The Express. — London, England, 1851-02-26 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDII—TriumAT, FEN. 23. TM Leto Comics:A.oa took his seat at 5 o'clock. PETITIONS PRESENTED. WAaatAOs Arnstro Bitt..—By the Earl of ST. GER MANS, trove various placer • the Bithop of WINCHES TER, from places in his dioce&e ; Lord WIIAItSCLIFEE, from several places in Yorkshire and other parts of Eng land ; Earl EITZWILLIAM, from several places; the Earl of CARLISLE, from Wakefield, Leeds, Birmingham, Sheffield, Barnsley, and several other places ; and Lord ovEitsToNF., from the City of London, most numerously and nnVeetably signed, in layout of the Marriage Affinity Rill. he Earl of CAMLIaLIt and Lord OeLlteroNE sup ported the prayers of the petitions they peesented, and ex preise.il a hope that the bill would pass.—By Lord CAMP BELL, from several religious congregations; the Marquis of SA LISBU ItY, from the clergy of the town and neigh bourbond of Birmingham ; and Earl NELSON, from the ehirgy of Shrewsbury, Liverpool, and other places, against the bell. MARRIAGE. AFFINITY BILL. The Earl of ST. tiElt '3IANS, in moving the second read ing of this bill, mid that at the close of last session, a bill VOW brought up from the other house of parliament, to betalise marriage with a di mooed wife's sister. Ile took charge of that hill r luetantly, nut, however, because he sm i te r a jned any doubt of the wisdom or policy of such • measure. Ili. afterwards withdrew the measure for that session in consequence of the late period at which it came op to the it lionl.hipo* house, and he promised to losing it forward early this be.ion, which promos he was now about to fulfil. The noble ben then quoted from Mr. Wesley and other authorities to prove that ter- Lim expromons in Leritieus meant to imply marriage, and, if so, that a man was justified by the law of Moses in mar rying his wile's sister. The noble lord proceeded minutely to examine various pariaagvi in the came men it book, to *how the opinion of the ittspiri 4 lawgiver on this subject. It was flea that the into rule of interpretation was, that that which had not been forbidden in the Igeritiral law was permitted. 'lbis was the opinion of Mr. Milner; and there wet nothing to prove that Moses prohibited marriage with a detained wife's sister, whilst marriage with a de cease d brother's wife was clearly permitted. The noble bail further quoted front leder anal Professor !Michaelis in support of the proposition. It had teen said that affinity and consangenuity war: the same, and that a man hire the none ri lationakip to his wife's family as to hi, own ; hut this argument could not he sustained, bemuse: if it were temlil: it would be impossible lira men to num. his bro th, ron-lavr's widow. which;was w,w permitted. 'The chief rabbi of the Jew, in this country hail stated that it was not considered immoral among the Jews to marry with a elec. &seal wife's sister; and, in fact, where there we're yOuln.; Children such marriages were elbowed to take place rule r than a marriage with any other woman after the di oh of a man's wife. trusWil their lonithi(n would be satisfied. after the anthorities w hieh hr hail cited, that there was nn prohibition rigainst marrying& dereaseil wife's r in the Miamie disps•nsation; awl he then tome to the gospel dispensation, in which nothing could la found ate such marriages. Our Sas iour, in the ease of the wontato who hail married sewn brothers, expressed no disapprobation at her having done so. They were told that the practice iif the early church was Ornewed to it, but what proof was there that in the early history of the Christian church such marriages a are prohibited i In early ecclesiastical writer, more friquent referenca V(.1.4 made to the Woman laws on the subject of marriage than to Mosaie institurions. WeU, then, it could not he said that neon or. with a wife's sister was oppoeeil to the ...lra law. There was e, rtainly a canon whit h alt eland that a elergyiwin marrying Lis eh erased wife's sister should Is ploleibited from communion for live year'., hut that was the only penalty. Stnmg op' • ins were, however, then cot mine by father% of the church that celibacy was a mor, holy stab, than matrimony, and every restriettion was pm upon marriage. A second marriage, it was then said, was Litt', noire than di semis adultery ; and in the year 1010) Al. unitive' 111. r.-strat,-.1 marriage beyond the seventh duvet, of ninsatigninity. In 1.1151 this law was relaieit, and m•lrriage. Were not peasant, al to t:;,• place wind. the Marti, degree 14 about a he cial dism.coat ion. 'flue, IO Tiered, was now the law of the catholic church. In lien Archbishop Parker tin.w up a table of the degrees within which marriages were probilrited ; and it is worthy of notice that arIIOCI4 his notes, found inter his death, was ime to the elf s et that ~is of the nom einioent eammentators were in favour of a MAW+ being allowed to marry a de reiresl wife's sister. Lied Hard% tyke' said that a canon to which the poi oldi• haul not assented by their representatives war not binding upon them; and an eminent prelate now Ake, Bohol, Short. in his .` History of the Chards of Eng land,- stud many of the rations had been superseded by acts of parliament, awl that they required a. a whole to be remodelled. It was note le to lie r ((ratted that the canons were not moos in :went-dance with the temper of the times, but o lour ..• they elided it was 110 r right to mak. s.li • Gins, nail apply them against the hill befon• the house. thief Justin. Vaughan said that eon. the rosined of Lateran every council varied the canon law, editing that that which was always (hanging email not ho' a measure of rectitude, eseept it the time to which it relabel. The tend article• of the church of Pinta:int said distinctly that general notneils had erred, and that, then fen., the thing. ordained by th, in were not iialro. !dainty dirt teed in holy scripture.. Ile (the E a rl of St. Germane) si eiteircil to ailiren that the prohibi tion in gutsli.m could not Ite lounel in holy scripture ; and iu that ~neon hr ass supported by the opinion. of the late Bishop of I.lmilieff awl the present Bishop of IMrlon. Ile would now say • foss words in reference to the matide law. Theis lord-bile, were aware that 11. toy VIII., alt e he lOW Is, is married 211 years to the widow of hie brother Prime Arthur, and slier leaving ;astr by thnt niarriarze. Is, - tine vitannittred of Anne fluky., "nil uSintately means! from .• an opintini that his find newel e7e was litan. 01, and induced his podium st to dieters , the 1 , •11e fit olle,:dim.tte, and In rattle the rare -.ion .In th it or hi, nen .,;,, t ,.. I n ti n . COUTO' Or lon fir three y. are theory, itr: got rid of Ann.. htolo . Is. married Jane 5, \mour, the iota. of the two pre lim.. tweriages beteg oh, far“l ilharitimate. The hut art of his reign ion the subj., t was the and that art bas in.: hen nywaleil by dm. I.t and 2,sd l'hilip and Mary, rttnido r tt, at I. ad rs now It as relatisl to poshilaited de ar tht letter art remained the only statute law un the soles t emit the miming of the !eh must 11th \Tinian. IV., commaroly railed Intl Lyndhurst'. Act. There was, in fast, leo prohibition what. cot. It was only who n large pnawrties were at %bd.' that there wa. a, interferenee. 110 noble frisnil (Lord Lyndhurst), whom aleance on that were oim, he is grettisl. Galin.; the law to he in an unilate ral tort state. attempted to ',posit's, tt dy for that evil. Bu l& t or did he protai'd ? Ile brought in a hill to limit the time for commencing i cek+ia.tical emit. affect- Mg the eltililren of parents why h.al married within the pruhilsited degrees : and if pr.,ecedni were Ind taken *khan a n•rtAin period the moniage het are alssilutele valid, There was a clause in the hill derlaring that alt marriages hereafter to be eeleliratial w itl it the nOollibited &- grey • of stonily and cou•an..minity should be absolutely null and tool, s•acepting Scollaitil. Ile haellwasil withsurprise the right te•. prelate then sitting at the tattle (the Bishop id' Ess l'• , '• Pr.". l vting a Islitiovi, term it a petition against -t ..... 14 carnage, That esporrosion instil's,' the very point wltielt they were eontrovi.ning. (Hear. hear.) The ads orates of the bill said that such marriages wire not inc.-Mame. The right reverend prelate knew that the very nom s' incestuous - derived from heathen mythology, wine by assenting to laird Lyndhurst'. hill he had helped to Legalist' marriages which hr thus characterised. (Hear, hear.) Ily the last statute parliament had glared the parti• • interested in this ques tion in a worse position than they were before. There were now • considerable number of marriages which the law to he invalid. 'the Ilishop of Lincoln, an oppsi dent of the bill, said that these marriages were not prohi bited by the Levitical law, hut the church, acting upon her 01.1.1 judgment of what was right in the matter. had prohibited them. Ile submitted that if the prohibition wore not proveulde out of scripture the church had no mover to isms our. (Hear. hear.) A great number of the must zealous clergy throughout England were in Emma of the promos' change iu the law. Ile that in nine mows out of ten the aunt, instead of making a had stepmother. would tuake the best another. (Hear. hear.) Ilut the question was had they • right to prohibit these maniacs They had no right to prohibit them on the ground that they were not advisable, Mr there were many marriages which were inexpedient, such as the marriage of an old man and a young woman or the contrary, or the marriage of a man having daughters with a woman of had eharaeter, and yet it would be the greatest legislative tyranny to prohibit them. Unfree tiny could show that these marriages were forbidden by the law of nature or were inconsistent with the host interest. of society the burden of proof in this question lay with theme who nisintained the propriety . of probilvitinit them. The law was ineffectual—the rich evaded it by having them marriages snlemuised abroad• though it was doubtful whether or not that rendered them legal. And those that eoutract, d these marriages were not Looked down upon by society. Ile called upon their lord ships, then• to ponder and weigh well the responsibility of maintaining this Ulf, be. Jure if thew marriages were, as he believed them to be, aanetionesl by the law of tied, then were they incurring the grist responsibility of putting .outoler these whom God had joined !Nether. (Hear. hear.) Ile called on them to review the subject, and, if they were satisfied that there was even a doubt un the mat ter. he asked them by their votes that night to give the WOO another opportunity of considering the very im mortant question which he had now very imperfectly ven tured to bring before it. (Cheers.) The question baying bran put. The iiinithishop of I'ANTE.RBURY (who spoke in so low • tune as to be almost inaudible in the genera) was unilernmel to say that he felt hound, as • matter of duty, to opmot the motion which had been male by the noble earl, and supported by a speech of great research and moderation. (Hear, hear.) It would not be ueeemary fur him to detain their loolships fur any length of time. loreause the argument on which be relied in ronetimt the motion rested on • small basis. It was the argument which arose from .....—.. the word of fi ud, which bethought completely% t the question at rest. (Hear. hear.) Thu most reverend prelate then proceeded to show from the language used in the lath chapter of Leviticus that the marria,te with a thaws% d ...les sister wa. forbidden by the word of God. That view W.lOl confirmed by the concurrent opinion of all the Christian hurehes for many MCVS. Pope Alexander VI. was the ant to Mont a dispensation from these marri age.. hut the innovation of one who was a diagram to any church should not be followed. Ile did nut think t►e annuneut which had been derived from the number of these marriages was a solid ground for doing away with the prohibition against them. He had no doubt that a great number of persons would he found living in whetibthese, but that was ma macs fee emaullias the °Wk. THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 26, 1851. nation of • or even for legitintatising the children. to the motion of the noble esrl that the bill be read a second (Hear, bear.) I e should therefore mo ve as an amendment time that day six ionnths. The Bishop of EXETER said that after the able and convincing speech which had just been del.ivered by the moat rev. prelate, it would not be necessary for him to trespass at any length on the time of the house. But some mattes fell from the noble earl which made it peculiarly his duty to address • few words to their lordships. The noble earl asked how he could have culled these marriages incestuous and yet have given his support to the act 01835, commonly called Lord Lyodhuest'a Act. In designating these marriages as incestuous he simply expressed an opinion which it was his duty as an English bis ho p to 'sprees., for that they were ineestuoue, and that they were prohibited by God, was a distinct and exprees declaration of the church in which he was a bishop. lie should, therefore, be ashamed of himself if he hesitated fur an instant in declaring his ad herence to the doctrine of the church on that important question. That he concurred in the act of 183.3 was quite true, but he concurred in it for this reason—that that net - armed all future marriages of this kind which the of the church considered to be incestuous to be and void ' • whereas before that act passed they only voidable. All that the act of yeti did was to :vent divorces in those canes which preceded that act, and to give the children born of such union the benefit they would have had if either of the parents had died. But if proceedings had been taken against them for incest they would not be exempted by that statute from the penalties against incest, and he had thi. authority of the judge who pre sided over the hialeeet ecclesiastical court in the kingdom. There wan no inconsistency, therefore, in his calling these marriages incestuous, and yet consenting to the act of 1835. He would tell the noble earl and he would tell the house that he consented to that act because he thought them incestuous, and because he thought that it would have prevented in future those dreadful eounex ions ',Web had for too long a period been endured. He (the Bishop of Exeter) found in referring to a case laid down by Chief Justice Vaughan, that a prelate was ques tioned by the high commissioners for marrying his wife's niece, sentenced to p nonce, oordered to leave her company, but yet was not dieoreedid rinagio ntafrinsonti. The right rev. prelate having cited several passages from Bishop Taylor's " Law of Conscience," hook 3rd, page 327, in re futation of the arguments put forward by the noble earl (St. Germans), proceeded to say that the noble earl had next referred to the Mosaic lan'. for the purpose of ques tioning whether or not it was binding on the conscience of Christians. Now that was a question of the greatest moment. The noble earl (Earl St. Germans) had refernel to and given an interpretation of the 18th verse of Leviticus ; but if he only looked at the 17th and 18th verses toge ther, he would see that they very clearly prohi bited these incestuous marriages. To bo sure the noble earl was perfectly correct in asserting that polygamy was very much tolerated amonget the Jews. The 18th verse of Levitiene ran to this effect a—" And a woman unto her sister thou shalt not take to her annoy to uncover her nakedness upon her in her life." Tl.' noble earl in his argument applied himself altogether to the de seendina line, unmindful, it would appear, alt o gether of the collateral line : fur surely though there was no descending line, but a eollato ral relationship, between brother end sister, the noble earl would not take on him to assert that in that ea.. also th. re should he no prohibition. (Hear, bear.) 'The noble earl next proceeded to assert that Use New Testament contained no prohibition against these mar riages. Now he (the right rev. prelate) was certain that the noble earl felt convineed of his own accuracy in putting forward that assertion ; and for himself he held that there could he found sera" important references to these marriages in the New Testament. Holding that the prohi bition of marriage with a brother's widen was laid sloven by the Almichty in the Pith Verse of Leviticus. ' he (the right rev. prelate) also held that it was repeated in the New Testament. There o. as, for instanee, the came in which John the Baptist proclaimed }lend for living in incestuous intercourse with Ileronline, the widow of his deceased brother. (Hear, hear.) Therefore he asse end there was a direct repudiation of these marriages in the New Testa nom. (Hear, hear.) Ile also might cite various passages in the "Arts of the Apatite.," anal in the " Epistles to the Corinthiane," which strongly referral to such incestuous *Banco., and reprobated them fur their indecency. (Hear, hear.) The noble earl haul wisely excluded Scotland alto- I gather from his bill ; hut what then became of the alleged principles of right and justice on which the measure was said to be founded ? Was the law of nature and justice to be mail,' an affair of geography ? (Hear.) Against who!c bodies of clergy in Scotian.' and Ireland the opinion only of Beale few individuals was to be placed. But what of the church of England? By her !pith canon, agreeol to in solemn efOlVoeatioll, ehe had pronounced these marriages contrary to the law of God. The noble earl alleged that the law of God nowhere ex joneely forbade them ; but would he Rut up his opinioon against the church at large, thus solemnly declared ? Though the late Bishop of Llawlatf was entitled to all the homier which that teach could confer, he derived none of that hemmer from giving the 'auction of his high name to the conclusion of these commissioners. One portion of the report world lead to the coin lesion that there was an abso lute negation of all moat fee ling on the subject of marriage anionjtet certain classes; lout, strange to say, this was totally rontradieteal by the evidence. In Scotland, such marriage., it hail he en shown, were regarded with abhorrence ; and in Inland the mind, of the people had never been polluted with such doctrines as were now sought to be inculcated. The rommiseiooners themselves admitted that if parties could hut be coining...l that these marriages were contrary to the divine law th. sy would al otain fmm them. Every one admitted that nature forbade marriages breween brothers and sisters: it was known that the world had been originally peopled in this nay; i ..mcquently that degree of union was not then unlawful ; and the quo -time ought, therefore, to he con sidered with reganl to the editing state of society, and by th.• light of Christian principle. This bill sakes) parliament to make valid certain marriages which it distinctly declared to he incestuous and contrary to law. The third clause reserved the rights of the ecclesiastical courts, and declared that nothing therein contained Amulet affect the doctrine of the ('hutch of England with regard to theyee mar riages, that doctrine being that they were incestuous. It hall been argued that if the divine law was not quite Clear, the doubt ought to be given in favour of these mer riest, a lent it should be remembered that, ever sines the oyond century of Christianity, such had been haat...be the olivine law. believing that God hail declared three mar riages to be sinful, let their lordships beware of giving their *auction to such a measure. Ity doing we, they could not make that which was invest not incest. If the house was sitting in its judicial capacity, they moonlit he bound to de clare such marriages incestuous, as tie y were held by the are hoiamical law and the judger of the land. lie exhorted them, then, mot to yield to any feeling in favour either of the.. of their own rank, or others who had fallen into error, but too beware of infrone. by any act of heirs, that which laud always been regarded as the law of God. (Hear.) The Bishop of St. DAVID'S said that had he been able to coinciole entirely with the views taken on either side on this question, he amulet lint have felt it necessary to explain the reasons of the vote he should give. Ile was compelled to t. a certain length with the uoble earl who hail brought Lateran' this measure; on the other hand, he agreed in many of the arguments .of the right reverend online who bail just spoken. But on tine point he was compelled to differ from him, and that a point of gnat importance, being that on which the chiefed stn . 's, was Laid. Ile was happy to know that the Views which he entertAintil were not pe culiar to himself, though it had bean suggested that such amiaion. were seamely consistent with the views held by the church of which they were ministers. Against such suggestions he felt himselt bound mod emphatically to pro test, a n d to claim for himself and others, who were not a few, the liberty of differing even from theme who had made the law by which the church was governed in their interpretation of a passage Of scripture. This was not such a lavish range of liberty that it need be restricted or denied to any one, whether layman or minieier of the church. Ile had not been able to con vince himself, on the matured refleetion, that he could take such high ground on this question as was taken by the most reverend and the right reverend prelate. He was not satisfied, to say the halo, that the prohibition which existed was immediately and directly founded on the law of God. He die' not with to speak dogmatically, but it did appear to him that such marriages as this bill intended to legalise were not only not prohibited by, but were tacitly permitted by, scripture. Ile believed he was acquainted with all the interpretations of the. pessage which was supposed to pro hibit there marriages. At all events, he could safely say that none had been quoted in that debate which he had not considered, anal he must my they indicated a strong desire to interpret scripture in accordauee with a pre , conerived openicm, and that but for such preconceived opinion they would not have adopted that construction. He considered that this law, which he was no lees anxious to preserve that; the most reverend and the right reverend prelate who had preceded him, was a law of that mixed description, and It was on that account that he should wish it to he maintained. He believed there Wad a great majority in the church in favour of the present law, and therefore, whatever he might think about at, that was an important matter, and ought to have great influence with their lordships, not merely because it was the opinion of the clergy as a body, but also because he believed it was the opinion of the great mass of the laity also. He believed, in spite of all he had heard from those who protested azainet this law, that it could not be said to he an ineffective and inoperative law. Those were merely relative terms. Perfectly effective and perfectly operative no low was; but the simple question he appre hended to he, not whether that was the faSe • but whether it was so for operative and effectual that it did bud a respouse in the hearts of the community at large. His own firm conviction was, that it did so, and, that those in whom it did find an echo Were upon the whole the best part of the cos munitLand that their opinions ought to prevail. Ile thought there illkee strong grounds before their lordships—palpable grounds -fur that opinion. They found that the voice of Ireland was in favour of the present law; that the voice of Scotland, with inconsiderable exceptions, was loud. unto , uicanue. and emphatic in its favour; and he should like to ' know, if they were to select any portion of that empire , a safe example of alonieetic morality, whether they would think there was any part at this kingdom winch was superior in that respect to that part of it which wan north of the Tweed. Thes law had been called inoperative, but hew could a law be called so reader which the frame of our li Matti& society had grown lip. It was not inoperative ' because there might be some through ignorance or miaguideareTrns who, whether udgment, or from ' whatever cause, might have been led to transgress the law. , Ile did not wish to say anything against those persons, he deeply sympathised with them. He believed that theirs were eases of suffering, but he denied that they were come of hardship. He was quite sure that the measure, IT carried, although it might bring relief to a number of tail-' . 'ideals who had leen led to take an unadvised course , would bring distrust, andjaaloany, and alarm into thousand; law wall were of other families who had hitherbi remained pure sad happy. On these grounds he, for one, would never comsat to share the responsibility of the measure introduced by the noble earl. The Bishop of NORWICH mid, as it was his intention to vote against this bill. It was well known that the Scripture which was supposed to contain the prohibition was originally given to the Israelite people. Now it was a remarkable fact that from the time of that Scripture !wing given to the present day, as far as we could ascertain, the Jew ish people themselves had never interpreted that Scripture as prohibiting these marriages. And they had the evidence 1.1 . the Rabbi of the London Synagogue, in respect of the interpre tation which the Jewish authorities put upon it. And let him remind their lordships that in another part of the Scriptures, that which was here supposed to be prohibited was permitted, end it was ineonceisable that the author of scriptural law should, on a subject of moral purity, in one place permit that which in another place he prohibited. They all knew that when this very cos., a wife mar rying a deceased husband's brother, was brought under the notice of one for whom they claimed a higher authority than that of Scripture, he administered no rebuke, and did not make a remark even on that conduct. He (the Bishop of Norwich) was ono of those, therefore, who said, that in Scripture there was 00 prohibition of these marriages. lint there might be scriptural authority. to which they might appeal in questions of this kind. Whatever had a tendency to immorality was, no doubt, prohibiter' 11V scriptural law, and there was no doubt that if they legisfated in favour of these marriages such a le gislation would tend to encourage immorality. But, setting aside scriptural authority, he saw independent of that a great awl serious objection to making this bill into a law. They were not now in the position of originally legislating on this subject. For many years tiny had had a statute prohibiting these marriages, and if they now repealed that statute the effect would not be as if they were now legislating for the first time im the subject. They could not my that they pronounced an opinion upon it, but by repealing the statute they would give a positive and direct sanction to these marriages. And he must observe that he hardly thought their lordships were the list judges in this question. This was a cpu-tion for the women of England. There WIN no doubt that the women were most deeply affected by this question, and he believed their lordships would bear him out in swing that 99 out of 100 women in England were against it. They wens hound to listen to the women on this/abject. After some observations from Lord GAGE in support of the bill: Lord CAMPBELL, who was imperfectly heard, con gratulated the house upon the tune and temper in which the discussion had been carried on, referriug particularly to the [perishes of the bishops. Those right reverend prelate,, he said, had treuted the ques tion in a milliner, and with a spirit, which must meet. sarily produce an impression upon the mind of this nation; and he trusted would have the effect of allaying and bringing to a close the agitation which had prevailed. He slot expressed his admiration of the manner in which the subject had been viewed by the noble earl who had introduced it to their lordships' house, who in his address had shown great research, great learning, and erudition, and most powerful reasoning. He believed that this was the first time that societies had been instituted for the purpose of changing a law resembling that of marriage, directly affect ing wield affections and family relations and personal interests, and the first time that so great efforts had been made to change the public upiuion upon such questions. From the evident..., before their lordships it clearly appeared that this agitation had been begun by those who had themselves violated the law—(hear, hem). and carried on by those, who had entered into engagements for violating the law—(hear, hear)—earried uu b solicitors, by retained counsel, by sending lecturers a ll over the country, by writing articles and pamphlets, and by calling and holding public meetings. In all these proceedings the same ground had been adop:ed, that these marriages were perfectly la.eful, and we the law lull occasionally been broken they brought forward these caws of breach of the law us an excuse, and in justification of their own violation of that law. (Hear, hear.) They positively averred that the law permitted these marriages from the century when Christianity was first planted in England down to this hour. They solemnly asserted that these marriages were lawful, and they urged this point in the Court of Queen's Bench. In that ease the question arose as to whether sorb a marriage was lawful or not, and by the decision of his noble anti learned friend Lord Denman, and the unanimous decision of the whole Court of Queen's Bench, Heise marriages were declared void and in cestuous. Ile trusted that their lordships would not alter the law, anti if they would express that deter mination by a large majority the agitation on the sub ject would die assay. In his own humble opinion, it' the marriage of a man a ith his deceased air's sister was not against the low, a law ought to be made against it; and, putting the question on the ground of social purity and social benefit, he would say if there were no such law of prohibition, that such iutermarriages ought to be forbidden by the law. He ulna sled to them whether they could derive the benefits and happiness of domestic life, unless these connexions were looked upon with horror, us being at once against the law of God anti the law of man. It was nly by this feeling being imprTetlupon the mind until it hessime a sort of instinct "upoii all who . came within its operation, that men could hare a full senile of this us affecting the purity and happiness of domestic life. The noble and harried lord then referred to certain returns from the c o mmunity of the- Roman catholic,, in Lancashire and Stalibrdshire, in which counties there were many of that religion, and quoted a passage from one of them,in which Llr.olllall fully and expressly admitted the illegality of thew marriages, and that they were void; but that nvver theless he had the power, and had exercised, and would continue to exercise it, of granting dispensations for those marriages. Thus, therefore, the noble and learned lord continued, the law of the land might be entirely abrogated and set aside by the dispensing power of the Roman catholic church. But was it to be said that the violation off the law was any reason fur an alteration of the law ? With regard to these marriages, which he would call incestuous marriages ' h.' had been assured in the most positive manner, and by those who had taken the best means of ascertaining the fact, that they were nut more numerous than instances of bigamy —an offence which he knew from his own experience as a judge was exceedingly common in every county in England; not MI assize was held in which a prisoner WWI not tried for bigamy. Well, would they say, therefore, that the law should be alb red ? Would they, therefore, 1631101,12 poly gamy, and thus confess that all they had dune to confine one roan to one woman was utterly ineffectual, and quite contrary . to the natural propensities of mankind ? Iu nu ' country in the world was the marriage tic regarded with sink sanctity as in England: their lordships were now called upon to diminish that sanctity. In other countries, where the 1 . usarriage law was more lax were permitted such between uncle and niece, which w e e held in abbot-re ' nee. The passing of such a measure as this would spread alarm in every family in the United Kingdom. Ile believed that were the women of England polled, ninety-nine out of every hundred would petition their lordships against the contemplated measure; and they would in this obey the natural tendency of the female mind sad their pure per ception of what was just and pious. But a main objection against this bill was, that its purpose was to legalise marri ages contracted, not only in violation of the law, but by persons who knew that they were outraging the law—by person: who were content to live in a state of coucubinage, and who were aware that their children would be born ille gitimate. Their lordships would not forget the argu ments which might be adduced from the Royal Marriage Act. If ever there was a case in which it would have been right to render valid a doubt ful marriage it was the case in connexion with the Royal Marriage Act, with which they had had u few years ago to deal. In that case a marriage had been contracted which the law did not recognise. The lady, of illustrious descent and of immaculate virtue, was led to the altar by a prince of the blood of this country ; and they believed, and others believed, that that was a valid marriage. But notwithstanding the evidence of that belief and the powerful wpm mts which were beard, their lorilhips had come to the unanimous conclusion that the marriage was void. Now in this instance they were asked to legalise marriages contracted with the full knowledge on heath sides that they were violating the law. He would, in conclu sion, only express a hope that this bill would be rejected by a large majority. As to its being read a second time, that noble lonls might consider it in com mittee, nothing—he paid it, he hoped, without presump tion—would be so idle. This measure rested on a principle, and did not enter into matters of detail ; and every noble lord who now voted for the second reading stood pledged to passing it into law. (Hear, hear.) lle, theretore, hoped that it would be rejected at once, and by so large a majority as would preclude the hope of its being again, in any ether amnion, introduced with success. The Bishop of LONDON would not, after all that had been said, and so ably said, on this question, have intruded himself on their lordshipie attention, were it not for the circumstance that the belief had gone abroad among persons whom he should be sorry to deceive, that his opiuions had within the last ten years undergone a considerable change in reference to this matter. Ten years ago, on Lord Wharnelitfe presenting petitions on the subject, he (the Bishop of Loudon) had expressed his opinion very fully, and bail strongly deprecated any change in th. 2 marriage law of this country. Since then, it was true, a slight change had come over him: hut that change was in the contrary direction attributed to him by the persons to whom he had referred. Ile had then expressed a doubt whether the unlawfulness of these marriages might be sustained on the ground that they wen:expressly prohibited by the law of God. His mind had not then been so completely made up that not a shadow of doubt rested on it. But now, having carts- I fully reflected on the whole subject, and haying r ea d muc h of What had been said on both sides, he was much more inclined to think than he had been at the former period that these marriages were entirely and expressly prohibited by the law of God. Whatever growing :feeling th e e. Might be in sonic parts of the country in favour of the re peal of existing marriage restrictions. he believed it was confined to populous manufacturing districts. He ventured to assert, without fear of contradiction, that no such feeling I pervaded the agricultural districts; in proof of which he read a letter from the incumbent of a diatritt in North Essex, to the effect that the people there were strenuously opposed to the new bill, and that all classes of them had crowded im to sign petitions against tt. Ho (the tti.hop London) could assure thcir lordships that, so far as his own obrervation went, he had never met a single female who had not expressed herself in the strotiget terms against the passing of the proposed measure ; and he had lately read a very able tract, writtm by a lady, in which she declared that she was fully impressed with the convic tion that any alteration of the law of Marriage would interfere with domestic felicity and social comfort, and then prayed their lordships as fathers, husbands, and to oppose the passing of the bill. ._____„ . (Hear.) Lord BROUGHAM thongs that all the arguments which were not connected with the question of divine sanction —he meant, all the arguments which were of a social ! description—went, in his opinion, more strongly against marriages with a deceased wit' 's sister than they did against that which was more clearly prohibited by the Seripture, namely, marriages with a deceased brother's wife. (Hear.) Ile thought the act of 1835, commonly called Lord Lyndhurst's Act, had removed a very great de fect in our law. That act had certainly undergone consider able alterations in the House of Commons; so much so, that Lord Lyndhurst was not, strictly speaking, answerable for this manner in which it was finally passed ; still it removed 111111111 y. glaring and absurd defects in the law by making marriages with a di ceased wife's sister not " as it was designated for shorfni,s, hut void. His lordship concluded by expressing a hope that the decision of the house that night upon this most important subject would have a most beneficial effect upon the country. The Bishop of OSSORY said the measure was pregnant with danger to the morals of the country, and that it would be impossible for that social friendly in terconrie which now subsisted between a husband and his wife's sister to continue if the bill passed. The neces sary result of a relaxation of the existing law would be to bring sin and sorrow into many a pure and happy home. (Hear, hear.) It appeared to him that almost the same I relationship existed between the husband and his wife's sister as between a brother and his sister, and he had always thought that one of the happie-t features of our social system was the extension of the fraternal tie to the sister-in-law. In his opinion the light of the gospel should he brought to bear upon the law : and if they followed that light, they could not pa• et law like the present. The Earl of ST. frililtlANs replied, and stated that he had received a communication from Lord ISettinan, express ing his regret at his inability to attend to support the bill. Mr. Justice Coleridge, al.°, on a resent occasion, stated his opinion in favour of an alteration of the law. Their lordships then divided, when the numbers were--_ Content% IC on-contt nts Majority against the FCCOTIIi re:ldiom.... 34 Their lordships adjourned at a quarter past 12 o'clock until Friday. S VERY SATURDAY aFTYRNOON WILL BE PITLLSRED. THE EXHIBITION EXPRESS, aim a! a Ilan/ Marsia, Issubla raper, PRI V. SOUR •Escr • • Containing every p.ohle Into Mein to the d,itE %is EXIIIIiIfiuN In' . . . . _ Its Objects, Exiiibito;s• Contests, Arrangements Appearance, wawa, t.t and luture. lye eincrtreitte .un.her of perm. Ott rested io the fortheoininc Great Fxhtbiti,n of the W, rl.l'• lnd..ory timing i t ipprria trod i. O ediefaetory rrareventative in the prose —no patter *efficiently Lag mit sub m ~toudion tomprehemive enough to graea and exemplify the Po-beaming expu,lto in It ill% 1111.1-611 w May of so gravid .n event tho preterit tore of tve have determined ..pos taming, every Sutunlay afterroon • double abet t at that paper, to contain the fullest and laalvt information relative to the taiiibition. together 'grab n via-, of other matter acceptable to the multitude of perms* intereated tithe , n. general and emu eon/maims. n and KVIVt.I7 ir 0,110 21berA of provincial travelling dohs mad:atom, Wien& of eNlaibiters, rivals at exubitont, and the Lower and wider meeie of the ...1w are to it the hundreds of haistauds of Tenho, to the au trapulte during the fictocimmig C0..0 .reew of li4,otry of all :Varkus. attlitnis to everything relative the Kapmilios title double rbeet will give general news, and will, iiioretwer, riejeciall) etteal to all tune= ample in literature, mance, mid art. _ . _ On - Jery day except Raturday N. price of tits EXPitta will be threepence, or heretofore. The peat value al tho t...X.IIIEITIOS EXI'ItES9 to a median must reevident to alert tl•ere. AU aovertircuients nutlet he at the dike in Whitefriarri at or before hclit in the esening t each Friday, tir rerun: insertion to the number sr the following Jay. Office.. In, rouerie-atreet, pprrxigi. TO CORRESPONDENTS. Advertisements intended tor "The Evens," London Evening paper, must he ■t the tenet, 10, Bourerie.sareet, by Two o'ilf.ork us the day of publication. • DIGIL WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tine D•T—Morning, 10h. 41m..........Afiern00n, e. 27m. Timmanuw—Sitorning, IM. Om. Afternoon, 12b. Gm. LONDON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY M. A STANLEY ministry, and of course a di,:solution— the country fairly asked, will it have protection or free trade it have a 30/. or 101. suffrage ?—wil I it have a House of Commons to register and to do the will of the House of Lillis, or a parliament in which popular ideas are expressed, and commercial interests fairly represented?—Shah the taxation of the country be laid upon property or upon industry, upon the rich, or upon the poor?—who shall pay tfie interest of the debt, the squire from his rent, or the artisan from his wages—these are questions about to be put to parliament first, and then to the country. And if' there be any delay in putting them to the country, it is merely that the ultra party may gather strength, and make surer preparations for carrying out the principles by which they must even tually stand or fall. Me think it best that these questions should be so put. nay, that the tories should have all fair play and advantage in putting them. For if the country, with the experience it has had, cannot answer them, and with a shout so unanimous and appalling us to make those political coxcombs shake in their shoes, that dare conic forward to ask them, then let Jolts Hen be written down a poltroon and an ass, let a cheap loaf never be his, and may he be taxed to eternity on all he eats, and all he drinks, for the air he breathes, and the light he enjoys, without mis giving, consideration, or respect. What has happened, however, is in the main the best for the liberal party. Constituted as it was, every parliamentary battle was fought under the greatest disadvantage. The list of official men in truth resembled that much criticised roll of Admirals, of whom there were three hundred receiving pay, but of whom not fifty were sea-worthy. The turning them all to the right-about, nay, letting oblivion cover them a little, will make the reconstructiou of a liberal party and u liberal ministry more equitable, more feasible, more efficient. The testing of the protectionists, of the scope, value and sincerity of their opinions, together with their cohesion as a party, will be another valuable gain. The humbug of protection, and nll the fiction of op position, must cease; and 'if Lord tirssaxv and Mr. DISRAELI come forward with those ingenious Ina nceuvres to trick their own foolish followers, which they themselves denounced in PEEL, their own want of principle will render them powerless, as the eh ', surdity of their acting up to their own principle would prove them insane. No doubt the country must pay for this brief term of power. All useful reform will no doubt be stopped, the universities confirmed in their present privilege of nullifying education, or of rendering it a succursal to Itomc. Law reform will halt, and ecclesiastical efficiency and re-distribution of wealth be blighted; the bench of bishops and that of judges will receive their alloy ; Ireland will see again its Orange functionaries and its repeal associations ; England will want more troops and more police to keep down the clamour for cheap bread. Canada is lucky in having got its clergy reserves; it might ask in vain for them now. As to thancellor MERRIER, the House of Commons will take care to tie that old gentleman hand and foot, so as to render him comparatively harmless. But what pranks Secretary DISRAELI may play in Europe, he who defended SCHWARZEN BERG and HATNAU in the midst of their despotism and atrocities, passes as yet the imagination of the novelist. A STANLEY cabinet cannot, however, make a com promise with papal . aggression : that, at least, is im p ossible. It may sin the other way ; nay, it must, if it remain true to its allies and supporters. bale moo and promotion cannot be refused to them in Ireland and in England. Ireland can have no chancellor like BR tor, no more judges like PER RIN and PIGOTT ; and the Roman catholic prelates, who turned their backs upon Lord CLAR EN DON, may announce their names and titles at the levees of the Duke of IttenvoNo or of RUTLAND. Sir UOBERT INGLIS will no doubt succeed RICHARD LALOR tintit. at Florence; and Moto: O'FERRAL alone he received into favour, on the credit of his kindred bigotry. 'We must own that all this will be just retribu tion. No one can doubt that the true chara 4ion, the general who routed the whigs, and fitlig Lord JOUN RCASSLL from his seat, 1 was no other than Cardinal WISEMIN. He and Scnw.uuENßEßc. and the Pores minister, planned 'the campaign, furnished she means, and the manner of invasion. And thus, in the middle of the nine teenth century, the Papal court has not only divided the country into bishoprics, but convulsed parliament, stopped the business of the country for a year, its progress nix several years, and has tjected n ministry of tried liberals, and handed over the government to a retrograde party, which, but for the Italian priests, had not a chance of obtaining it. Lord STANLEY owes his premiership to WISEMAN ; and no doubt, however hostile his lordship may be in religious leanings, the Cardinal in all probability counts on his sympathy as an enemy of popular free dom, and as a friend and patron of the despots of Europe. We have no doubt that on the news of Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S fall, a solemn thanksgiving will have been offered up at Rome, a Te Drum sung at Vienna, and that in all convents and nunneries of France MONTALEMBEET will ordain the due cele bration of so glad an event. It will gladden and encourage all the reactionists and tyrants, political and religious, in Europe. The religious reactionists, however, may, nay must, be disappointed •, and as to the Irish and English cathohcs, they have got iid of Johnny 1.09, we opine, and will 'have to compound with Ned Stork. We regret this, as repression of the papal assumption should have been proportioned to the offence, not allowed to degenerate into persecution, nay, been tempered by that impartial favour, F enerous consideration, and gradual elevation in the social and political scale, which was always the policy of the late ministry towards the Roman catholics. Gratitude, however, is not in the dictionary of the Propaganda. It is painful to think that these machinations of Italian priests should not only have shattered a liberal government and party in England, but pre eluded the possibility of its being reorganised. Sir JAMES CattllAM not being popular in England, indeed only popular on the credit of his being a slashing economist and a daring adminis trator, irrespeetful of men or of things, durst not face unpopularity in Ireland. It is to be feared that the announcement will render Ireland ungovernable for a very long time, if not for ever ungovernable by England. The proof and the experience that the Roman catholic party can break up any liberal government in England, even that government which would be strongest on all other questions of policy, this experiment and conviction will have effiried more towards a definitive repeal of the union, and a consequent separation between England and Ireland, than all O'CONNELL'S efforts put together. LORD STANLEY has at length the opportunity afforded him which his follower* have so frequently , affected to desire. The noble lord was summonel to the royal presence in the afternoon of yesterday, and again invited to attempt the task of forming 'a mi nistry. lie asked until to-day to complete his list. As • a matter of personal interest the result will doubtless ' create no ordinary degree of curiosity. But as a thing . of permanent importance, this capricious epi sode in our constitutional history is not likely to be hereafter dwelt upon as one containing mud; either of significance or mettniniz.. The gate of the political orchard has suddenly been left open, and the turbulent and covetous crew that have been in the habit of threatening to scale the walls, find themselves unexpectedly tantalised by seeing the golden pippins within their reach. The old gate-keeper. of whom they were mightily afraid, is dead; and his successor has, in a tit of vexation, forsaken his post. Shall they rush in, nyonine and proceed to appropriate what their boyish souls lust after? Or will the consciousness that after all they have no honest business there restrain their im petuous leader and his unruly band? For their own sakes, some of their friends may be disposed to hope the latter; but should the former occur, it will only be necessary to take quiet and peremptory measures for turning the intruders out again, when the proper time comes. _ . .... For any sober es useful purpose, a STANLEY admi nistration properly so called is n mere absurdity. Think of n great, busy. exigent, and elear-headed community like this having the direction of their vast affairs committed to the hands of a knot of dilettanti writers, distressed squires, and delicate lordlings--a band of fops, fanatics. and fox-hunters! • One might as well imagine a man of sound mind selecting for his domestic establishment a set of ser vants unfit to work, although to beg for unearned wages not ashamed. Conceive the amazement, incre dulity, and scorn which the first play-hill of the Carlin theatre must create throughout the kingdom! As far ns the mutes in the court pageant are con cerned, we doubt not the parts might be tilled up as well by tory grooms and ladies in waiting, as by those who have enacted those highly an-important characters for the last three seasons. But pageants, however well "put upon the stage," don't draw. A discerning public insists upon having something more for its money than mere masquerading to the tune of " Gnu save the Ormx." Vt c are a business people, and appreciate subjects of serious interest. If the " Merchant of Venice" is advertised, we want to know who is to play Shylwk ? And in the comi cal fam• of "A Nabob for an hour," we wish to learn who is positively to play the impostor. Already lists are handed about each more grotesque in grouping than the rest. In one, the oddest jumble of Puseyites and evangelicals may be seen ; in another, trimming frettraders who are ready to vote for a fixed duty, and protectionists who are ready to cushion protection. Believe some folks, and Messrs. Gtsnsroxt: and Ns:Arum:Arr. are willing to form parts of the same heterogeneous cabinet ; while Sir E. SVC DEN and Sir F. TUESIGER, who held office under Sir Itonsar PEEL, are to figure along with Messrs. Srrscr and WALPOLE iu the array that is to be made against the policy of 1816. We cannot help confessing that, if Lord ST tNLEV can make out any decent excuse for attempting so wild and mischievous an experiment on the patience and peace of the nation, great allowances may in fairness be claimed for him on account of the deplorable lack of brains among his own genuine followers. Desti tute of the ordinary materials out of which to construct an administration, he would fain beg, borrow, or steal what ho wants from his neighbours. Unless we are much misinformed, the tory captain is open to offers just now from any or every quarter. A rare opportunity is afforded to flexible gentlemen of busi ness habits and ordinary capacity. Good wages in any department will be found to be at their disposal, and no objection will he made or any questions asked lon account of past opinions. The only drawback is that under no eireeunstances can any engagement for a fixed period be given. Notwithstanding this draw back, we should not be surprised at finding odds and ends of other parties attaching themselves to the usurpers ; and were we disposed to be malicious we think we could name some of the worn-out appen dages of whiggery and of Peelism over whose deser tion we should rather incline to laughter than lamen tation. But will Mr. GLADSTONE, for whom Lord STAN- LET asked the QrEEN to wait until he should find it convenient to return from foreign travel—will he take office in the government that we are told is to be ? Will he go to sea in so crazy a barque, with BO giddy a captain, and so untrained a crew ? Halt, lame, and blind. Lord STANLEY can muster but three other individuals who have ever been in the cabinet before—his grace of RICHMOND, Lord ELLE.NBOROLGII, and poor old Mrs. llEnxiEy. No body else will touch the thing. Of course it seems capital fun for would-be sterol:ll*n hire NEWDEG ATE, GRANBY, and STAFFORD, to be allowed to wear real political swords, and to be dubbed privy councillors. But what inducement cnn the presence of such personages afford to any man who has ever had the experience of practical responsibi lity ? Our impression is very strong that .Mr.GLAD STONE will have nothing to do with the ignorant and incompetent triflers, who, by their very acceptance of eminent place, prove themselves to be unfit for even subordinate power. Neither do we believe that Lord ABERDEEN, the Duke of AEWCASTLE, 'or Mr. 001:LBCRN, will quit tsrra firma on such a I cruise. Had this burlesque upon an administration been got together at the close of a session, when the busi ness of the year was done, we could understand Lord STANLEY taking what even then would have been an indecent liberty with the nation. He might think it excusable to show his raw followers a little sport, at the risk of committing occasional trespass on forms and doing minor injury to insignificant persons. But what does Lord STANLEY mean by pretending to do the public business with such hands as he has had the levity to name as his colleagues? Does he think to bully the nation by the empty threat of a dissolution of parliament ? Let him try. TURIN, Fan. 21. The Official Gazette of Piedmont declares that the ministerial retreat of M. Siceardi has been occa sioned purely by the bad state of his health. This is accepted as a pledge that no change will take place in the policy of the cabinet. FRANCE. PARIS, TUE3DAY EVEI4INO. A more effective satire on the weathercock nature of French politicians could hardly be composed than has been effected in the columns of the Preys! this morning, by the relentless scissors of Enid° do Girardin. That ingenious publicist has presented a sort of scrap-book of the kebruary revolution, tend ing to set in the strongest light the enthusiastic homage paid in the revolutionary spring of 1811 l to all those principles of democratic liberty on the part of men who have since lost no occasion of abusing and trampling upon the former objects of their idolatry. In the first seven weeks of its existence the Constituent Assembly, rising on its legs with ono accord, unanimously cheered the republic fifty-eight times. Of the renegades, to whom the mirror of their strange metamorphosis is presented in a series of electoral addresses, M. de Montalembert appears first upon the stage, swearing that " liberty i. th e idol of his soul." As president of the electoral committee of religious liberty, he volunteers an oath to vote only in favour of liberty of con science, liberty of the press, liberty of 'education, liberty of association, and other liberties of the same family, which have been quietly burked by hint and his compeers sines% M. Leon Faucher &elates that never did Providence reveal its inscrutable de signs in a more signal manner than by the revolu tion of February. M. Rouher. who did not hesitate a short time ago to stigmatise from the tribune the same revolution as a catastrophe, hails the new era as the commencement of emancipation from the in supportable burthens of an unjust system of taxat M. de Falloux tells his constituents that fmm that day Russia, Austria, Prussia are no longer to he called psissanns efraveres, but isiiimiuttneex Oran gPres. General Gemeau, now at the head of the Roman expedition, being then present at the plant ing of a tree of liberty at Strasboug, -Cyst done la tete haute que je me tourne vers Furbre de la liberte, que je salue comme noire nouveau drapcan, et que, Is main stir mon epee. jc jure de la defendro au prix demon sung." Ile winds up with a cheer for " Fraternity," which he styles the emancipator of peoples. Brevets pledges 'himself to defend all those liberties, which he took a main part in destroying. Colonel Vaudrey, the President's aide dc-eamp and epunletted symbol of imperialism, declares, that the Strasbourg expedition m which he was compromised with Louis Napoleon, was undertaken with the aim of producing the re sults which followed the revolution of February. and inaugurating the sovereignty of the people. S. gar d'Aguesseau, a red-hut Bonapartist. exclaims. " Plus de Bonarartisme!" M. Paden, the 'Jlinister of Public instruction, under whose auspices the famous Jesuitical law of public instruction was carried. eulo gises the revolutions of Berlin, Vienna, and Milan, and puts up vows for "heroic and unhappy Pi land, the adoptive sister of France." In tine, reaetionaries of every party are brought forward protesting their idolatry of lifierty, the most noted royalists profess ing unalterable attachment to republiean institutions. It is a stage on which every actor displays with pre posterous ostentation the principles which experience has proved to ix, most foreign to his nature. You may judge of the complete order observed by the people in the celebration of the annivermry of the revolution of February. and of the confidence of the government in the public tranquillity, from tho Net that not a single st•rgent-de-ville appeared yes terday in the Place de In Bastille. - - The number of the processions to the column of tho Bastille was estimated at six thousand. M. Bettgrint will propose to-day to the Superior Council of Instruction, to suspend the lectures on history of M. Miehelet, at the College of France. It may he remembered that the lectures of M. Michela were closed in 1847. and retpened in 18 IS. The pamphlet published by M. Edouard Lemoine, entitled "Abdication of Louis Philippe, recounted by himself," sets in a singularly clear light the ineom putibility of that monarch's notions with the prin ciples of the constitutional monarchy, which he is always cited par excellence as having represented. In fact, one can hardly conceive a more despotic as sertion of resistance to the nation and parliament than these confessions of the ex-King. M. tiuizot felt the necessity of granting reform. Two ;years before the revolution of 1848 he announced, m his address to his constituents, at Lisieux, that he (M. Guizot) would perform what others were satisfied with promising. Several members of the ma jority had communicated to the king their con viction us to the necessity of reform. The king's own sons deplored his obstinate resistance. In these notes the exile of Claremont exclaims with a blind self-confidence, " Everybody was for reform!" just as if everybody laboured under sonic strange hallucination. Ile alone resists. " Reform," he says, " is the accession of the opposition to power," which for him is the ne plea Ora of dis asters; as if the opposition could, under the constitu tional regime be for ever excluded from power. And when one of his" most devoted friends" is astonished at hearing him say that he will retire if the opposi tion come into power, and adds: "Sire, a constituz . • tionul king does not retire, he submits to the will of the majority, und he remains." the king answers, "No, he does not remain; he retires." The czar himself could lint lay down a more absoluth preten sion than to admit no middle alternative between imposing his single will upon the nation or abdica ting. But is not this the self-same key in which ho said to Odilon Barrot 16 years before, " I have a system of polities all settled; this system is my own and not the suggestion of this or that minister; and, rather than renounce it, I would bo pounded in a mortar (je me fends hrorr dons tot seedier). After the light which has been thrown on the principles of Louis-Philippe, it is a wilful decep tion to represent him as a constitutional monarch, or to make any distinction so far as rt•spect for prlia mentary institutions are concerned between the mo narchy which sank and that which rase in July. The two branches were cut off from the throne for the selfsame cause, obstinate resistance to the na tional will legally expressed. A curious store is in circulation, the details of which are so delicate as to oblige me not to name directly the parties concerned. A near female rt.la- Ron of an exalted person, married to a Russian prince, has had the misfortune to lose half her pin -money, through the displeasure of the czar, at whose express command the said pin-money, amounting to eight thousand pounds sterling, had been hitherto paid to her. It seems that the father of this lady, whose habits of expendi ture have been, probably from the circumstance of his having once occupied a throne, disproportioned to the modest income which he receives as the direc tor of a hospital, was accustomed to make frequent appeals to the generosity of his daughter, in orderto eke out his narrow means. Meanwhile the princess, whether wearied with the constant repetition of these claims upon her filial duty, or dreading " that climax of all earthly ills, the inflammation of our weekly bills," gradually turned a deafer ear to these paternal importunities, and finally sent the suppliant ex-king empty away. The consequence was that a letter full of revelations, by no means calculated to raise the character of the princess, whose youth and beauty ex pose her to more than ordinary temptation, reached her husband. This letter was sent to St. Petersburg, and laid before the czar. Hence the ukase clipping the allowance of the lady. Such is the talc, winch I tell as 'twas told to me, without volunteering the responsibility of its truth. To-day a series of propositions, among which the most important was the bill nu opening an extra ordinary credit for mivate correspondence by tele graph, were adopted by the Assembly. - rf. Smiler Laroche demanded tointerpellate tho ministers upon the violation of the electoral law, re sulting from a decree dated 18th February, as applied to municipal elections. The interpellations wero accepted for to-morrow. The conversations in the Assembly turned almost exclusively on the ministerial crisis in England. M. Crown's motion comes on next Saturday. To-morrow, or the day after, tho Assembly will meet in the bureaux to appoint the coMmittee of 30 members on the budget of 1852. All the news received by telegraph (roan the pro vinces is perfectly satisfactory. The 24th February has gone off quite peaceably at Lyons, Bordeaux, Dijon, Angers, ite. I am told by the person who originated the para graph in the Assembke Nationale announcing the death of Mrs. Howard, that this news is not certain. The report to-day is indeed, that the lady in question is quite well. 1