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one of the abominable demoralizations of the institution of slavery. Now, the negro must procure his marriage license, as the white person, and henceforth it is made the "duty of every minister or other person celebrating a marriage, and of the Clerk or Keeper of the records of any religious society, which solemnises marriage, by the consent of the parties, in open congregation, at once to make a record of every marriage between white persons, or between colored persons, solemnised by or before him, stating in such record whether the persons be white or colored, and within two months after such marriage to return a copy thereof signed by him, to the clerk of the County of Corporation in which the same solemnised." 

Provision is further made for those whether before the passage of the act, held the relation of man and wife without the solemnization of the marriage rite, and for legitimising the issue of such unsolemnised marriages. The following is the law:

"Where colored persons, before the passage of this act shall have undertaken and agreed to
over