LYTTELTON.

That so much of the said colony as is comprised within the following boundaries shall be a Registrar’s District, and shall be called “the District of Lyttelton,” viz.:

That part of the Province of Canterbury aforesaid comprised between the District of Christchurch, the Sea, and the District of Akaroa.

Given under my hand and issued under the public Seal of the Islands of New Zealand, at Auckland, in the Islands aforesaid, this eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.

(Signed) R. H. WYNYARD,
Officer administering the Government.

By His Excellency’s command,
(Signed) ANDREW SINCLAIR,
Colonial Secretary.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Auckland, November 8, 1854.

His Excellency the Officer administering the Government has been pleased to appoint the undermentioned gentlemen to be Registrars under the Act recently passed by the General Assembly (No. 12, Sess. 2) intituled “The Marriage Act, 1854,” for the Districts set opposite their respective names.

John B. Bennett — Registrar General of New Zealand.
Samuel Beal — Registrar for District of Kaiapoi.
Alfred Barker — do. Christchurch.
Daniel Watkins — do. Akaroa.
William Donald — do. Lyttelton.

These appointments are to take effect from the 1st day January, 1855.

By His Excellency’s command,
(Signed) ANDREW SINCLAIR,
Colonial Secretary.

MARRIAGE ACT.

OFFICIATING MINISTERS FOR 1855.

The attention of the person or persons within the colony of New Zealand in whom is vested Ecclesiastical authority over any of the religious bodies enumerated in Schedule D to the “Marriage Act, 1854,” viz.:

The United Church of England and Ireland.
The Church of Scotland.
The Roman Catholic Church.
The Free Church of Scotland.
All Presbyterian Congregations.
The Wesleyan Methodist Society.
All Congregational Independents.
Baptists.
The Primitive Methodist Society.
The Lutheran Church.
All Hebrew Congregations.
The Society of Friends.

Also the attention of Ministers of Religion not connected with any of these bodies, who may desire to be placed on the list of “Officiating Ministers” within the meaning of this Act, is especially called to the following extracts from the Act aforesaid:

“Any Minister of Religion whose name shall have been sent in to the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, or other Officer to be appointed by the Governor in that behalf, by the persons or person within the Colony in whom Ecclesiastical authority shall for the time being be vested, or reputed to be vested, over any of the Religious bodies enumerated in the Schedule D to this Act annexed, shall, subject to the conditions hereinafter mentioned, be an Officiating Minister within the meaning of this Act, and the name of every such Minister of Religion shall be certified under the hand or hands of the person or persons aforesaid, and shall be entered and published as hereinafter provided. Provided always, that any Minister of Religion not connected with any of the Bodies enumerated in the aforesaid Schedule to this Act annexed, who shall present to any Registrar a certificate signed by twenty-four householders resident in the district for which such Registrar shall be appointed; declaring that such Minister is their Officiating Minister, shall be entitled to have his name inserted in the list of Officiating Ministers in the meaning of this Act. Provided always, that such certificates shall be attested by two Justices of the Peace; and such attested certificate shall be sent in to the Registrar-General or other Officer as aforesaid anew in the month of December in every year, and no such attested certificate presented to any Registrar by any Minister as aforesaid, shall continue in force unless renewed in like manner.

The several Ecclesiastical Authorities as aforesaid of the respective Religious Bodies, shall send in to the said Registrar-General, or other Officer as aforesaid, a correct list of such Officiating Ministers in the month of December in every year.”

It will therefore be necessary that the names of all Officiating Ministers, duly certified, be sent in to me before the termination of the month of December next ensuing, in order that all such names may be entered in the list, a copy of which will be published in January, 1855, in the New Zealand Government Gazette.

JOHN B. BENNETT,
Registrar-General.

Registrar-General’s Office,
Auckland, Oct. 31, 1854.

THE NEW MARRIAGE ACT.

By the provisions of the Marriage Act recently passed by the General Assembly of New Zealand (No. 12, 1854), the Marriage Ordinance of 1847 (No. 7, Session 8) will cease to have any force at the termination of the present year; and from and after the 1st of January, 1855, no marriage can be legally solemnized within the colony otherwise than as required by the new act, except in cases where the persons intermarrying are both Aboriginal Natives.

The particular enactments relating to Officiating Ministers, Registrars, &c., will, of course, receive the special attention of the persons immediately concerned in their administration. But it appears desirable that, on a subject of such universal interest to the colonists, there should be published, for general information, such an outline of the leading provisions as may afford to persons intending marriage, and to the