believed to be a clergyman, or,
in the case of Jews, has been solemnised according to the rites observed
by persons professing the Jewish religion, or, in the case of Quakers,
according to the rites or form observed by persons belonging to the
Society of Friends commonly called Quakers.

"And be it enacted, that the word 'clergyman' shall include all
clergymen or ministers of religion authorised to solemnise marriage,
whether belonging to the established church, or to any other church, or
to any sect or persuasion by whatever name or denomination known.

"And be it enacted, that this act may be amended or repealed by any act
to be passed during the present session of Parliament."

The operation of this Bill, it will be seen, depends so far on the
machinery provided by another Bill which is also now before Parliament,
"for registering births, deaths, and marriages, in Scotland." Into the
details of that Bill, it is unnecessary here to enter; find we shall
only mention that it provides for the establishment of resident officers
in various districts and subdistricts in Scotland, who are to keep a
book for the formal registration of the events specified in the title of
the Bill. We are no enemies of a judicious system of registration,
though we do not approve of all the enactments of the Bill in question,
and we think that they will require special and close examination before
they shall be sanctioned by the Legislature. But we shall merely insert
at present the clause that seems most material for discussing the merits
of the Marriage Bill.

"And be it enacted, that in all cases of marriage contracted in Scotland
from and after the last day of December one thousand eight hundred and
forty-seven, the persons contracting such marriage, at the time of the
contraction thereof, or within two months thereafter, shall sign along
with two witnesses, in the presence of the registrar, the entry of such
marriage in the register-book to be kept by the registrar, and the
registrar shall make such entry according to the form of Schedule (C.)
hereunto annexed; and if the person so contracting marriage, together
with two witnesses as aforesaid, shall, within ten days thereafter,
attend upon the registrar for the purpose of signing the entry in the
register, the registrar shall for such entry be entitled to a fee of
five shillings; and if such persons shall so attend after ten days and
within two months of contracting the marriage, the r