so many successive years in these communities, and especially, to even guess at the probable cause or causes which may have contributed to these results.

In our last Report, (pp. 25-27,) some evidence was given to show the existing defectiveness in marriage records, indicating, also, the sources of such deficiency. Since then we have met with some well-timed remarks from an authoritative writer, on the importance of marriage records, from which we transcribe the following apposite excerpts:

More attention is given in this country to the pedigree of animals than of human beings, and many persons can tell the exact genealogy of a favorite horse for several generations, who do not know the maiden names of their own grandmothers, nor would it be possible for them to ascertain the fact from any legal records.

It would probably be impossible for a large portion of the middle-aged men and women in the United States to prove that their own parents were ever married, and that they have any legitimate right to the name they bear.

The necessity for such information and proof is daily felt, and its constantly increasing importance furnishes abundant reason for the establishment of an efficient system of registration.

When we consider the effect of marriages upon the titles to property, and their importance in tracing the history of families, the indifference in this country to the preservation of the proof of these events, is most remarkable. The tendency, for some years past, of all legislation upon the subject, at least in the Eastern States, has been to remove all impediments to the performance of the marriage ceremony. The public notice of the intention of marriage has been generally abolished, and in some States parties of almost any character or age, and even of. different races, can be united for life, without restriction. The most sacred obligations-obligations which are not for a day, but which can be rightly absolved only by death, are assumed with less form and ceremony, and are made a matter of less importance than the conveyance of a square foot of land.

It is certainly reasonable that legislative enactments should place some restriction upon the hasty assumption of such obligations; but, at any rate, if persons will act thus inconsiderately, it is no more than just, that the rights of their posterity should be protected by the careful record of their folly.

In all portions of this country, so far as I am aware, where any regulations exist upon the subject, it is made the duty of the clergyman, or other person performing the ceremony, to furnish the report of the marriage to

the recording officer. In Massachusetts and Connecticut, a preliminary record of the intention of marriage must be made. In Rhode Island, the blanks in the return of a marriage must be filled out, and must be signed by the parties, and delivered to the clergyman, before he can perform the ceremony. But we still depend upon the clergyman for the return, and there seems to be no particular benefit in the regulation, except that when the clergyman has the blanks already filled and signed, he may be more inclined to do his duty, and make the return to the recording officer. It also enables us to show what portion of those who enter the marriage state can write their own names."

The registration records, especially those relating to births and marriages, have been appropriately styled "the poor man's charter." They often prove to be historical facts of the greatest value, and in preventing litigation concerning the legitimate direction in the descent of inheritable property, will undoubtedly save, here as they have been found to in other countries, more than the whole cost of carrying out the full intentions of a complete registration law. The obligatory responsibility of those whose duty it is to see. that all such facts are duly recorded is therefore very great; and the results of a neglect, whether from intention or from indifference, in the faithful discharge of such duty, devolving upon clergymen and others, becomes oftentimes irremediable in perpetuating injustice. For those who officiate in the marriage ceremony, to neglect to transmit the proper facts concerning the same, to the proper officer, is not only a violation of a law of the State, but an injustice to the parties married as well as also prospectively to their posterity.

Although the law relating to marriage has met with some slight changes recently, yet we cannot but regret that an important feature to which we have heretofore made allusion, was not incorporated in the enactment. We refer to requiring the parties to the marriage contract to sign the same personally. Such is required in Rhode Island and also in England. We would again urge this point upon the consideration of the legislature to whom, reasons of a legal nature will we think readily suggest themselves. It would also enable us to determine to some extent the educational condition of the parties. In Prussia no man is permitted

* Report to the National Sanitary Convention, Boston Meeting, June, 1860 By Ed. M. Snow, M. D., of Providence, R. I.

to marry until he can read and write. In England the proportion of those who sign with marks is greater in women than in men, but in both it has been diminishing during the last twenty years. In their last Report* it is stated, "there are two kinds of statistics which are employed to show the state of elementary education in a country. The people are asked whether they can read or write, and the results are recorded; or when they are called upon to sign a public document-their own marriage register, for instance -the signatures by marks and by writing are counted. Upon the latter method facts only are recorded; and the people are taken indiscriminately from all classes of the population. The interpretation of this is a subsequent operation. Some women who can write badly, sign with a cross; and great numbers of those who write their names write indifferently, and scarcely intelligibly. The line which separates the two classes is often indefinite; but it is drawn by the people themselves, and is drawn under the influence of the same feelings in different parts of the kingdom. The error may be regarded as a constant quantity; consequently the proportions writing in successive years, and in the several counties, indicate clearly the state and progress of that important branch of elementary education.

It is gratifying to find that the numbers signing the marriage registers with marks have rapidly decreased since 1841. The improvement is most striking in the women. In the last year [1858] 73 in 100 men, and 62 in 100 women, wrote their names; so 27 men and 38 women, in 100 of each sex, made their marks in signing their names. Seventeen years ago 33 in 100 men, and 49 in 100 women, made marks in signing the marriage registers. The signatures, it should be borne in mind, represent the state of education some years previous to the marriage."

These are important facts; and it would be interesting to compare them with similar facts for our own State, but as yet we have no data for determining the results. In a former Report† of the Registrar-General of England, in commenting on the French returns in the Annual Report of M. Legoyt for 1853, the following language is used: "There can be no doubt that the analysis of the relative numbers that sign the marriage registers with marks

* XXIst Reg. Rep. Eng. 1858, pp. iv. v.
†XVIIIth Reg. Rep. Eng. 1855, p. xxx.

and that write their names in the national returns, throws more light on the permanent results of elementary education than any other test that has yet been devised. That view of the matter is now taken by foreign statists; and this interesting item appears for the first time in the French returns.

It is a remarkable fact that, exclusive of the metropolitan cities, in England and France nearly the same proportion, 34 in every 100 of the men who marry, do not write their names in signing the marriage register; the French women are even less versed in writing than the English women; for of French women, 55 in 100 did not write their names, of English women 48 did not write their names, but made their marks. Both the proportions are deplorably high, and show how much has to be done to convey the first rudiments of instruction to the great body of the people in two of the most enlightened nations of the world."

Were our marriage returns complete, it would be interesting to compare the proportion of marriages to the population in Massachusetts with that of England. As it is, our defective returns show lower rates than actually exist, but they are much higher than in foreign countries. The distribution of the population by ages doubtless has some influence in producing this result. In. every 100 persons living, there are between ages 20 and 50, in Massachusetts 45, and in England only 41. The annual rates of registered marriages in Massachusetts, in England, and in Scotland, during each of the past five years, were as follows:

The year 1858 following closely upon the financial disturbances which broke out in September, of 1857, shows quite a falling off in the marriage rates in each of the places named above, but while 1859 shows a full recovery in the rates in England and Scotland, it does not seem to have fully recovered the average rates in Massachusetts.

The marriage rates are not uniform through the different seasons of the year. There are more weddings in the last quarter, than in either of the others; and this appears true pretty generally in the different years, and in all localities that have presented facts for us to determine this point. Let it be remembered that the average of the quarters is 25 per cent., and an inspection of the following will enable us to determine the degree of excess that the last quarter of the year shows in marriages in the specified localities.

PER CENT. OR PROPORTION OF MARRIAGES in the last three months of the year, to 100 in the entire year, in the places specified :

Massachusetts, 1859, 1 year,

29.16 Rhode Island, 1858, 1 year, . 32.4 Massachusetts, 1852-58, 7 years, . 29-57 Rhode Island, 1853-57, 5 years,. 29-0 England, 1855-59, 5 years, . 29.96 Kentucky, 1852-58, 7 years, . 34.84 Scotland, 1855-59, 5 years, . 31-20 South Carolina, 1858-59, 2 years, 42.13

After the last quarter, the second quarter, terminating with the last day of June, presents the next highest proportion, while the first and the third quarters of the year present the lowest per cent.

The same characteristics will be noticed in a more satisfactory manner in the following statement, which exhibits the proportion of marriages to the population in those communities which present facts susceptible of such computation.