694789-1875-Marriage-Ordinance- — Page 2

386 THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 11TH SEPTEMBER, 1875.

Notices to be filed and

the Registrar General.

IX. The Registrar General shall file every such notice in his office; he shall, as heretofore, exhibit one copy of such notice at copies made by the Supreme Court House, and may, if he thinks fit, exhibit copies in other conspicuous places open to the public, and shall keep every such copy so exhibited until he issue a certificate as herein- after mentioned, or until the three months expire; he shall also enter a copy of the said notice with the date of such entry in a book to be called the "Marriage Notice Book," and shall allow any person to inspect such book during office hours without fee,

X. The Registrar General shall supply forms of notice gra- tuitously to persons applying for the same.

Forms of notice to be supplied gratis. Registrar General may

issue certifi-

cate.

After notice

XI. At any time not more than three months nor (except when the Governor grants a licence) less than fifteen days after the giving of such notice, the Registrar General shall, on the request of either of the parties, issue à certificate in the form A in the schedule hereto.

XII. The Governor may, at any time after a party has given the Governor notice as aforesaid, grant a licence in the form B in the schedule hereto, authorising the Registrar General to issue his certificate on or after any day named in such licence.

may grant a licence.

If marriage do

not take place mouths fresh

in three

notice to be given.

Special licence in case of

emergency.

Affidavit

certificate

or licence.

XIII. If the marriage do not take place within three months after giving the above notice, the notice given and all pro- ceedings thereupon shall be utterly void, and fresh notice will be required before any marriage can be had between the parties.

XIV. The Governor may, when he sees fit, grant a special li- cence in the form in the schedule hereto, dispensing with no- tice as aforesaid, or with the certificate of the Registrar General, or with both, and authorising the celebration of a marriage be- tween the parties named at a place and at a time specified in the licence.

The Governor may, when he sees fit, grant such licence without payment of any fee, or on payment of such reduced fee as under the special circumstances of the case he thinks sufficient.

XV. Before the Registrar General issues any certificate, and before issue of before the Governor grants any licence, one of the parties to the intended marriage shall appear personally before the Registrar Ge- neral and make affidavit (which the Registrar General is hereby authorised to take) that he or she believes that there is not any impediment of kindred or alliance or any other lawful hindrance to the marriage, and either that the consent of the parties required by law to consent to the marriage has been obtained or that no such consent is required.

Consent of parents or guardians to marriage of minors.

If no parent or

XVI. If either party to the intended marriage, not being a wi- dower or a widow, is under twenty-one years of age, the written consent of the father, or (if he be dead or non compos mentis) of the mother, or (if both be dead or non compotes mentis) of the law- ful guardian of such party, must be produced to the Registrar Ge- neral before he issues a certificate, or to the Governor before he grants a licence.

XVII. If there be no parent or guardian of such party residing guardian, Re-, in the Colony and capable of consenting, the Registrar General may gistrar General

give his consent in writing to the marriage, if upon enquiry the may consent.

marriage appear to him to be proper, and such consent shall be as effectual as if the father or mother or guardian had consented.

Issue of certifi- cate may be forbidden.

The Registrar

enquire into the right to forbid.

XVIII. Any person whose consent is required as aforesaid may forbid the issue of the Registrar General's certificate by writing the word "Forbidden" opposite the entry in the marriage notice book, and by signing his name and the character in which he for- bids the issue; and if the issue of any certificate be so forbidden, the notice and all proceedings thereupon shall be void.

XIX. If either of the parties to the intended marriage allege General may that the person forbidding the issue is not authorised by law so to do, the Registrar General shall enquire into the matter, and if he be satisfied that the person is not so authorised, he may proceed to issue the certificate in due course without reckoning the time that has elapsed since the issue was forbidden.

Appeal to the Supreme Court.

Penalty for

For the purposes of such enquiry, or of any enquiry under sec- tion XVII, the Registrar General may administer an oath to any person.

XX. If the Registrar General considers that the person forbid- ding the issue is authorised so to do, either of the parties to the intended marriage may appeal by petition to the Supreme Court, and the court, or any judge thereof, may hear and determine the matter of the petition in a summary way.

Such determination shall be final; and the Registrar General shall proceed in accordance therewith, without reckoning the time that has elapsed since the issue was forbidden.

XXI. If any person wilfully makes any false statement in any false statement. affidavit as aforesaid, or wilfully makes on oath any false statement, or gives any false answer in any enquiry by the Registrar General, he shall, on conviction before the Supreme Court, be liable to be