The San Francisco call., 1910-11-25
Answers to Queries

MARRIAGE-w T, NJ. City. What is the
past past and the present law in regard to both
parties to a marriage going before the county
clerk In order to obtain a license?
The act of 1905 provided that in order
to obtain a license to marry there
should be established "the identity of
the parties, their real and full names
and places Of residence, their ages and
whether white, monaghan, negro or
mulatto, and for the purpose of as
certaining all the facts mentioned and
required in this section, the clerk must
at the time the license is applied for
examine the parties to whom the
license is to be issued, under OATH
This was amended in 1907, because it
was claimed that in many cases it
worked great hardship and entaiied
considerable expense on the female ap-
pl1cant to appear before the county
clerk. The amendment was the clerk
at the time the license is applied for
may, II he deems 1t necessary in order
to satisfy himself as to matters in
this section enumerated, examine the
male applicant for a license, under
oath, which examination shall be re-
duced to writing by the clerk and sub
scribed by him." Under that amend
ment the female applicant did not have
10 appear before the county clerk At
the session of the legislature OF 1909
the bureau of vital statistics of the
California state board of health, which
Claimed that the returns on marriage
certificates were not sufficient. had a
new section to the section of the code
relating TO marriage added, as follows:
All persons about to be joined in marriage
must obtain from the county clerk OF the county
In which the marriage is TO be celebrated In
tion 80 of the civil code certificate of registry
as provided In section 30I6 of the political
code Which shall contain among other matters
aS0prfai0Qd rara coll
age and surname, birthplace residence of the
parties to be married. number of marriages and
divorced. the occupation of the parties. maiden
name of the female, if previously married the
names and birthplace OF the parents of each and
the maiden name Of the mother Of each which
said certificate. of registry shall be filed out
as herein provided in the presence of the county
then be presented to the person performing the
ceremony and shall be fled by him with the
county recorder within three days after the
ceremony.
AS the added section does not repeal
any part of section So of the civil code.
and does not say in direct terms that
both parties shall appear before the
county clerk to fill out the certificate
of registry, some of the county clerks
hold that the male applicant is the only
one required to appear and that he
must be prepared to fill out the blank
as to both parties. The county clerks
office of San Francisco construes the
new section to mean that both must
appear before the clerk in order that
the register may be filled out, and the
office requires that both the groom and
bride shall sign the same, though the
law does not say that the same shall
be subscribed
DISCHARGED soLDIER-D. S., City. Is
soldier dishonoraby discharged from the army
of the United States entitled to pay, allowance
or clothes
No.
SEEING SNAKES-Subscriber, Berkeley What
causes persons who are given to the drink habit
to excess to ''see snakes?
Several years ago experiments were
made. Sixteen alcoholic patients were