marriages confirmed. Extent of into abroad by British subjects under circumstances which may occasion doubts as to the validity of such marriages, and it is expedient that such marriages should be confirmed in the cases hereinafter mentioned: Be it enacted, That all marriages, both or one of the parties being subjects or a subject of this realm, which, before the passing of this Act have been solemnized in any foreign country or place, or on board a British vessel of war on any foreign station, by a minister in holy orders according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England or of Ireland, or of the United Church of England and Ireland, or by an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland; and all marriages of the like parties which have been solemnized according to any religious rites or ceremonies or contracted per verba de præsenti in any foreign country or place in the presence of any British Ambassador, Minister, Chargé d'Affaires, Consul-General, Consul, or Vice-Consul exercising his functions within the foreign country or place in which such marriages have been had, or on board a British vessel of war on any foreign station in the presence of the officer commanding such vessel; and all marriages of the like parties which have been solemnized according to any religious rites or ceremonies or contracted per verba de præsenti in any foreign country or place, and registered by or under the authority of any British Consul-General, Consul, or ViceConsul exercising his functions within such foreign country or place, the signatures of the parties being written in the register, shall be deemed and held to be as valid in the law and cognizable in the like manner as if the same had been solemnized within Her Majesty's dominions, with a due observance of all forms required by law : Provided always, that this enactment shall not extend to render valid any marriage which before the passing of this Act has been declared invalid by any Court of competent jurisdiction in any proceeding touching such marriage, or any right dependent on the validity or invalidity thereof, or any marriage where either of the parties has afterwards, during the life of the other, lawfully intermarried with any other person. 21. Provided always, and be it enacted, That nothing in this Act contained shall confirm or impair or in anywise affect, or be constructed to confirm or impair or in anywise affect, the validity in law of any marriage solemnized beyond the seas, otherwise than as herein provided; and this Act shall not extend to the marriage of any of the Royal Family. SCHEDULES. SCHEDULE (A.).—Notice of Marriage. To the [British Consul-General or Consul] at I hereby give you notice, that a marriage is intended to be had within three calendar months from the date hereof, between me and the other party herein named and described; (that is to say): I at SCHEDULE (B.). [Consul-General or Consul] residing. do hereby certify that this is a true copy of the entries of marriages registered in my office, from the entry of the marriage of John Brown and Elizabeth Reeve, number One, to the entry of the marriage of Michael Jones and Maria Tomkins, number Fourteen. Witness my hand and seal, this 1850. day of January, Signature and Consular Seal of the Consul-General or Consul. SECTION THE THIRD. 18 & 19 VICT., CAP. 42. An Act to enable British Diplomatic and Consular Agents [2nd July, 1855.] 6 G. 4, c. 87. WHEREAS by an Act of the sixth year of King George the Fourth, chapter eighty-seven, powers are given to British Consuls-General and Consuls to administer oaths and do notarial acts in the foreign places to which they are appointed; and it is expedient that the like powers should be given to Ambassadors and other diplomatic agents and to Vice-Consuls and Consular agents abroad: Be it enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: Oaths may nisters abroad. 1. From and after the passing of this Act, it shall and may be administered by ambe lawful for every British Ambassador, Envoy, Minister, bassadors Chargé d'Affaires, or Secretary of Embassy or of Legation and other British mi- exercising his functions in any foreign country, and for every British Vice-Consul, Acting Consul, Pro-Consul, or Consular agent (as well as every Consul-General or Consul) exercising his functions in any foreign place, whenever he shall be thereto required, and whenever he shall see necessary, to administer in such foreign country or place any oath or to take any affidavit or affirmation from any person whomsoever, and also to do and perform in such foreign country or place all and every notarial acts or act which any notary public could or might be required and is by law empowered to do within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; and every such oath, affidavit, or affirmation, and every such notarial act, administered, sworn, affirmed, had, or done by or before such Ambassador, Envoy, Minister, Chargé d'Affaires, Secretary of Embassy or of Legation, Vice-Consul, Acting Consul, Pro-Consul, or Consular agent, shall be as good, valid, and effectual, and shall be of like force and effect, to all intents and purposes, as if such oath, affidavit, or affirmation, or notarial act, respectively, had been adminis tered, sworn, affirmed, had, or done before any Justice of the Peace or Notary Public in any part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain or Ireland, or before any other legal or competent authority of the like nature. ( abroad, may Courts in 2. Affidavits and affirmations so taken as aforesaid under Affidavits taken before the said Act of King George the Fourth or this Act shall Ambassaand may be received, read, and made use of in and before dors, etc., any Court of Law or Equity or other judicature whatever in be used in any part of the United Kingdom, and the judges and officers the United thereof, in or in relation to any action, suit, cause, matter, or Kingdom. proceeding in or before any such Court or judicature, in like manner, and shall be of the same force and effect, as affidavits and affirmations taken in or before such Court or judicature, or by any person duly commissioned or authorised by such Court or judicature to take such affidavits or affirmations, and shall be filed and dealt with accordingly. to be ad without Ambassador 3. Any document purporting to have affixed, impressed, Documents or subscribed thereon or thereto the seal and signature of mitted in any British Ambassador, Envoy, Minister, Chargé d'Affaires, evidence Secretary of Embassy or of Legation, Consul-General, Con- proof of the seal or sigsul, Vice-Consul, Acting Consul, Pro-Consul, or Consular nature of the agent, in testimony of any such oath, affidavit, affirmation, or other offior act having been administered, sworn, affirmed, had, or cial person. done by or before him, shall be admitted in evidence, without proof of any such seal and signature being the seal and signature of the person whose seal and signature the same purport to be, or of the official character of such person. swearing or 4. Any person knowingly and wilfully making any false Persons oath, affidavit, or affirmation before any person having au- affirming thority to administer such oath or take such affidavit or falsely guilty of perjury. affirmation under the said Act of King George the Fourth or this Act, shall be deemed guilty of perjury, and such offender may be charged, proceeded against, tried, and dealt with in any county or place in the United Kingdom in the same manner in all respects as if the offence had been committed in such county or place. felony. 5. If any person shall forge any such seal or signature as Persons aforesaid, or shall tender in evidence any such document as or signature forging seal aforesaid with a false or counterfeit seal or signature thereto, guilty of knowing the same to be false or counterfeit, he shall be guilty of felony, and shall upon conviction be liable to penal servitude for the term of four years, or to be imprisoned, with or without hard labour, for any term not exceeding three years nor less than one year; and whenever any such document has been admitted in evidence by virtue of this Act, the Court or the person who has admitted the same may, at the request of any party against whom the same is so admitted in evidence, direct that the same shall be impounded and be kept in the custody of some officer of the Court or other proper person for such period, and subject to such conditions, as to the said Court or person shall seem meet; and every person charged with committing any felony under this Act may be dealt with, indicted, tried, and, if convicted, sentenced, and his offence may be laid and charged to have been committed, in the county, district, or place in which he may be apprehended or be in custody; and every accessory before or after the fact to any such offence may be dealt with, indicted, tried, and, if convicted, sentenced, and his offence laid and charged to have been committed, in any county, district, or place in which the principal offender may be tried. SECTION THE FOURTH. 18 & 19 VICT., CAP. 111. An Act to amend the Law relating to Bills of Lading. [14th August, 1855.] WHEREAS by the custom of merchants a bill of lading of goods being transferable by endorsement the property in the goods may thereby pass to the endorsee, but nevertheless all rights in respect of the contract contained in the bill of lading continue in the original shipper or owner, and it is expedient that such rights should pass with the property: And whereas it frequently happens that the goods in respect of which bills of lading purport to be signed have not been laden on board, and it is proper that such bills of lading in the hands of a bona fide holder for value should not be questioned by the master or other person signing the same on the ground of the goods not having been laden as aforesaid: Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, |