I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time. Much of what I had to say in connection with the Registration of Births and Deaths Bill applies to this Bill also. The Registration of Marriages Act of July 1863 availed for the purpose of the registration of Catholic marriages of the machinery already set up by the Act passed in April of that year for the registration of births and deaths. Whilst, however, the registrars of births and deaths were intended to be registrars of Catholic marriages also, this was not compulsory, and there are in fact at the present time some 12 districts in which the two posts are held by different persons. The fee for the registration of a Catholic marriage was fixed at 6d. as against the 1/- payable for each birth or death entry. It is now proposed to increase this fee to 1/-, and to provide for the payment, in addition, to each registrar of an allowance calculated at the rate of £2 per annum, both to be paid out of local funds. The extra annual cost to local funds would amount to about £320 under the first-mentioned heading and £1,280 under the second, or £1,600 in all, making, with the proposed increased cost of registration of births and deaths, a total increase of something over £6,700, or an average of about £200 per annum for each board of health.
This Bill applies to registrars of Catholic marriages only. Registrars of non-Catholic marriages are appointed under a separate Act and, apart from a rent allowance paid out of Central Funds, their emoluments consist wholly of fees payable by the public.
