ALTERATION IN THE MARRIAGE ACT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3565, 14 October 1880, Page 2

ALTERATION IN THE MARRIAGE ACT.

[FROM TFlfi " DUNEDItf HERALD."] Considerable dissatisfaction prevails amongst officiating" clergymen at some of the provisions of "The Marriage Act, 1880," which was intended, or rather we should say was represented, to be a mere consolidation of the various Acts relating to mama^e which were ia force nt the time it was pa sed. By some oversight, a schedule has been iutroduced of a very different description to the one in "Tho Marriage Act, 185-1." At present tho duty of performing the ceremony of marriage is a troublesome, and in some instances a thankless business, and many clergymen will find a strict compliance with the law a matter of difficulty. We iind on reference to section thirty- five of tho Act passed last session, that every officiating minister by whom a marriage is iolemnized must forthwith — that is, after the marriage — register in a book to be kept for that purpose the several particulars relating to such marriage according to the forms iv Schedule E to Act, and the register must be signed by the officiating minister aud tho persons married as well as by two witnesses. Turoiug to the schedule to which wo have alluded, it will he found that, iv addition to the particulars which the old Act required to be furnished, tho minister must ascertain and state tho names and surnames, as well as the rank or profession, of the fathers aud mothers of tho persons married, as also the birthplaces of the latter. The schedule is of a somewhat formidable character, . nd to fill it up accurately will require great care. It seems to us that to increase the duties of those who celebrate marriages ifnnia is scarcely fair, especially as the»e extra duties could bo very well performed by the Regislnrs, who receive remuueratiou for their services.

If every officiating minister were, as in some of the other Colonies, Registrars, and entitled to receive payment for their services, we could well understand the amendments which have been made ; bat it shoald be remembered that clergymen have to celebrate marriages withoct reward, frequently at great inconvenience, sometimes at an actual loss to themselves, and the careless or improper perfor. mance of their duties is attended with penal consequences of a very disagreeable nature. Moreover, the excitement which usually accompanies a marriage is not conducive to obtaining such information as will enable the minister to supply the particulars which the Act requires to be furnished. Many of the details which are required by Schedule E could, and we think shoald, be procared by the Registrar on application being made to him by one of the persons intending marriage. This appears to us to be the proper time and place to get all necessary information and to lessen the burden of paid Registrars by increasing that ofunrewarded officiating ministpr« is neither equitable uor desirable. We are aware that the subject which we have discussed is one which has attracted some attention, and has already created annoyance. We venture to direct the attention of Government to a grievance which, so long as it is allowed to exist, will occasion nnnecessary anxiety and unpleasantness.