The evening times., 1896-03-09
MARRIAGE LICENSE BILL
Many Objections Urged Against
the Proposed Measure.
HOUSE ALMOST PASSED IT
The Opponents OF the Bill Were Able,
However, to Prevent IA Favorable
Report Being Mnde-NOt the Act
Approved by the Com III missiOne-s and
District Supreme Court Judges.

The persons particularly Interested in the
marriage license problem In the District
were set agog recently by a report that a
law was about to bc passed. As Il matternf
fact the hill passed by the Senate on Feb
ruary 20 came very near being reported
favorably To the House, and pa ssed contrary
to the wishes OF many who have been most
active in urging that the present Ia w is de-
fcCtivc and ought to be changed.
Word was sent te n number of persons,
known by members of the House committee
To be directly affected by the operation of
whatever law might he passed, and grounds
were hurriedly presented which sufficed
To prevent the immediate report upon the
objectionable measure.
II will be remembered that nearly a year
ago the.question of the proper issue of mar
riaGc licenses was taken up by one Of the
ministerial associations. Later the Judges
of the District supreme court approved n
bill In line with The suggestion of Clerk
Young. under whose direct supervision
the licenses are issued. This measure was
submitted to the Commissioners and re-
ceived their support. II was then forwarded
to Congress and introduced. Ii has, how
ever, never passed either branch.
But Senator Faulkner either caused tn
beprcpared or received from some source un-
known to Others Interested, a bill which
met his approval. He introduced this in
the Senate some weeks ago, and on Feb
ruary 20 called it up and secured it's pas
sage. 1t wen, Immediately to the House,
and was referred. 1t was this bill which
was about 10 be passed recently. 1t not
only lacks the sanction OF the clerk, Com
missioncrs and Judges, but they are very
actively opposed 10 it. Also number of
ministers want TO be heard in opposition.
PROVISIONS OF THE BILL.
The paper, s. 1904, is entitled. An
act to regulate marriages i'll the District
of Columbia.' 1t provides that the con-
sent of the father or guardian or mother
Of persons under age must De given in per-
son or in writing to the supreme court clerk
or his deputy. IL the consent be in writ
ing it must he subscribed by "A witness who
shall make oath before the clerk that the
writing WAS signed 10y the father, mother
or guardian in the presence of the witness.
Marin ges may he celebrated by a judge
or justice of the peace. A minister or other
person appointed or ordained according to
the rites Of his church or society, who may
wish to perform a marriage ceremony,
shall produce before the District supreme
court proof that be iias been duly appointed
or ordained that he is in regular communion
with his church or religious society and give
bond in the sum of $500. The court may
then make an order authorizing him TO celc-
bratc maria gcs here. When the religious
society has no or,ia ined minister, the mar
ria sc may be solcmniZed 10y the person ap-
point cd a nd i'll the manner pra aCliced by the
society.
No maria ge shall be adjudged invalid on
account OF the want of author Y in anyper-
son solcmnzng il, provided il is consum-
mated by the persons so united. in The belief
on the part of either OF them that il was
valid.
No license is TO be issued 10 foreign citi-
zen until Il minister or consul of that country
shall certify that the conditions there have
been complied with.
tits the duty Of the clerk ITO examine Il nd
a scertIin the fun names. ages, color,
whether married pre- viou Sly or single,
whether related or not and if so in what
degrees, OF the persons desiring to marry"
A full ser Of blanks is included with n
coupon for the minister. 10 return by mail.
and a certificate for him to give the couple
he marrics.
If Il minister who has given bond as pro-
vided shall fail To make return of n mar
riagc celebrated by him he is To lie consid-,
cred to have broken his bord. If Il justice
of the peace fails TO make The return he is
to be fined, upon conviction, not more than
$500. If the clerk of the court should fail
to carry out the provisions or the act he
is TO be subject to a fine of from $25 To
$500. No penalty is provided for any one
else.
Sections 4, o, 6, g, and 10 of the
Maryland act of l7T., chapter II. and
sections 30, 12l and 30 OF the District
Revised Statutes, and all other laws incon-
sistent or in conflict With the act are re
peaied.
OBJECTIONS TO THE BILL.
Some of the objections to the act fol-
low: The only persons required to make |
oath to anything from beginning 10 end is |
the witness as to tie consent of the pa
license needs only to say that the parties |
are of age, and no oath is required. The |
persons desiring the license need not them |
selves he present. They need only to secure |
the services of some one who will oblige |
them by telling an untrutr and they will |
have no trouble in getting the license.
Again, if obliged to go in person for his |
paper, the would-be groom need only say |
that bot h parties are of age and he receives |
his license without laying himself liable to |
for perjury. As for punish |