Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-18
MARRIAGE LICENSE MARKET
It is Strong, With an Increasing Upward
Tendency.
Breaking the Record-The Utah Act
Applies to Ministers Who Fail
to Make Returns.

The activity Of the police authorities in
prosecuting. under the Edmunds act, par
ties living here as man and wife who have
failed to contract marriage, has caused an
enormous increase in the number of mar
riage licenses issued by the clerk of the
District Supreme Court during the past
few days. The licenses at this time of the
year average about eight or ten day, but
during the week ending today the daily
average exceeded thirty-one. Saturday. a
week ago. fifteen were issued; Monday. 80;
Tuesday, 80; Wednesday, 25 and Thursday.
A, next to the largest number, it is said,
ever before issued here in one day, and
yesterday, 81. Fully 80 per cent of the 1S9
licenses issued during these six days, say
the officials of the clerks Office, were
granted for the marriage of colored people,
desired the licenses in order to escape
threatened prosecution under the Edmunds
act.
1t Applies Here.
This act, as has been heretofore explain
ed in The Star, although particularly in
tended to punish polygamy in Utah, has
been declared by recent decision of the
District Court of Appeals to be in full force
and effect in the District Of Columbia, and,
acting under that authority, the District
Police Court holds that it possesses ample
power to punish parties living together as
man and wife where both or either of them
are unmarried, as well as where married
parties are committing adultery. AS is
well known, hundreds of people are and
have been living together here without
ever having contracted marriage The vast
majority of these, the police authorities
been a general warning given to them, it
is said, that they must either contract mar
rtage or cease living as they have been.
Mr.. Utah.
Many amusing scenes have happened in
the clerks Office during the past week, and
yesterday an elderly colored man, after
asking for license. inquired of the clerk:
who's dis hyar Mr.. Utah, mister, who's
maxim all dis hyar fuss wild us folks?"
After the situation was explained to him
the old man sadly shook his head, remark
Utah, sah but 1t pears to me dat it amt
JUS right to be bringin' any SIGH law hyar.
The demand for licenses seems to be as
heavy today as ever, and an unusually
before 10 o'clock this morning. The num-
Der issued yesterday far exceeded the num-
Der issued on any previous Friday, day
usually regarded with great disfavor by
those matrimonially inclined.
Ministerial Returns.
One provision of the Edmunds' act as
amended by the act of March 3, 1887. is Of
special interest to the ministers perform
ing marriage ceremonies here. Heretofore
the law, while requiring officiating minis
ters To make a prompt return to the clerk
OF the court Of every marriage performed
by them, provided no penalty for their fail
ure or refusal to do so. 1t now appears,
however, that under the amended Ed
mrnds act such offenders are guilty of
misde,neanor, punishable by fine or i'm
priscnment, or both, in the discretion of
the court.
The provision In question is section of
the act of March 3, 1887, "A Statutes-at-
Large, 635. 1t is as follows: That every
ceremony of marriage, or in the nature of
a marriage ceremony, Of any kind. in any
whether either or both or more of the
parties to such ceremony be lawfully COM
petent TO be the subjects of such marriage
or ceremony or not shall be certified by
certificate stating the fact and nature of
such ceremony, the full name of each of
the parties concerned, and the full name
of every officer, priest and person, by what
ever style or designation called or known,
in any way taking part in the performance
Of such ceremony, which certificate shall
be drawn up and signed by the parties to
such ceremony and by every officer, priest
and person taking part in the perform
ance of such ceremony, and shall be by
the officer, priest or other person solemniz-
ing such marriage or ceremony filed in the
office of the probate court or, if there be
none, in the office of court having probate
powers in the county or district in which
such ceremony shall take place. for rec
crd, and shall be, Immediately recorded
and be at all times subject to inspection as
other public records.
Such certificate. or the record thereof, or
duly certified copy of such record, shall
be prima facie evidence of the facts re-
CURED by this act to be stated therein, in
any proceeding, civil or criminal, in which
the matter shall be drawn in question.
Any person who shall willfully violate any
of the provisions of this section shall be
deemed guilty of a msdemeanor and shall.
on conviction thereof, be punished by
fine of rot more than $1,000. or by i'm
prisonment not longer than two years, or
by both said punishments, in the discre-
ton OF the court"