MARRIAGE REFORM.—REGISTRATION OFFICE MARRIAGE 3.
rTo nix EDITOR Os THE " SPECTATOR."1
the evidence given in the Divorce Commission inquiry I notice that up to the present no information has been forthcoming respecting the working of the Marriage Department in the Registration Offiee. "According to the
evidence of the Dislsop of Birmingham, this ought to be a strong feature in the inquiry, as his Lordship would make all marriages a civil contract, leaving the religious part of the arrangement to the inclinations of those concerned. As his Lordship's opinion represents, I believe, that of a large pro- portion of the laity in the Church of England, as well as of a great number of Nonconformists and Roman Catholics, it is not unlikely that future legislation may take this direction. In that case the system of civil marriages by the Registration Office should be inquired into with the view of effect- ing many needed reforms. As I was for many years employed in the office of one of the largest registration districts in London, perhaps you will permit me to indicate some changes which should be speedily introduced with a view to sweeping away the evils fostered by the present system.
The object of the publication of the banns of marriage before the congregations in churches is to secure publicity, and to provide an opportunity for the announcement of any reasonable or valid objection. The same object was desired by those who made the regulations which control the Registration Office ; hence it is stipulated that all notices of marriage shall be conspicuously displayed in the office of the superintendent registrar before the wedding takes place. In the case of church weddings a large measure of publicity is ensured by the news being spread by the scattered congrega- tion. As for the publicity of the Registration Office, it is practically worthless. Only those who have occasion to visit the office have an opportunity of seeing the notices, and they are too much concerned about their own business to care about the weddings of other people. The stranger sauntering into the office to gratify his curiosity would be likely to feel that he was intruding. Occasionally anxious friends come to the office to look at the list in the fear of seeing there the names of those in whom they are concerned, but this seldom happens. The fact is, most people amongst the working classes who chiefly favour such marriages have very limited ideas con- cerning the regulations of the Registration Office. It rarely , enters their mind that the notice of marriage is intended to
serve the purpose of publication by banns, otherwise I have no doubt the offices would be more frequently visited by anxious parents and friends. I have noticed that in many of the bigamy eases heard in the Police Courts the marriages have been contraetedin the Registration Office. The reason is apparent. All the surroundings of the Registration Office favenr concealment. Notoriety is net secured-hy-theptiblished settees; the two necessary witafeases required by lieense and ordinary marriages can be procured anyhow at a moment's notice ; the public do not stray into the office attracted by curiosity as parishioners and wayfarers would stroll into a church to see the wedding ceremony. In all the years that I have been connected with a London Registration Office, in which over a thousand marriages a year are celebrated, I cannot recall half-a-dozen instances in :which strangers have been present. One excuse for the privacy might be found in the fact that often pregnant women come to be married, and perhaps in many cases the bridegroom would be disinclined to -make this act of reparation if obliged to face the ordeal of a marriage in a place of worship. Many therefore who have questionable reasons for keeping their wedding secret seek to attain this end by marriage at the Registration Office. To help in mitigating this evil greater publicity should be given to notices of marriage. This might partly be secured by posting the notice in some conspicuous place in the Town or Parish HalL Or, better still, they might be advertised at the cost of those interested in the loeal newspaper circulated in the district. Considerable publieity would then be ensured, for people would read the notice of coming marriages with the same avidity with which they now peruse their accomplish- ment. Young people under age must first procure the consent of their parents before the marriage can be celebrated. This is a , most useful precaution. The fence hedged around marriage by this valuable prohibi- tion is, however, frequently leaped over by making a false declaration. Few preeautions are taken to avoid this likely result. Discovery is reduced to a minimum through the privacy of the marriage, the very witnesses called for the purpose having probably never seen the parties until a few moments before the ceremony. In all such cases, where the suspicions of the Registrar are excited, I think the pro- duction of the birth certificate should be insisted upon, which in these days of 'universal birth registration there can be, in most cases, little difficulty in securing.
The manner in which the two necessary witnesses to the wedding are frequently secured is most objectionable. Numbers come unprovided with witnesses, trusting to chance for the necessary two to be forthcoming. The consequence is that at the last moment they rush in all directions to procure any one available for this purpose. Persons tire thus secured whom they have never seen before, whom they are never likely to meet again, and should it be at any time necessary to find such it would be like hunting 'for the proverbial needle in the bundle of hay. I have known painters at work in the locality, cabmen, street musicians and hawkers, casual passers-by in the street, suddenly solicited for this .purpose. Very often the district registrars if asked to do so agree to provide witnesses at a fee of half-a- crown. These are nice little perquisites for relatives and friends. The remuneration is frequently in advance of the stipulated figure. I knew two ladies who for over ten years were in this way employed as witnesses in a London office, averaging, I should estimate, two weddings a week. These must, at this rate, have acted in this career of usefulness in over one thousand marriages. Imagine these ladies being called upon to give evidence of identity in a Law Court. It would be a hard. strain on theeredulity of a jury to ask them to believe in the tenacity of a memory that could identify a particular bride- groom out of the thousand they had acted for. One remedy would be to insist on the marriage party naming their witnesses at the time when notice of marriage is given, and to demand their production, or satisfactory substitutes, when the marriage is celebrated.
In the above remarks I have, I think, furnished some good
reasons to convince those interested in marriage reform that an independent inquiry would be likely to result in desirable alterations and changes in the control of the Government Registration Department.—I am, Sir, ere.,
Alf Ex-OFFICIA_L.
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