Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 31.djvu/547

 FIFTY-SIXTH CONGRESS. SEss. I. Ch. 786. 1900. 495 Sec. 6. The followin marria es are rohibited: B°*‘”°°P Wm P°’· (1) W hen either pargv therega has aphusband or wife living at the wnipmmbmd` time of such II18.l'1‘l&g8. . (2_) When the parties thereto are related to each other within and not including the fourth degree of copsanguinit r, whether of the whole or half bloo, computed according to rules of the civil law. Sec. 7. When e1ther party to a marriage shall be incapable of con- “`*i*¤ i’·>id¤bl·=- senting thereto fO1‘ want of legal a e or sufficient understanding, or when the consent of either party shs§l be obtained by force or fraud, such marriage is voidable, ut only at the suit of the party laboring under the disability or upon whom the force or fraud is imposed. Sec. 8. Marriages may be solemnized by an minister or priest of ug' “'*’°m ¤°lBm¤· any church or congregation in the district anywliyere within the district, ` and by any judicial officer of the district anywhere within his jurisdiction, and commissioners as ex officio justices of the peace are to be deemed judicial officers of the district within the meaning of this section. Sec. 9. In the solemnization of marriage no particular form is H°“’ *’°l*’m“*’°"- required, except that the parties thereto shall assent or declare in the presence of each other and of the minister, priest, or judicial officer solemnizing the same, and in the presence of at least two attending witnesses, that they take each other to be husband and wife. Sec. 10. The person solemnizing the marriage shall give to each of ri§;g“6°**‘° °‘ m’"‘ the parties thereto a certificate thereof, specifying therein the names ` and residence of the parties and of at least two witnesses present at the time and place of such marriaige. Sec. 11. A marriage solemnize before any person professing to be m§{g‘;§jr§;=‘;,g’I{’ Q; a minister or Elriest of any church or congre ation in the· district or judicial ciiicers. any judicial officer thereof is not void, nor siall the validity thereof be in any way affected, on account of any want of power or authority in such person, if such marriage be consummated with a belief on the part of the persons so married, or either of them, that they have been lawfully joined in marria e. Sec. 12. Illegitimate claiildren become legitimate by the subsequent b0§i;g{Lcg;¤g;L*gi°¤¤ marriage of their parents with each other; and all marriages to which ` there are no legal impediments solemnized before or in any religious ‘ organization or congregation, according to the established ritual or form commonly practiced therein, are valid. Sec. 13. When property is owned by either husband or wife, the W§§*?,’g Qxfgggf fg other has no such interest as will make the same liable for the contracts property of the Other. or liabilities of either the husband or wife who is not the owner of the property, except as herein rovided. · _ _, Sec. 14. Should either the husband or wife obtain possession or ag§{,§;a;§§g§rl°S ' control of property belonging to the other, either before or after marriage, the owner of the property may maintain an action therefor, or for any right growing out of the same, in the same manner and to the same extent as if they were unmarried. Sec. 15. A conveyance, transfer, or lien executed by either husband hu<;%gg*3¤ggdQ$;g€¢¤ or wife to or in favor of thefother shall be valid to the same extent as ` between other persons. _ Sec. 16. A husband or wife may constitute the other his or her attor- Otgigijggggggggg ggch . . . _ ct. ney in fact, to control or dispose of his or her property, and may revoke the same to the same extent and manner as other ersons. Sec. 17. Neither husband nor wife is liable for the debts or liabilities th§·;§,§;;S ggggss *0* of the other incurred before marriage, and, except as herein otherwise ` provided, they are not liable for the se arate debts of each other, nor the gent or income of such propertylliable for the separate debts of t e other.