to give information respecting other schools of this kind, and to offer some suggestions respecting the most effective way of conducting them.

also holds the office of relieving officer of the Axminster Union, which, to many in this district, is very objectionable. I know persons in this town who have not availed themselves of the New Marriage Act, solely on account of being

Dissenting Chapels.

Feb. 13, 1844.

To the Registrar-General of Births, Marriages and Deaths.

SIR, I have been requested by the trustees and members of my congregation to address you on a singular case of marriage lately contracted at George's meeting-house, Colyton.

I happened to be from home last month, and in the interim obtained the services of a gentleman to supply the pulpit during my absence. On Tuesday morning, Jan. 9, Mr. Edwards, Superintendent Registrar of this district, knowing the above circumstances, sent a messenger to my clerk for the keys of the chapel, who, ignorant of the purpose intended, gave them to him. The chapel was opened by Mr. Edwards, who entered it, and there married certain parties not living in our town or parish, and totally unknown to any members of my congregation, or to any one in Colyton. The law directs that all marriages contracted in a place of religious worship shall be according to the rites and forms of the congregation. No such form was used on the occasion referred to, nor any application made by the parties for the purpose, and in what way the contract was made, I and my congregation are totally ignorant.

The object of this communication is, first, to lay before you the circumstances of the case; and, secondly, to learn from you if such a contract is legal, and, if legal, whether you think it right that an officer of your department should enter a chapel, belonging to a respectable body of Christians, without consulting either their minister or them, to marry parties unknown to them, and whose characters, if previously known, might cause their doors to be closed against them?

I am also directed to call your attention to the locality and situation of Mr. Edwards. He does not reside in the parish of Colyton, which is large, containing nearly 4000 inhabitants.

He

Since this was written, Mr. Edwards has taken up his residence in the

town.

relieving officer.

Hoping that you will excuse the freedictated by a sense of duty, I subscribe dom of this communication, which is myself, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

JAMES TAPLIN, Minister of George's Meeting, Colyton.

General Register Office,
Feb. 19, 1844.

REV. SIR,-I have the honour of acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 13th inst., detailing the circumstances under which a marriage took place at George's meeting-house, Colyton, of which you are minister, in the presence of Mr. Joseph Edwards, who is a Registrar of Marriages for the district of the Axminster Union, without your or the trustees' knowledge or consent; and wishing to learn whether such a marriage is legal, and if so, whether it was right of the Registrar to enter the chapel and register the marriage in question, without first consulting either yourself or your congregation. In reply, I am directed by the RegistrarGeneral to remind you, in the first place, that he has no authority under the "Act for Marriages in England" (6 and 7 Wm. IV. c. 85), or otherwise, to pronounce an official decision upon legal questions arising out of it. Such questions can only be settled by a legal competent tribunal; therefore, he will merely offer his individual opinion upon the questions you have submitted to him. He has no hesitation in stating that he does not consider the presence of a minister of religion on such an occasion to be at all essential in order to render the marriage valid; for on reference to the 20th section of the Act it is observable that the only persons whose presence is there expressly enjoined are, the Registrar of Marriages, the contracting parties, and two credible witnesses.

The Registrar-General further directs me to observe that the Act before mentioned is essentially a public Act. Its leading provisions (among which may be cited the 4th and 20th sections) are

applicable to the community at large, without reference to religious denominational distinctions, and the public generally are entitled to avail themselves of its privileges on duly complying with its requirements. Moreover, it is expressly provided by the 20th section, with reference to marriages in registered buildings, that such marriages may be solemnized therein "between and by the parties described in the notice and certificate, according to such form and ceremony as they" (the parties) “may see fit to adopt.' After a place of worship has been duly registered for marriages under this public Act, the minister, trustees, or other parties having the legal control over the building, who should deny the use of it for that purpose to any persons who have duly obtained a certificate or licence, would be incurring a serious responsibility.

Therefore, under these circumstances, if the certificate for the marriage you allude to contained a statement that such marriage should take place at the registered building in question, and if the contracting parties, who repaired to that building, repeated, in the presence of two credible witnesses, and in that of the Registrar of Marriages, the solemn words and declaration required by the 20th clause of the Act, they have contracted a good and valid marriage, notwithstanding that the ceremony took place in the absence of an officiating minister.

With reference to the objections which parties may have to Mr. Edwards, as a Marriage Registrar, merely on account of his holding the office of relieving officer, the Registrar-General desires me to state that he does not consider it one that ought to have much weight with him; but, although there are already two Marriage Registrars for the Axminster district, and although he would not permit their number to be unnecessarily increased, if the Superintendent Registrar, in whom the appointment is vested, should be of opinion that the public convenience requires the appointment of a third, whose residence should be in the parish of Colyton or its neighbourhood, and should send up to this office a statement to that effect, it would meet with a favourable consideration.

I have the honour to be, Rev. Sir,
Your obedient servant,
THOMAS MANN,
Chief Clerk.

To the Rev. James Taplin,
Colyton, Devon.

The correspondence given above calls for a few remarks. Our readers will observe it took place more than two years ago. It was at the time submitted to the Editor of the Christian Reformer for publication and comment, but it was then thought inexpedient to ask public attention to it, the mind of the religious public being at that time engaged with the Chapels' Bill. But the time has now come when it may be dispassionately considered.

The law, as laid down by the Chief Clerk of the Register Office, is certainly a surprise to us. If he be correct, then circumstances may arise in which, as at Colyton in 1844, the 6 and 7 Will. IV. c. 85, which was notoriously passed for the relief of persons conscientiously differing from the Church of England, may be converted into an instrument of insult and wrong. Persons having no desire or intention to solemnize marriage religiously, may, if Mr. Mann's reading of the Act be correct, demand and enforce the use of a registered place of worship, and hurt the feelings of those for whose benefit and at whose cost it was registered for marriage, by a mode of contract anything but solemn, and most unseemly. So large was the measure of relief designed by the Legislature, that in sec. 22, it provides for the case of parties objecting to the use of registered places of worship, and for their benefit legalizes marriages contracted "at the office" of the Superintendent Registrar. This circumstance to us appears to throw much light on the subject, and to meet entirely the argument of the Chief Clerk founded on the 6 and 7 Will. IV. c. 86, being a public Act. The wants of the public are hereby sufficiently provided for, without inflicting a wrong on any particular religious society. It is true that the Act does not, in order to a valid marriage in a registered place of worship, require the presence of the minister thereof. Had it required this, it would have been much less useful than it is to Dissenters. Nor does it even require the presence of any person recognized by the law of the land as a minister of religion; but the whole frame of the Act contemplates the presence of some person who shall go through the religious service usual in that place of worship. The requirements of the Act are fulfilled if in the course of the service certain words prescribed by it are uttered by the contracting persons in the hearing of the Registrar of Marriages.

We speak on this matter advisedly. Knowing it to be a question for lawyers to decide, we have taken counsel's opinion, and the several gentlemen whom we have consulted have confirmed our view of the matter.

We subjoin extracts from several valuable letters we have received on the subject.

From a Member of the Middle Tem

ple:

"I think that the serious responsibility' suggested in the Registrar-General's office has no foundation.

"The object of the Act was to legalize marriages solemnized in a given way, and not to give to any person or body of persons the use of chapels belonging to other persons. I apprehend that the sections referred to do not give the public any right to use our chapels, where the minister and trustees refuse their permission. And I think that refusal will be justifiable, where proper grounds exist.

"Assuming that a minister or trustee were, after a refusal on sufficient grounds, to be troubled by legal proceedings, and to be put to expense, I make no doubt that our public would join in indemnifying him.'

From Henry Coppock, Esq., Town Clerk of Stockport:

"As to the point whether the trustees of a registered building can prevent such an intrusion as that committed by this Mr. Edwards;-there can be no question whatever but that they can refuse the use of their building to any person but those who wish to be married there by the minister of that Dissenting church, or by those whom he permits to perform the ceremony. I have no doubt Mr. Edwards might have been proceeded against for the trespass he committed. It seems, however, he did it without notice to the contrary, and the probable supposition would be that he acted inadvertently and without any offensive intention. If he again acted in a similar manner, after notice, he may probably find it rather an expensive experiment. The religious opinions of Dissenters were to be respected by this Act of Parliament; it is not, and cannot be tortured into being, an Act for the desecration of their temples.

"As I read the Act, if a person is desirous of being married in any Dissenting church, he must (as in the Established Church of England) conform to the rites and ceremonies of that church where his marriage takes place;

if he does not like so to do, he must be married at the Superintendent's office. I should refuse to allow any marriage otherwise in our Unitarian church at Stockport, and I am confident I should incur no responsibility.

"Mr. Mann uses the words, 'they have contracted a good and valid marriage, notwithstanding that the ceremony took place in the absence of an officiating minister.' In a Dissenting church, any person who performed the marriage ceremony (not the Registrar or witnesses) would be the officiating minister. The Act says, "the person by or before whom the ceremony is performed;' and this was wise, because any other mode of expressing it would have required an explanation as to the persons who could be officiating ministers; but surely it cannot be contended that Pagan rites could be performed in a Christian temple against the consent of the owners thereof; for to this extent the argument, if correct, must extend."

From Charles Hudson, Esq., Coroner of North Cheshire:

"With respect to the RegistrarGeneral's law, I concur with him that the legal form of marriage is completed if the parties make the declaration contained in the 26th section, in the presence of the Registrar and two witnesses, in the registered building stated in the notice of marriage; but I differ with him in the opinion that the minister, trustees and parties having legal control of the registered building, would incur any responsibility in denying the use of it to parties who may see fit to adopt any form or ceremony which is not of a religious nature; for by section 18, no place can be registered but a place of public religious worship;' and the words in the 20th section, 'according to such form and ceremony as they may see fit to adopt,' and 'in some part of the ceremony,' must, I think, necessarily be construed to refer to a religious ceremony or form taking place in the registered religious building stated in the notice of marriage. Besides, the words, in some part of the ceremony,' shew that the mere repetition of the statutory words, 'in the presence of the Registrar of Marriages and two witnesses,' are not the whole of the ceremony contemplated by that clause, which uses the word 'solemnized,' being the same word used in the 4th section, in the case of marriages at the Established Church; whereas in the 21st section the words are, 'contract

and solemnize' marriage at the office of the Superintendent Registrar.

"To test the Registrar - General's opinion, suppose the parties should 'see fit to adopt' the form and ceremony of a dance, with fiddle, &c., to 'solemnize' the marriage in the registered building? They would have a right to commit this indecency, if his construction be correct.

"But I go further, and think that the form and ceremony must not only be of a religious nature, but must be such as can, without indecency or offence as regards the tenets taught in the registered building, take place within it. Throughout the Act, the Legislature plainly shew that they respect the rights of conscience in the matter of marriages; and in the construction of it the Judges would regard its spirit, and not be likely to assist any party who sought to turn the letter of it into an occasion of offence and impropriety revolting to the feelings of the community."

Tenterden British Schools. The anniversary of the opening of the British Schools at Tenterden was held on the 27th ult. It was a most gratifying day to the Committee, supporters and friends of the Schools. The whole of the proceedings, more especially when taken in connection with the report of the Secretary, the Rev. D. Pledge, minister of the Calvinist Baptist congregation, cannot but be contemplated with interest by all the friends of a liberal, unsectarian and religious education.

During the course of the day, 103 boys and between 60 and 70 girls were examined in reading, mental arithmetic, geography and natural history. Specimens also of the writing and drawing of the children were exhibited. The examination was conducted by Mr. Allpass and Miss Langford, the master and mistress of the Schools. The gentlemen of the Committee also proposed questions to the children. The rooms were tastefully decorated with flowers and evergreens, the children were neat and clean, and their cheerful and animated countenances shewed that they enjoyed the ordeal to which they were subjected. What rendered this examination and the proceedings at the public meeting in the evening peculiarly delightful was the presence and cheering sympathy of individuals of different denominations. The British Schools at Tenterden are bonâ fide British Schools. VOL. II.

5 E

The result of the first year has exceeded the most sanguine expectations of those who were most active in their establishment. Much good has been effected:-the intellectual powers of the children have been called forth, numbers have been preserved from evil influences, and the manners and morals of many have been greatly improved. But the good results of this system have not been confined to the children. This combined educational effort has tended to make better known to each other good men of different denominations. The mixed Committee, consisting of Wesleyans, Unitarians, Calvinist Baptists, has during the whole year of co-operation never experienced a difficulty springing from variety of religious opinion, and no difficulty has arisen from other causes which all have not endeavoured unitedly to overcome; and each member of the Committee, who in his turn took the office of inspector, felt that the children in these Schools, in consequence of the education which they were receiving, were becoming better prepared to derive good from wise parental instruction and from the lessons and admonitions of the Sundayschool teacher or pastor. Here the Gordian knot of educational difficulty has been gently untied. The difficult problem, How shall the children of parents of different denominations be educated together without interfering with the religious convictions of those parents? has been happily and easily solved. It is sectarian aggrandizement that renders a combined and fair system of education difficult in England. The desire to add numbers to their own sect through the instrumentality of these Schools, has been put on one side by the founders and promoters of them. When the same principles shall be generally acted upon, but not till then, will the education of the people of England be what it ought to be.

In the evening of the same day, the annual meeting of the supporters and friends of the Schools took place. The report stated that during the year 242 children had been admitted to the Schools. The catholic character of the institution was evidenced by the fact, that of the parents of the children, 45 belonged to the Church of England, 43 to the Methodists, 61 to Unitarians, to the Baptists 93. The resolutions were moved and supported by gentlemen of all parties in speeches of considerable merit. The Rev. Edward Talbot intimated his dissent from some of the views

lately put forth by his respected relation, Mr. Edward Baines, in the Leeds Mercury, and expressed his regret that the same parties who united to throw out Sir James Graham's Bill, did not also unite to promote a combined system of education, but chose rather to act separately with their own religious party.

Nottingham.-October 26, a congregational tea-party was held in the schoolrooms belonging to the High-Pavement chapel, to celebrate the opening of the new school-buildings. Upwards of 300 persons attended. Amongst the guests from a distance were Rev. W. James, of Bristol, who preached on the previous day the sermon for the school; Rev. W. Turner, of Halifax; Rev. C. Wicksteed, of Leeds; Rev. N. Jones, of Derby; and Mr. Joseph Barker. The lower room was tastefully decorated, and both rooms were greatly admired, as well calculated for the object for which they were constructed. The chair was filled by Charles Paget, Esq., of Ruddington Grange. The Rev. B. Carpenter stated that in 1788 the town of Nottingham had only one school, and that an exclusive one, for the children of the poor. In that year the HighPavement congregation established a day-school open to children of all religious denominations. W. Enfield, Esq., interested the meeting by reading an extract from a letter written by a person who twenty years ago received his education in their school, and who grate fully acknowledged the high character of the instruction communicated. Rev. Charles Wicksteed detailed the benevolent efforts of Mazzini in opening schools in London for the poor Italian boys. On the following day, the event of opening the new rooms was celebrated by a treat to the elder Sunday scholars, amounting to 250. On the next day, a similar gratification was offered to the day scholars and the junior Sunday scholars, amounting to more than 300. The proportions of the new rooms are, length, 61 and 53 feet; breadth, 21 and 233 feet; height, 184 and 11 feet. There are also two smaller rooms of 26 feet by 12 feet. The rooms are capable of accommodating 400 children.-The completion of thèse rooms is a most creditable effort on the part of the Nottingham congregation.

Hyde, Cheshire.-Oct. 31, a public teaparty was held at the commodious

school-rooms recently opened by the Messrs. Hibbert, of Godley, in connection with their manufactory, to celebrate the completion of the building and the successful commencement of the Day and Sunday schools. The buildings comprise three school-rooms (the largest of which is fitted up so as to be used for public meetings and, if required, as a place of worship) and a comfortable dwelling-house for Mr. and Mrs. Cousins, the master and mistress of the school. The tea-tables were presided over by Mrs. Robert Ashton, Mrs. A. W. Thornely, Miss Thornton, and other ladies. The Harmonic Society, who use the school-room for their meetings, attended and sung a variety of hymns in excellent style. The chair was taken by Mr. Thos. Hibbert. Speeches, chiefly bearing on education and the practical conduct of schools, were delivered by the Chairman, Rev. Jas. Brooks, Rev. R. Brook Aspland, Mr. Cousins and others. This is one of many schools which have recently arisen in the manufacturing district of Cheshire and Lancashire, and which are working a wholesome change in the mind and manners of the people. The premises have been erected at a cost of about £600. The proprietors have not only borne this expense, but guarantee a salary to the schoolmaster. The Day - school is open to all, at a small weekly payment; and the Sunday-school, at which the Christianity common to all sects and parties is alone taught, is open (of course without charge) to all. It is creditable to the district that, notwithstanding the numerous existing Sunday-schools, there has been from the first an abundant supply of zealous teachers at this new school.

Manchester. The Rev. Dr. Beard has succeeded in organizing, in connection with the large school-room under the Strangeways chapel, a "Working-man's Association," — something on the principle of the Lyceums already established in the town, only offering similar advantages on much lower terms, viz. a penny a-week. The school-rooms will be thrown open every evening, warmed and lighted for the use of the members, and newspapers, magazines and books, the free contributions (at least in the first instance) of friends to the institution, will be provided. One evening each week there will be either a lecture or a concert. Possibly, writing classes and a discussion society may