New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-20
RECORDS OF MARRIAGES
OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF SECRET AL
LIANCES.

LIANCES.
HOW THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT KEEPS ITS
REcoRDs-rnE LAW VIOLATED FIRE.
otENrLy IN NEw-JERsEY.
A prominent official of the Department OF Health
was recently asked what were the nature and ex-
tent of tho obstacles in the way of parties contract
ing a secret marriage In New-Yock city He looked
out wisely over his glasses Cor moment perore
answering and then said;
81 think that the system of records as now pur-
sued throws n great many obstacles in the way
and that the chances decidedly against the sue
cess Of tho effort one thing IS ccrtain-the thlng
cannot he done except through the grossest kihd
Of carelessness the part of the Official perform
ing the ceremony. whose business IL Is 10 nane
a report Of the marriage TO this office. or else
through his guilty connvance with the principals'
who for one reason another may desire mat the
marriage he kept a secret. And then tie vile Is
factor whose feelings must be taken into account
for sooner later in cases OF secret weuuihs
contract she is made TO realize the expectancy OF
having some record Of her marriage at hand Tor
her owl, protection II she takes the pains 10 IN
ouire az they sometimes do, she finds that there
Is no official record and generally takes steps 10
see that one is made and put safely by 'or future
reference The place for that record IN TINS city Is
with the Bureau Of Vital Statistics The RECORDS OF
marriages in the department go back into The sew
entefntn
Of completeness until about forty years ago. when
the matter was taken up IN systematic fashion
Since that time il has been growing into more ana
more complete form. until now we think II is quite
perfect In fact l do not think that many mar
Y1ages escape the record.
COMPLETENESS OF THE REC Ord.
"as an instance of its completeness. the number
on the record Is increasing year by year. ana inns
Increase | am sure is not altogether due to the
I'm he nonulatiOn. In 1895 the NUMBER OF
marriages recorded in the Health Once was lo'i44
year later a total Of 1888 was reached, ana laS'
wear the number 2o.6l2. quite percepibie IN
crease you observe, in each year This Is due IN
nv Judgment very largely 10 the fact th8t 'he
public is slowly but surely being educated UP 10
The port of absolute compliance with the law For
this we believe the Department OF Health sh"uiu
receive the credit in measure Onicldls ohu c'ei-
yyrnen authorized 10 perform the marriage ccre-
mony are informed by circular from time to time
OF the provisions OF the law under when they arc
acting This circular is simple statement calling
their attention to the law which Is most explicit
The report should be made within zen days a-.-,
the ceremony has been performed. and Tor ever!
omission the person is guilty of a msdemeanor ana
10 quote the law. in addition thereto the offender
shall also be liable TO pay fine of 500 to he ie-
covered in the name of the Health Department OF
the City OF York before any justice or tribu-
nal in said city having jurisdiction of civil ac'ons
We do no, demand the exact letter or the Ia"
with regard TO the ten-day limit unless there Il
evidence of wilfui disregard Of legal provisions
but the reports generally in the oh'e Wlthih
three weeks after the marriage at the latest
.In the past there have been derelctions of duty
on the part of clergymen. but each case mas been
so thoroughly aired by the newspapers that the Of
fender did not care be caught mapping again
with marriage return in his possession
ALMOST LIKE A BANKING BUSINESS.
Now. as to the method of keeping the record
and of gathering the material for it, 1t is almost
like banking business. and is in tho hands of set
tied authorities In the first place, in this State
persons authorized to soemnize marriages. are all
ministers of the Gospel of legally incorporated
religious congregations the leader OF the society
for Ethical Culture in the City CT New-iork. May
ors Recorders and members of the Board or Alder
men of cities Judges of the County Courts. JUS
tees Of the Peace and Justices OF the Dlsrlct
Courts and Police Justices in the City OF New-fork
and Justices and Judges of Courts of Record. Again
provision is made for the sect known as teuakers
OF Friends. They authorized TO soemnize mar
rage in the agreeable to their social order.
But one point is Ct importance right here. and a
thorough understanding of II has done more 70 per-
feet our system of record than anything else. The
right of registry and authorization of marriage
under the statute is dependent on its being Solemn
lied by legally constituted official or authorl'y
We do not take cognizance in the record Of any
other sort of marriage contract although tie law
holds a different position the question As TO
the method we furnish each properly o"nst-
tuted official here in NewYork City a blank form
book which contains well record stub. the
stub TO be retained by the officiating official or
clergyman. who is TO ill out both the certlncdte
form and the stub The blank certificate simply
states that such and such minister or official has
married such and such parties on a given date
= This certificate must be signed by TWO Witnesses
of whom the minister official may he one; but ut
least one witness must be disintercsted observer
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED.
ION the certificates are number of questions
which must be asked of both bride and bridegroom
and filled out in Ink ms they answered. They
are as follows Bridesroom's fun name. his resi-
dence his age his color. is he single or widowed
his birthplace. his fathers name. his mothers
maiden name the number of his marriage. Pre-
csey the same questions must be ask"i OF the
woman In addition. there are lines on this hank
form for the date of the marriage the name of the
person performing the ceremony and bis ohlclaI
station. his residence and the date Of cord TITS
last line is filled in by the clerk in the office of his
department. and the return is 10 he made TO tho
Register of Records. On the back of the blank form
the bride and bridegroom both affx their sigma
lures 10 an affirmation which may take the form
Of An oath at the discretion Of the person perform
ing the ceremony in which they declare that wna'
thew have stated is the simple truth. II the minister
or official has reason TO think that either or pom
are under the of consent he has fuiI power 10
swear them. The signatures or the TWO are ohce
mora sttested by the witnesses. and the thing is
done The certificate is then torn out ana sent 10
this Office and the names are taken from II ana III
scrhed on card which is filed for index once In
SO often these cards sent 10 the printer ana an
index set up from them which Is puoNsned IN
pamphlet form for ready reference. The names are
set up in alphabetical form by months. so that
once in possession OF the name. the year ana 'he
month Of a marriage ceremony the record II easy
end 4