Commonwealth v. Norcross

Mar 15, 1813
Reporters:
By the Court.

By the laws of the colony, and by those of the province ‍​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‍under the last charter, the crime of adultery was animadverted upon, before any provision was made for recording marriages. So, by the statute of 1784, c. 40, a ‍​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‍severe punishment is enacted for this crime, although the recording of marriages was not required until the statute of 1786, cited in the argument.

The recording of marriages ‍​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‍was intended to perpetuate the evidence of the fact, after the witnesses present shall have died. But a copy of such record is not so satisfactory ‍​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‍evidence as the testimony of witnesses. These last, indeed, are necessary to prove the identity of the parties.

The evidence in this case was properly admitted by the judge, ‍​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‍and the defendant can take nothing by his motion, (a)

Notes

[Commonwealth vs. Barbarick, 15 Mass. Rep. 163. — Ed.]