cussion the more readily, from an impression that when the Act comes into operation some of its objectionable clauses will be practically ameliorated by the discretionary power of the Registrars. There is confessedly a considerable diversity of opinion amongst Dissenters themselves upon some parts of the measure, as the documents we now insert will show.

The first contains the Resolutions of the Dissenters' Committee for the county of Essex, Oct. 11th, and which we believe include the chief objections that are urged against the law as it now stands :--"That this Committee, in seeking to establish, on just grounds, the civil and religious rights of Protestant Dissenters, as they desire no more, so they can be satisfied with no less, than full equality with other classes of his Majesty's subjects; and are, therefore, dissatisfied with the following points in the Marriage Bill recently passed for their relief, because in those respects it creates differences between them and their fellow-subjects, to their disadvantage.

"First. The Act requires at their marriages, in those places of worship hereafter to be licensed for that purpose, the attendance of a District Registrar, which is not required at Jewish or Quaker marriages; and as Protestant Dissenters can appoint for the duties to be performed by the Registrar, a clerk for each of their places of worship that may be licensed for the celebration of marriages, as competent and responsible as the clerk of a Friends' meeting-house, or the secretary of a Jews' synagogue, this Committee repeats the claim to be put in this matter on an equality with their Jewish and Quaker countrymen.

Secondly. A Surrogate's licence for marriage at church dis

penses equally with publication of bans, and notice in the Superintendent Registrar's Book. Under such a licence parties may be mar ried without either of those proceedings. But the licence of a Superintendent Registrar cannot be issued without seven days' previous entry in the Marriage Notice Book, nor consequently without that notice having been read before a weekly meeting of the Guardians of the Poor. This Committee claims that the licence of a Regis trar should effect all for a Dissenter, and at the same cost, that a Surrogate's licence effects for an Episcopalian; but, as the Act stands, all that is accomplished by a Registrar's licence for those who have purchased it at the heavy cost of three pounds, besides stamps and fees, is, that they can be married fourteen days sooner, after notice entered in the Registrar's book, than by simple notice.

Thirdly. Though in the matter now to be complained of, all who may be married by notice in the Registrar's book are equally implicated, this Committee cannot but regard it as vexatious and degrading, that these notices of marriage should be universally read over at the meetings of the Guardians of the Poor, by which effectual publicity and the safety arising from it, cannot be secured, while an insulting association will be established between the relief of paupers and the marriages of Dissenters.

"And this Committee declare their conviction that these offensive enactments will form strong, if not insurmountable, obstacles to many Dissenters availing themselves of the privileges intended to be conferred by the Bill; but that these defects being removed, it would be universally received with great satisfaction and thankfulness." The second has been just issued

by the Unitarian ministers, who certainly express their satisfaction in very courtly terms. The boon, however, is more valuable to them than to any other class of nonconformists, and that may be one reason why they employ such a laudatory style.

"At an extraordinary meeting of the body of Protestant Dissenting Ministers of the Presbyterian denomination, residing in and about the cities of London and Westminster, held at Dr. Williams's Library, Red Cross Street, on Tuesday, the 22d of November,

1836.

"The Rev. Joseph Barrett, in the chair. It was resolved unanimously:

"That this body having deliberately considered the Marriage and Registration Acts recently passed, and to come into operation on the 2d of March next, feel themselves called upon to declare their approbation of the principle and the general provisions of these Acts, and their readiness to observe faithfully the requirements of the new laws (as far as depends upon them), and to recommend the faithful observance of them to the congregations with which they stand in connection, not doubting that if any difficulty or inconvenience be found to arise from the working of the Acts, they will be remedied by the same justice and wisdom which have given birth to these important measures.

"That these Acts, recommended by his Most Gracious Majesty in his speech from the throne, at the commencement of the last session of Parliament, and constituting so great an addition to the liberties and privileges of all classes of Dissenters from the Established Church, are in the opinion of this body, a new tie upon the consti

tutional loyalty of the English people.

"That this body declare their gratitude to the two Houses of Parliament in relation to the Marriage Act in particular, for framing the legal provisions with so studious a regard to the conscientious opinions and feelings of the classes of Christians for whose relief and benefit the Acts were designed.

"That this body also present their cordial thanks to Viscount Melbourne and the rest of his Majesty's ministers, for these and other great and salutary measures of their administration, by which they have testified a resolute determination to do equal justice to all classes and denominations of his Majesty's subjects.

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THOMAS REES, LL.D. Secretary."

III. The Forms which the Act prescribes.

Places of Worship. Mr. Aspland 1. The Registry of our respective has thus stated the method prescribed :

"The mode of obtaining such registry is as follows. Any proprietor or trustee may deliver to the superintendent registrar of the district a certificate, signed, in two parts, by twenty or more householders, that such building has been used by them during one year at the least as their usual place of public religious worship, and that they are desirous that such marriages therein: each part of the place should be registered for solemnizing certificate will be countersigned by the proprietor or trustee delivering it; the superintendent registrar is, at the time of includes every thing payable in respect delivery, entitled to receive 3., which of the registry. The superintendent will send both certificates to the registrargeneral, who will register the building in a book to be kept at the general registryoffice, and endorse on each certificate

the date of registry, and will keep one and return the other to the superintendant, who will keep it with the other records of his office, and will enter the date of the registry in a book to be furnished by the registrar-general, and will give a certifi

cate of the registry under his hand, on parchment or vellum, to the proprietor or trustee above named, and will give notice of the registry, by advertisement in some newspaper circulating within the county, and in the London Gazette.

2. The acts required to be done by persons desiring to solemnize marriage after 1st day of March, 1837, have been set forth in the following notice, which has just been issued by T. H. Lister, Esq., the Registrar General:

"1. Persons desirous of solemnizing marriage according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, may be so married after publication of bans, or by licence, or by special licence, as heretofore; or they may be married (without publication of bans, or by licence, or special licence) according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, on production of a certificate from the Superintendant Registrar of the district, to be obtained in the following manner, viz. :—

"One of the parties intending marriage must give notic, under his or her hand, to the Superintendant Registrar of the district within which the parties shall have dwelt for not less than seven days then next preceding; or if they dwell in different districts, they must give the like notice to the Superintendant Registrar of each district. The notice must be in the form of a schedule, which the Superintendant Registrar will furnish on being applied to, and must be filled up with the following particulars: The name and surname of each of the parties; whether bachelor or widower, spinster or widow; their respective rank, profession, or calling; whether minors, or of full age; their respective dwelling places; whether they have resided within the district more than one calendar month, or if not, how long; in what church or building the marriage is to be solemnized; the district and county in which the other party resides when they dwell in different districts.

"A copy of such notice will be entered by the Superintendant Registrar in a book called The Marriage Notice Book,' which will be open at all reasonable times, without fee, to all persons desirous of inspecting the same.

"The notice must be read by the Su perintendant Registrar, or by the clerk to the guardians, at three weekly meetings of the guardians, or, if such meetings are not held weekly, at any meeting

of the guardians within twenty-one days from the day of the ntoice being entered in the Marriage Notice Book, and after the expiration of twenty-one days after the entry of the notice, if no impediment has been shown, the Superintendant Registrar may be required to issue a certificate.

"2. Persons (except Quakers and Jews) desirious of solemnizing marriage, not according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, may be married according to other rites and cere monies, on production of a certificate ob tained as above-mentioned, in a registered place of worship, provided that every such marriage shall be solemnized with open doors, between the hours of eight and twelve in the forenoon, in the presence of some registrar in the district in which such registered building is situate, and of two or more credible witnesses; provided also that in some part of the ceremony, and in the presence of such registrar and witnesses, each of the par ties shall declare, as follows:-'I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I, A. B., may not be joined in matrimony to C. D.' And each of the parties shall say to the other, 'I call upon these persons here present to witness that I, A. B., do take thee, C. D., to be my lawful wedded [wife or husband].' Provided also that there be no lawful impediment to the marriage of such parties.

"Persons may be married after seven days from the entry of the notice, if by licence, and after twenty-one days if without licence. A licence may be granted by the Superintendant-registrar, but only for marriage in a registered building within his district, or in his office; but before any licence can be granted by him, one of the parties intending marriage must appear personally before him, and in case he shall not the Superintendant-registrar to whom notice of such intended marriage was given, shall deliver to him the cer tificate of the Superintendant-registrar, or Superintendant registrars, to whom such notice shall have been given; and such party shall make oath, or shall make his or her solemn affirmation or decla. ration, instead of taking an oath, that he or she believeth that there is not an impediment of kindred or alliance or other lawful hindrance to the said marriage, and that one of the said parties hath for the space of fifteen days immediately before the day of the grant of such licence, had his or her usual place of abode within the district within which such marriage is to be solemnized, and where either of the parties (not being a widower or widow)

shall be under the age of twenty-one years, that the consent of the person or persons whose consent to such marriage is required by law has been obtained thereto, or that there is no person having authority to give such consent, as the case may be.

"3. Persons objecting to be married either according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, or in any such registered building, may, after notice and certificate as aforesaid, solemnize marriage at the office of the Superintendant-registrar, with open doors, between the hours of eight and twelve in the forenoon, in the presence of the Superintendant-registrar and some registrar of the district, and in the presence of two witnesses, making the declaration and using the form of words required in the case of marriage in a registered building.

"Quakers may contract and solemnize marriage according to the usages of their Society, provided both parties are of that Society, and that notice shall have been given to the Superintendant-registrar, and a certificate shall have been issued as before-mentioned.

"Jews may likewise contract and solemnize marriage according to the usages of the Jewish religion, under similar provisions.

"Every marriage of which notice has been entered as aforesaid must be solemnized within three calendar months after such entry, or the notice must be renewed.

"Every marriage solemnized after the 1st of March, 1837, under the provisions of this Act for marriages in England, in any other manner that as herein before directed, will be null and void.

"Be it also particularly observed that if any valid marriage shall be had under the provision of the act for marriages in England by means of any wilfully false notice, certificate, or declaration made by either party to such marriage, as to any matter to which a notice, certificate, or declaration is therein required, his Majesty's Attorney General or Solicitor General may sue for a forfeiture of all estate and interest in any property accruing to the offending party by such marriage; and the procedings and the consequences will be the same as are provided in the like case with regard to marriages by licence before the passing of these Acts."

3. The Duties and Rights of Dissenting Ministers. Mr. Aspland remarks:

N.S. NO. 144.

"As a registrar must be present at every marriage solemnized in a registered place of worship, the dissenting minister is relieved of nearly all responsibility. He is required to sign in the marriage register book the entry of every marriage solemnized by or before him, c. 85, s. 23, and should satisfy himself that the place of worship in which the marriage is solemnized is the registered building specified in the notice and certificate; that the person attending at the marriage as a registrar of marriages of the district, including the registered building, is in fact such (which may be ascertained, if there be doubt, by inquiry at the superintendant's office); that the marriage is had within three calendar months after the entry of the notice of marriage, the time of which will appear on the superintendent's certificate, or on the licence if the marriage be so solemnized, c. 85, 8. 39. The certificate will not be issued, nor license granted by the superintendent till the expiration of the seven days or twenty-one days after entry of the notice: the marriage may therefore be had immediately, on production of the certificate or licence. It is not necessary that the minister should be present at a marriage solemnized in a registered place of worship (c. 85, s. 20, 23); if he be present, he may, in addition to the forms required by s. 20, use any form and ceremony he pleases. Possibly the various religious bodies may each agree on some form of marriage service, to be adopted at discretion. But the forms given in s. 20 should be introduced in on early part of the service, so that the registrar present may meet with no unnecessary delay in the completion of his duties. No person can attend to forbid the marriage at the time of its celebration, as that must be done by entry in the marriage notice book, kept by the superintendent, or by entering a caveat with the superintendent, as directed by c. 85, ss. 9 and 13, But, slight as is the dissenting minister's official responsibility under these Acts, it is obvious that the frequency with which his advice will be asked by members of his congregation, renders it of great importance that he should acquaint himself minutely with the proceedings necessary before marriage. He will, perhaps, think it advisable to provide himself with printed forms of the notice of marriage given by c. 85, Schedule (A).

4. The Registrar of Marriage. -The clauses of the Act relating to this officer call for the immediate attention of dissenting con

5 N

We again avail ourselves of Mr. Aspland's perspicuous statements. "The guardians of every union and of every parish or place having a board of guardians under the provisions of that Act (4th and 5th of William IV. c. 76,) are subject to the approval of the registrar-general, to divide the union, parish, or place into districts, each to be called by a distinct name, and to be a registrar's district, and are to appoint a registrar of births and deaths within each district, (it will be observed that such registrar is not by virtue of his office a registrar of marriages,) in which, as in other respects, the nature of his office differs from that of the superintendent.

"The clerk to the guardians has the option, if qualified under the general rules of the registrar-general, of becoming the superintendent registrar of their union, parish, or place if he refuse to accept the office or be disqualified, the guardians are to appoint to it, c 86, s. 7. The superintendent registrar of births and deaths is, in right of his office, superintendent registrar of marriages within his union, parish, or place, which is to be deemed his district; he may, subject to the approval of the guardians, appoint one or more persons, with such qualifications as the registrar-general may, by general rule, declare to be necessary, to be a registrar or registrars, for the purpose of being present at marriages to be solemnized by virtue of the Act for Marriages, at which the presence of a registrar is made necessary, c. 85, s. 17.

"From the language of this section it seems to have been purposely left open to the superintendent to appoint some regis ter of marriages agreeable to each dissenting congregation; it is therefore presumed that in making these appointments attention will be paid to suggestions from any congregation.

The registrar of marriages has no appoint a deputy; he is, in fact, himself

a deputy of the superintendent, who may perform the duties of his district, and is not required, though he is permitted, to appoint registrars of marriages."-S. 43pland's Treatise on the Marriage and Registration Acts, &c.

IV. The best method of cele brating marriage amongst Dissenters.

On this subject the Editor of the Christian Observer, after reciting the form the Act prescribes, goes on to remark,

"In this godless, graceless manner, parties are to be united together in legal matrimony. There is not a word of any religious ceremonial; though, if married at a registered building, the parties may add that if they please, and

no doubt will in most cases do so.

As

the principle of Congregational Independency is adopted by almost all the Dissenters, and free prayer' is one of the most essential parts of their system, they cannot be tied to any particular form, or unite together, without a violation of their principles, to arrange a common plan; so that no person can tell how he will be married under the new system, any more than what the minister will pray for or exhort. Will the new Congregational Convocation' seize the occasion to fetter its free brethren by recommending' an appropriate formula?"—October, p. 639.

We must say that these observations are very unworthy of their author, and betray, beyond all question, the malevolent feelings which the trifling diminution of clerical importance and profit which this Act will occasion, has excited in his bosom.

Those who may celebrate their marriages in Dissenting chapels may at least be sure of this, that in most cases the service will be quite as appropriate as that of

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The Form of the Solemnization of Matrimony," prescribed by the Church of England, a form, be it remembered, at which those who have a quick sense of delicacy often blush, and which the clergy indiscriminately read with marvellous nonchalance to the old and young