THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 11TH SEPTEMBER, 1875.
imprisoned for any term not exceeding two years with or without hard labour.
Celebration of Marriage.
XXII. Marriages may hereafter be celebrated in any licensed Marriage in place of worship by any competent minister of the church, deno- licensed places
of worship. mination, or body to which such place of worship belongs, and according to the rites or usages of marriage observed in such church, denomination, or body, provided that the marriage be cele- brated with open doors, and (except in case of a special licence) between the hours of six o'clock in the morning and six in the afternoon, and in the presence of two or more witnesses besides the officiating minister.
No minister shall celebrate any marriage, until the parties deli- ver to him the Registrar General's certificate or the Governor's special licence.
XXIII. The Registrar General shall cause to be prepared and Marriage cer- delivered to the several licensed places of worship books of marri- tificates. age certificates in duplicate and with butts in the form in the sche- dule hereto. The certificate shall be signed in duplicate by the officiating minister, by the parties, and by two or more witnesses to the marriage.
The minister shall deliver one certificate to the parties, imme- diately after the marriage, and shall transmit the other to the Re- gistrar General within seven days thereafter, and the Registrar General shall file the same in his office.
The officiating minister shall enter in the butt the names of the parties and the date of the marriage.
General,
XXIV. After the issue of a certificate by the Registrar Ge- Marriage neral, the parties may, if they think fit, contract a marriage before before the the Registrar General, in the presence of two or more witnesses, Registrar in the Registrar General's office, with open doors, and (except in case of a special licence) between the hours of ten o'clock in the forenoon and four o'clock in the afternoon, and in the following
manner:
The Registrar General, shall first address the parties to the following effect:-"Know ye, A.B. and C.D., that by the public taking of each other as man and wife in my presence and in the presence of the persons now here, and by the subsequent attes- tation thereof by signing your names to that effect, you become legally married to each other although no other rite of a civil or religious nature shall take place; and know ye further that this marriage cannot be dissolved during your life time, except by a valid judgment of divorce, and that if either of you, before the death of the other, shall contract another marriage while this remains undissolved, you will thereby be guilty of bigamy, and be liable to the punishment inflicted for that grievous offence."
Each of the parties shall then say to the other "I call upon all persons here present to witness that I, A.B., do take thee, C.D., to be my lawful wife [or husband]."
The Registrar General and the parties and witnesses shall thereupon sign duplicate certificates in the form and manner hereinbefore prescribed.
The Registrar General shall deliver one certificate to the parties and shall file the other in his office.
XXV. Whenever the Governor's special licence authorises Marriages by the celebration of a marriage at a place other than a registered special licence place of worship, or the office of the Registrar General, the at other places. Registrar General upon taking the affidavit of one of the parties to the marriage, shall deliver to him a blank certificate of mar- riage in duplicate, and the minister celebrating the marriage, the parties and two witnesses shall sign the same, in manner herein- before prescribed, and the minister shall deliver one certificate to the parties immediately after the marriage and shall transmit the other to the Registrar General within seven days there- after, and the Registrar General shall file the same in his office.
XXVI. The Registrar General shall register all certificates Certificates of marriage filed in his office in such order and manner as he how filed. thinks best suited for easy reference thereto.
XXVII. Any certificate of marriage filed in the office of the Certificates or Registrar General, or a copy thereof, provided it purport to be certified copies signed and certified as a true copy by the Registrar General, and to be evidence. to be sealed or stamped with his official seal, shall be admissi- ble as evidence of the marriage to which the same relates in any court of justice, or before any person now or hereafter having by law or by consent of parties authority to hear, receive and examine evidence.
certificate.
XXVIII. The Registrar Generál may, when authorised by the Correction of Colonial Secretary, correct any clerical error in any certificate of errors in marriage upon production to him of the certificate delivered to the parties, and shall authenticate every such correction by his signature, or by marking the same with his initials, and the date of making the correction.
387