Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-27
NEW MARRIAGE LAW
Provisions of Measure That Passed
the House.
CONGRESS CONSIDERS DISTRICT AFFAIRS
A Charter Granted to the Capital
Railway Company.
@ U ICK LEG-I S TION

Dill relating to marriages in the District OF
Columbia. The bill was passed without de-
bate, although a motion was made by Mr..
Walsh of New York to recommit it.
The bill is as follows:
That if any male person intending to
marry in the District of Columbia be under
twenty-one years of age, and if a female
under eighteen years of age, and has not
been previously married, the consent of the
father or guardian, or, if there be none, of
the mother of such person, shall be given
either personally to the clerk of the Su-
preme Court of the District of Columbia or
his deputy. or in writing subscribed by a
witness, who shall make oath before the
clerk of said court that said writing vas
signed or acknowledged in the presence of
said witness, by such father guardian, or
mother, as the case may be.
Section ,. That marriages in the District
OF Columbia may be celebrated by the
judge of any court of record or any Justice
OF the peace When any minister or other
person, appointed or ordained according to
the rites and ceremonies of his church,
shall, before the Supreme Court of the Dis
trlct or Columbia, produce proof that he is
Gully appointed ordained as SUCH and
that he is in regular communion with the
religious society of which he is a member,
such court may make an order authorizing
MN to celebrate the rites of marriage in
the District of Columbia. Marriages be-
tween persons belonging to any religious
society which has no ordained minister
may be solemnized by the person appointed
ana IN the manner prescribed by and prac-
tced In any such society,"
Sec. u. Ihat 10 one but a minister or other
person authorized by this act shall here
AFTER celebrate the rites of marriage in this
District, anything in any law now in force
in said District to the contrary notwith-
standing.
Previous Marriages. Not Affected
Sec. 4. That no marriage heretofore sol
elmniZed shall be deemed or adiudged TO
be invalid, nor shall the validity thereof
be IN any way affected, account of any
want OF authority in any person solemniZing
the same, II consummated with a full belief
on the part of the persons so married, or
either of them. that they We're lawfully
joined in marriage.
Sec. ). That no license for any marriae ee
shall hereafter be issued to which any citi-
zen OF foreign country shall be party
until a minister or consul representing such
foreign country in the United States shall
certify that the conditions to the validity
of the marriage of the laws of such coun-
try shall have been complied with
Sec. t. That any person authorized to
celebrate the rites of marriage shall be paid
by the husband fee of at least one dollar in
each case.
Sec. I. That if any minister, Justice of
the peace or other person who is authorized
to celebrate marriages in the District of Co
lumbia shall fail to comply with the pro-
visions of section s of this act he shall.
upon conviction, be fined for each and every
offense in the discretion of the court not
less than fifty nor more than two hundred
and fifty dollars.
An Oath Required.
Sec. s. That it shall be the duty of the
clerk to examine and ascertain, under oath,
the full names, ages, color, whether mar
ried previously or single, whether related
or not and, If so, in what degrees, of the
parties desiring to marry, which facts shall
appear on the face of the application, and
shall be in a form provided. Said return
snail be made in person or by mail
coupon attached to and issued with said
license and bearing a corresponding num-
Der Herewith, within ten days from the time
of said ceremony.
a second coupon of CORES bonding num-
Der with the license shall be attached to
and issued with said license to be given by
the officiating minister or other person au-
thorized to celebrate the rites of marriage
in said district to the contracting parties.
The clerk shall provide record book of
his office consisting of applications for and
of licenses in the forms prescribed in the
preceding section printed in blank, to be
hlled by him in accordance with said
FORMS and said blank applications licenses
and certificates of the officiating minister
or other person authorized to celebrate the
rite of marriage shall be numbered cor
upward
And the said license when produced shall
be full authority to any minister or other
person authorized to marry receiving the
same to proceed with the marriage of the
parties named therein.
Conflicting Laws Repealed.
Sec. 10. That if the clerk of the Supreme
Court of the District of Columbia shall
neglect or refuse to comply with the pro-
visions of this act he shall, upon convic-
ton, be fined not less than $25, nor more
than $500 in the discretion of the court
Sec. II. That the clerk shall provide a
record book of his office, in which shall be
filed in the order of their number the GER
titicates upoE their return to said office,
corresponding to said record book of Ii
censes issued, and copy of any license
and certificate of marriage so kept and re-
corded and certified by the clerk under his
hand and the seal of the court shall be
competent evidence of the marriage.
Sec. II. That this act take effect from and
after thirty days from the approval there
of.
Sec.13 That sections four, five, six, eight,
nine, ten, fifteen, sixteen and seventeen, in
chapter thirty of the compiled statutes now
in force in the District of Columbia, and
all laws or parts of laws heretofore in force
in this District Inconsistent with or in con-
fiict with the provisions of this act, are
hereby repealed.
Inc S0plt0t halfway bill.
Chairman Babcock then called up the bill
for the extension of the Capital Railway
Company. This is the road that proposes
to give rapid transit to the citizens of
Anacostia.
The bill is as follows: That the act en-
titled "An act to incorporate the Capital
Railway Company approved March 2,
1898, be, and the same is hereby amended
by striking out in the first section all after
the words "for a common SEAL" to the end
of the section, and inserting the following:
Said corporation is hereby authorized to
construct and lay down and complete a
single or double track street railway in the
District of Columbia, and run cars thereon
for carrying passengers by and along the
following route: Beginning at point on
the District line near the Potomac river
southeast of Shepherds ferry, thence by
such route as shall be approved by the
Commissioners of the District of Columbia
to the south side Of the Eastern branch or
Anacostia river at the Navy Yard bridge;
thence across said bridge to 11th street
east; thence north on 11th street east to
NJ street south: thence west on M street
to a point to be located by the District
Commissioners near 9Th street east, con-
Meeting with the lines Of the Capital
Traction Company. Also continuing