called Quakers {act Of ITO;
that no persons shall marry within the state
without having obtained license, or before their
names have been three published In some church
Or house OF worship on three several SUNDAYS
and for this purpose every church or house OF
worship shall be recorded by the circuit court OF
each county TACT Of 1869; that licenses shall be
signed by the clerks Of the circuit courts. or OF
the court OF common pleas Of Baltimore who
shall receive for each $50. paying d to the
state treasury and retaining so cents as his fee
Under the head OF crimes page SOS) 1t Is ses
ont: IF any person belonging to this state shall
go out of this state and marry with any person
belonging to this state without such license
each party. on conviction shall be fined s1OO
And any perzoh uniting In marriage persons
under 81 years Of age for the male and under l6
years Of age for the female without the conseu,
ofthe parent OF guardian personally given or In
writing. shall, on conviction. be liable to q fine
OF 500"
IL will be seen that by Implication women II
ordained a. ministers may In Maryland perform
the rite. that II the bans are published q license
u not absolutely necessary and that quite q
heavy penalty Ii imposed on residents who
marry oat Of the state That the latter provision
u broken frequently In patent to Gil who have
Observed the publications OF licenses Issued In
Ria 81 j,
THE LAWS % VIRGINIA
40 ss,i rsnrs stringent. They provide that
every HaTr5ags license shall be issued By the
clerk o; tho e1aFt FOR the county or corporation
is slic; the fsrl;.Is resides The most severe
penal ~ tine code aud tiai which sends cauples
out " tie sate. provides that In case any per-