Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-06-25
Qbe fanfaster 1ntellieeufer.
LANCASTER, JUNE 25, 1855.
Licensed 10 Marry.

After the first of October next it will
cost fifty cents more to get married in
Pennsylvania and to minors the extra ex-
pense will be one dollar.
A journey to the office of the orphans
court clerk of the county will also be
requisite, for that official must grant
license to marry. You must swear before
him that there are no legal impediments to |
the marriage, and he must certify that he |
believes there are none. Whether the APP
plication for the license must be made by
one of the candidates for matrimony in
person, or whether it may be
done and the oath be taken by
proxy, is not plainly expressed
in the law, and probably will depend upon
the complaisance of the clerk. AS he has to
certify to his belief that there is no impedi-
ment to the marriage, .t would seem that
he may institute an extended inquiry to
satisfy himself where he does not know the
parties. A particularly conscientious clerk
will have his hands full ; and probably
there will not be many of this kind, as the
fee is only fifty cents and that even goes
to the county Eere. Doubtless the clerks
will be easily satisfied and will take the can
didates word as easily as the squire and
preacher do now.
If you do not get license you can still
get married, if you can find anyone to
marry you; which may however, be diff
cult as penalty of one hundred dollars is
imposed upon the officiating party. And
also it would seem upon the witnesses
though. here again it is not clear whether ii
Is intended TO make each witness, and the
preacher or squire, pay a hundred dollars
or whether the one sum will do for the
whole lot.
Ii you cannot find squire or preacher
you can marry yourself, as you can now
. and if you do not tell anybody nobod!
will be the wiser; but if it is found ou
you will have to pay hundred dollars pen
atty to the county for not getting your Ii
cense. AS these penalties, however, 90 L
the county, it is probable that few of then
will be collected. No one would be s.
ried without license, when the only benef
ciary would be the county and the count
solicitor, not getting anything out of tn
sits, will not be eager in the search 70
them. Since o'lr county solicitor Fry wa
refused denomination by his party, bt
cause he acted as a watch dog to the treG
sury, it will be accepted doctrine, by at leas
Republican solicitors, that the people
not expect them to bother about the treG
sury.
We do not see in the new law anythin
of very brilliant promise. The distnC
authorization it gives to marriages withou
the intervention Of justices or preacher
may possibly cause the people to adopt IL
economical plan of marrying themselve
The fees that they will save will enab
them to pay for their license and have SOM
thing left the present average cost {
the marriage service being in this vicinag
we understand, something like two dollar
The fifty-cent certificate which the cler
records when you marry yourself is just ;
good as the certificate recorded when
preacher or squire ties the knot, and
cheaper. And when you go to the clerk
get your permit and swear to your eligibi
ity for matrimony, you may just as we
take the girl along and make OF
the papers and leave the copy for record a
at the one time. 1t will save two journe!
TO the Office and lots of bother. So that
is quite possible that the new law wi
facilitate marriage among the many WI
don't care how it is done, so that it
done cheaply and with dispatch and i
requirements will not trouble the extrav
gantly inclined, who will rejoice to pay a
additional hundred dollars for the pric
less bliss they 60 for.