3. As to deaths, every registrar is required to inform himself carefully of every death within his district, and he is bound to enter the particulars in the form required by statute. The form contains a statement of the date of death, name and surname, sex, age, rank or profession, cause of death, name and residency of the informant, and date of registration. The occupier of the house in which the death occurs, if none of the parties present at the death shall have previously informed the registrar, must, within eight days after the death, on being requested; give such information. Four times every year, the district-registrar sends a certified copy of all the deaths to the superintendent registrar, and when the book is filled, he sends the book itself. These are sent on, and kept in the general register-house in London. Besides the registers kept since the pass ing of the act in 1836, many of the older registers have been collected, and put under the care of the registrar-general. At the general office in London, indexes are kept of all the certified copies of the registers, and every person is entitled, on payment of a fee, to search them, and have a certified copy. For a general search of all these indexes, a fee of 20s. is paid; for a search of a particular index, Is. is paid, and 2s. 6d. for a certi fied copy. This certified copy is sealed with the seal of.the office, and is evidence in all courts. During the time the register is in the hand of the superintendent-registrar, he is bound also to keep an index, charging a fee of 5s. for a general search, and ls. for a particular search.
In Ireland the system of registration of births, deaths, and marriages was introduced in 1853. By the statute 26 and 27 Viet. c. 11, a statute passed relating to births and
deitilis, a general register-office was provided in Dublin, and a registrar-general appointed. The country was subdivided into districts. The provisions of the English act are imi tated, except that parents and occupiers of houses are bound to furnish the information of births within three months. A penalty of 20s. is incurred by parents, occupiers, or persons present, who neglect to give notice of the births and deaths; but the penalty is not incurred if the omission was accidental or not willful. By a statute of the same year (23 and 27 Viet. c. 27), the minister neglecting or refusing to register a marriage, is liable to a penalty of £10; and in other cases, the registrar is bound to register it. By 26 and 27 Vict. c. 90. a like provision is made for a general register of marriages.
In Scotland a system of registration of births, marriages, and deaths was introduced in 1S54, by the act 17 and 18 Vict. c. 80. A registrar-general and a reistry-office are provided in Edinburgh; the parochial board of each parish appointing the parish registrar, subject to the sheriff altering or combining districts. Sirniliar provisions are made by that act and the subsequent acts of 18 and 19 Viet. c. 29, and 23 and 24 Viet. e. 85. Owing to the difficulty of discovering regular and irregular marriages, detailed provisions are required, and the husband, or, in his default, the wife, is, under a penalty of £10, bound , to send the particulars. The details of the Scotch acts secure more act-rate statistics than the English acts, particularly as regards illegitimate births.