No. 2. Act 2 Vic. c. 13. Manner in which registers of confirmed registers, and all copies thereof, respectively certified under the hand of the person for the time being having the lawful care of the same, to be true copies, shall be, and the same are hereby declared to be, good evidence of such marriages as aforesaid, respectively, as fully as if such register had been made and kept, and such certified copies had been made respectively by persons appointed by law to make and keep the same, and shall be received in evidence in all Courts, and before all Judges and Magistrates. XV. That the better to preserve evidence of marriages so registered, and to facilitate the proof thereof, every person in whose custody any register lawfully is or shall be at the time of the commencement of this Act, shall, within six months after such the commencement of this Act, respectively make or cause to be made a fair and correct copy of every such register and of every entry therein contained; and it shall be lawful for any Christian minister as aforesaid, to examine, verify, and correct, (if anywhere found incorrect) by the original, any such copy of a register kept by any person or persons of the persuasion to which he belongs, and to take the same before any Magistrate, and make and sign the following declaration, which any Magistrate to whom the same shall be tendered is hereby authorized and required to receive, and to certify in manner following, that is to say :— I, A. B., (describe the persuasion to which he belongs) do hereby solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare that I have carefully examined this copy, beginning the and year), and ending on the (month and year) and containing day of day of pages, and (month Penalty on a false declara tion. How Marriages de facto are to entries of marriages, with the original register: and I believe the presence. Signed C. D. day of before Which declaration and Magistrate's certificate thereof shall be entered and signed at the end of the copy to which it relates; and the copy shall be then securely sealed up, and forthwith sent to the secretary of the colony as aforesaid, to be by him kept with the register of marriages, in his office, where the same may be searched; and any copy of any entry therein certified under his hand to be a true copy, shall be of the same force and effect as any certified copy whatsoever made by him is or can be; and which certified copies he is hereby required to make, and may receive payment for as in other cases. XVI. That if such minister as aforesaid shall wilfully make or sign any such declaration, knowing the same to be false, he shall be liable to the pains and penalties to which persons guilty of wilful and corrupt perjury are liable. XVII. And whereas, in consequence of imperfect instruction in the Christian religion, and from other causes, many marriages de be made valid. facto have taken place between persons one or both of whom were in the condition of slavery, and other persons, but which marriages de facto have never been sanctioned by any public ceremony or formally registered; and in many such cases the parties have had offspring of such last-mentioned marriages, and it is expedient that or thereabouts, at Present, } (Signed) A. B. No. 2. Act 2 Vic. c. 13. made and kept. and such marriage ceremony shall have relation back to the time of the marriage de facto; and all such children shall be deemed and taken to have been born in holy wedlock, and shall possess and enjoy all the rights, privileges, and advantages of persons born in lawful wedlock; and to preserve evidence thereof, a duplicate A duplicate original declaration shall then and there, before the parties depart, register to be be made, signed, and attested in the same manner; and the original declaration shall be appended to, and kept with the original register, and the duplicate original declaration shall be appended to, sent, and kept with the duplicate original register, and shall for all purposes of evidence, be deemed part thereof respectively: Provided Proviso. always, and it is hereby declared, That such last-mentioned ceremony and declaration may be performed and made without the previous publication of banns or a licence: Provided, however, and, Nothing in this &c., that nothing in this Act contained shall be construed or Act to affect understood in any manner to affect the right of the Ordinary of rights of the these islands in granting marriage licences so far as the same now are or may be lawfully exercised and enjoyed. Ordinary to grant Marriage Licences. Certain Acts XIX. Repeals 5 Wm. 4, ch. 15, 6 Wm. 4, ch. 9, and so much of 5 Wm. 4, ch. 33, as shall be repugnant to or inconsistent with repealed. the provisions of this Act, with the following proviso: Provided, however, that such repeal shall not invalidate or be construed to invalidate any marriage or marriages which may have been had and solemnized under the authority of such Acts, or any or either, all which marriages shall be, and be held good and valid, such repeal to the contrary notwithstanding. No. 3. Ord. No. 7, 1851. PREAMBLE. All Marriages solemnized by Delegates of the Baptist Mission declared valid; And to be registered. Operation of this Act. No. 3.-ORDINANCE No. 7 of 1851. An Ordinance to declare the validity of certain Baptist Marriages solemnized within the Turks and Caicos Islands, and to provide for the Registering thereof. (Passed 10th Oct., 1851. Confirmed 16th Aug., 1852.) WH HEREAS by virtue of an Act passed in the second year of Her Majesty's reign, entitled "An Act for the better regulation of Marriages within the Bahama Islands," and which said Act is extended to this colony, many marriages have been celebrated in the Turks and Caicos Islands by Baptist missionaries and their delegates, but in consequence of certain provisions of the said Act not having been fully complied with, questions touching the validity of such marriages have been entertained; and it is therefore expedient to declare the validity of such marriages; May it, &c., I. That all marriages which have taken place and been solemnized by any Baptist missionary or his delegate within the Turks and Caicos Islands shall remain and be held and are declared as good and valid in law as if no irregularities had taken place, and the provisions of the hereinbefore-mentioned Act had been fully complied with Provided always, that it shall and may be lawful, on or before the first day of January which shall be in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, for the parties concerned to cause any of the herein before-mentioned marriages to be registered in the Marriage Books of the district of the colony where such marriage or marriages were originally solemnized, or at Grand Turk, where the General Register is kept. II. And be it further ordained, that this Ordinance shall come into operation so soon as the assent thereto of the Governor-inChief shall have been proclaimed. No. 1. Act 6 G. 4, c. 12. PREAMBLE. English declared to be CLASS II. LAWS RELATING TO THE CLERGY OF THE CHURCH No. 1.-6 Geo. 4, ch. 12. An Act to authorize the Bishop of stitute bishoprics in the islands and colonies in the West Indies, and to erect the Island of Jamaica and the Bahama Islands into a bishop's see, appointing the Rev. Christopher Lipscombe, D.D., bishop of the said see; And whereas it is expedient to authorize the bishop thereof to exercise ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the clergy within the Bahama Islands; May it, &c., That from and after the passing of this Act all laws, ordinances, and canons ecclesiastical, which are now used and in force in that part of the United Kingdom called England, so far as the same relate to the ordering and ecclesiastical regimen and jurisdiction over the clergy therein; and all rules of proceeding for carrying the same into effect shall be esteemed, accepted, and taken to be in full force and virtue within these islands in respect of the clergy resident within the same; and that the Judges of the General Court of the said Bahama Islands shall and may, from time to time, and at all times, be aiding and assisting in enforcing and carrying into execution such processes and proceedings, orders, sentences, adjudications, and decrees, at any time to be issued, had, made, or given in respect of the clergy within the said Bahama Islands, in the same manner, to all intents and purposes, as the Courts of Common Law within that part of the United Kingdom called England, lawfully may or are authorized, empowered, or required, to aid and assist the Ecclesiastical Courts in enforcing and carrying into execution the processes and proceedings, orders, sentences, adjudications, and decrees issued, had, made, or given, in the said last-mentioned Courts, any law or custom to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding; Provided, however, That nothing in this Act contained shall be construed or understood in any manner to affect the rights of the Ordinary of these islands, so far as the same now are or may be lawfully exercised and enjoyed. No. 1. Act 6 G. 4, c. 12. No 2.-ORDINANCE No. 7 of 1855. An Ordinance to consolidate and amend the several Laws at present in force regulating the Division of Parishes within these Islands; the election of Vestries within the same; and further to provide for the future management of Parochial affairs. (Passed 5th July, 1855. Confirmed 21st Feb., 1856.) W No. 2. Ord. No. 7, 1855. HEREAS the several laws regulating the parochial affairs of PREAMBLE. the colony have in a great degree ceased to be operative, partly from the altered position of these islands since their separation from the Bahama Government, and partly from the amendment and repeal of some of the provisions of Ordinances since ordained; and it is expedient that certain amendments should be made therein; and that the several enactments relating to parochial affairs should be embodied in one Ordinance; May it, &c. I. That the islands of Grand Cay and Salt Cay shall form one Colony divided parish, to be called the Parish of St. Thomas, and all islands and into parishes. quays within three leagues of the said quays shall be included in the said parish. That the islands commonly known as the Caicos Islands, together with all islands and quays within three leagues of the same, shall be included in one parish, to be called the Parish of St. George. II. That the building erected at Salt Cay for a Chapel of Ease Chapel of Ease to the parish church shall be a Chapel of Ease to the said parish of Salt Cay. church. III. That all persons qualified to vote at the election of mem- Qualification bers of Council, and professing to be members of the Church of of vestrymen. England, shall be qualified to serve as vostrymen; and all persons No. 2. Ord. No. 7, 1855. Period for electing vestry men. Appointment of Churchwardens. Poll to be held for election of vestry. Election of unqualified persons de clared void. Quorum to form a vestry meeting. Vacancies, how filled up. Reservation and sale of pews. Pew rent payable in advance. Arrears, how dealt with. Pew rents to be paid into the Public Treasury. qualified to vote at the election of members of Council four may also IV. That on some day during Easter week in each and every year all persons qualified to vote as aforesaid may meet and elect persons to serve as vestrymen, two to serve for a period of one year and two for a period of two years; and of the persons so elected, two shall be appointed as churchwardens, one by the vestry, and one by the rector. V. That within the same period in each year the clerk of the parish shall hold the poll for an election of vestrymen (due notice thereof having been previously given), and the same shall be open from the hour of twelve to two o'clock of the afternoon; and at such election two persons may be elected in the room of the two whose period of service shall then expire. VI. That if any unqualified person shall be elected to serve as a vestryman, his election shall be void, and those qualified persons whose names shall have been placed on the roll (if any) who have the greatest number of votes, shall be and they are hereby declared to be duly elected, notwithstanding that the votes polled for such persons shall be fewer in number than the votes polled for such unqualified person as aforesaid. VII. That two of the persons so chosen with the rector (if present) shall be deemed a vestry; and in the absence of the rector three shall suffice; and any vacancy which may at any time occur by death, refusal to act, departure from these islands, or other cause, shall be filled up by the vestry at their next meeting. VIII. That the said vestries shall reserve out of the pews in the church at Grand Cay, one pew for the officer administering the government, and one for the officers of Her Majesty's Army and Navy, also sufficient accommodation for the choir of the church, and also accommodation for any of Her Majesty's troops stationed at these islands; and in any other church or chapel within these islands there shall be reserved one pew for the rector or other officiating minister-and sufficient accommodation, not exceeding one-fourth of the entire number of pews in every such church or chapel for the use of the poor, and the remainder of such pews shall be sold by order of the vestry at public auction to the highest bidder for one year; and each purchaser of a pew shall be entitled to retain the same for three years at the original rate per annum. And all such sales of pews shall be held annually, in the first week in January in every year in some public place other than the church or chapel of the parish, notice of which shall be given at least one week previous to such sale: Provided however that nothing herein contained shall be construed to interfere with the right of any person or persons who may have purchased pews at any former sale of the same. IX. That all sums due for pew rents shall be paid annually in advance, and if the rent for any pew shall be in arrear for four weeks, the amount may be sued for in the name of the vestry, and recovered from the person indebted for the same before any Court of competent jurisdiction. X. That the moneys arising from the sale of pews shall be paid into the Public Treasury of these islands towards the support of the government of these islands. XI. That so often as may be requisite the said vestry shall lay |