ANTIGUA.
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having acquired a civil character, affecting the legal union of the parties, and the rights of inheritance of their children, the dissenting ministers received an intimation that they must discontinue marrying ; which they have done accordingly. One evil conse quence resulting from this state of things, is to dis courage marriage ; as the fees of the clergy are heavier than the negros can always afford to pay. It is right however to add, that the excellent incumbent of the Metropolitan parish has made both marriage and bu rial fees, a free will offering, and his example has been followed by at least one other clergyman. The follow ing relation forcibly illustrates the glaring evils which result from the nonvalidity of what are called sectarian marriages ; a question which the Act of Emancipation has raised into importance. Many years ago, a free black woman purchased a colored slave, gave him his freedom, and was married to him by a Wesleyan min ister. The 1st of August, 1834, was in his estimation a day of general release, even from the connubial bond ; and he proceeded to take another and younger wife of his own complexion. A license was obtained ; but the clergyman, being timely apprised of the facts, refused to perform the ceremony ; legal proceedings were threatened ; but at length the parties paid a visit to a neighbouring foreign colony, and after a short ab sence, returned to Antigua—married. It is said, that other persons, similarly circumstanced, were waiting the result ; whose wishes were only defeated by the firmness of the established clergy. In other instances, we are informed, the parents of numerous families have taken advantage of the law, to dissolve their unions of many years duration. In some of the colonies also, and even in Antigua, proprietors have been found ca-