The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-07-03
TILE NEW MARRIAGE LAW.
From the Baltimore Sun.

From the Baltimore Sun.
The new marriage law introduced in the
House of Delegates at the last session OF the
Tegislature by Mr. Armstrong, of Washing
ton county, goes into effect to-day, july !.
It makes important changes IN the MANNER
of issuing the licenses, and places inc re-
sponsibility for the eligibility OF the contf'lc-
ting parties upon the applicant anu upon
tbe clerk of the court who issues the Incense.
The minister of the Gospel, so far as the law
is concerned. can marry the parties named
in the license without question or inquiry.
The new law provides that before the CLERK
of any of the courts authorized shall issue
any marriage license he shall examine on
oath the person making application for the
same To ascertain = first, the full names
of the parties second, their places, OF
residence; third, their ages fourth ther
color; fifth, whether married or single
sixth, whether related or NOT, ana 80,
in what degree of relationship, which facts
sboII he sent out in printed form, to be
signed by the person making the application;
The court clerk is required to keep record
hook in his office, in which he shall make a
eomplete record of the issuing OF the Incense;
and all the matters which he shall be reqhlreu
10 ascertain relative to the rights OF the par
Ties to obtain the license, and upon the return
of the certificate it shall appear IN the ree0ru
when the same was filed and the name OF the
minister or other person or persons by Whom
the ceremony was performed. NO incense
shall issue unless the male be above Il and
the female above 16 years of age, unless the
parents or guardians assent thereto IN
person. or by writing, attested by TWO WIZ
nesses. and the fact of such assent shall De
made part of the record. Ii IN the course Oh
the examination of any applicant for license
it shall appear to the clerk that any legal
impediment exists under the laws OF the otate
why the parties shall not be joined IN marriage,
he shall withhold the license, unless ordered
by the court of which he is clerk to issue the
same. A certified copy of the record of the
marriage license and certificate, under the
hand of the clerk and the seal of that court,
shall be received in all courts of the State as
evidence of the marriage between the parties.
The license fee is 81, the same as under
the law reducing the fee from $780, which
went into effect on June l. 1886. The license
when produced, shall be full authority to any
minister or other person authorized to marry
receiving the same to proceed with the mar
riage of the parties named therein, but for
marrying without such license he shall, on
conviction, be fined not less than 500 nor
more than $780,, The county courts and the
Superior Court of Baltimore City may, upon
the petition of either of the parties, inquire
into, hear and determine, and the county
courts and the Criminal Court OF Baltimore
CITY. on Indictment may inquire into, hear
and determine the validity of any marriage,
and may declare any marriage contrary to
the table in this article, or any second mar
rage the first subsisting, null and void, and
on appeal the dispositions and evidence gwen
in the cause shall be transmitted with the
record to the Court of Appeals, and there
upon such cause shall be heard, determined
and adiudged, de moro. The minister who
performs the marriage ceremony shall give
one certificate of that fact to the contracting
parties, and also send certificate to the of
flee of the clerk who issues the license.
State Comptroller Turner has sent out to
the several clerks copies Of the new form OF
license and the certificates appended thereto.
Clerk Gray, of the Court of Common Pleas
of this city, is getting up the required record
book for the new order of things. The form
of license as it has been issued heretofore is
addressed: ''To the Rev. Mr.. Blank or any
other person qualified by law to celebrate the
marriage rite in the State of Maryland:-
These are to authorize and license you to
solemnize the rites of marriage between the
said persons according to law, there appear
ing to you no lawful cause or just impede
ment by reason of any consangninity or
affinity to hinder the same" The new
form of license Will be addressed ITO any
minister Vi Ine OOSpel Ut utHeI oIiCel VI pei
son authorized by the laws of the State to
solmenize marriage: You are hereby author
lied to join together the persons named in
the holy state Of matrimony, according to
the rules and ceremonies of your church,
society or religious sect, and the laws of this
State The certificates which the Baltimore
minister is to furnish reads: 81 hereby GER
tify that the persons named were BY me
united in marriage in accordance with the
license issued by the Clerk of the Court of
Common Pleas of Baltimore city," Hereto
fore the applicant for license has not been
sworn by the clerk, and did not make an
affidavit under oath. Marriages were enter
ed in the record book after the licenses were
returned by the minister, signed on the back
with his certificate that it had taken place.
But under the new law the particulars as
sworn to by the applicant must be entered
at once in the record book, and when the
minister returns his certificate that the mar
riage took place this fact must be entered in
a column that has been reserved to complete
the registry.