HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. 17

of a religious order or body authorized by the rules and
customs of said order or body to join persons in marriage.

No person within this State shall be joined in marriage until
a license shall have been obtained from the Clerk of the Cir-
cuit Court for the county in which the marriage is to be per-
formed, or if in Baltimore City, from the Clerk of the Court
of Common Pleas.

The license required by this Article shall be in the following
form, to wit: State of Maryland and County of................

To any minister of the Gospel, or other officer or person
authorized by the laws of the State to solemnize marriage;
You are hereby authorized to join together in the holy estate
of matrimony according to the rules and ceremonies of your
church, society or religious sect and the laws of this State, or
according to the laws of this State, A. B., whose place of resi-
dence is....................; whose age is..........; color

..................; and who is (state here whether single,

widower, or divorced, as the case may be), and C. D., whose
place of residence is................... color...........,

and who is (state here whether single, widow or divorced, as
the case may be), and who are................. (state here

also whether the contracting parties are in any way related).
Given under my hand and seal of the Circuit Court for
.................. County (or the Court of Common Pleas

of Baltimore City) at.................. this..............

day of................ A D., one thousand nine hundred and

............... The license shall have appended to it two

certificates framed to correspond with said license, which
shall be in form as follows: I hereby certify that on this
................ day of................. one thousand nine

hundred and.............. at............... A. B., and C. D.

were by me united in marriage in accordance with the license
issued by the Clerk of the............ Court for.............

County (or City), Maryland, which certificate shall be signed
by the minister, or other person who performed the ceremony,
giving his name and official character; one of said certificates
shall be handed to the contracting parties and the other shall
within five days from the date of the marriage be returned
to the Clerk of the Court from which it was issued.

Nothing in this section shall be construed as interfering
in any way with the right of any particular religious denomi-
nation to join persons in marriage according to the rules and
customs of said denomination, it being the intent of this
section merely to require the issuance of the aforesaid license
prior to the performance of any marriage ceremony and to
require a signing and return of the aforesaid certificates by
the minister or other official of a religious body or order per-
forming said ceremony.