The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-03-13 00:00:00

PROHIBITION OF MARRIAGE WITH A

DECEASED WIFE'S SISTER.

A Dorsetshire clergyman (who, for obvious reasons,
witholds his name) writes the following to the
papers :
am glad to find that the subject of a rnan marrying his
deceased wife's sister is once more brought before Parlia-
ment, with the view of rendering such an union legal in our
statute hook, PS I verily believe it in sanctioned—most
assuredly it is not fortibbitn—in the Bible and furthermore
rec, amended by clergyn cii of much experience and weight,
such as Dr. Hook, the latt. Bishop Villiers, Hugh Stow ell, atid
several others whom I could name. My object in address-
ing you Is to state an instance of such a marriage which
occurred In my parish several years since, in which the wife,
shortly before her death, expressed a wish to her husband
that if he ever married again, he would marry her sister, I
was consulted by the friends of the family, a respectable
one, respecting my opinion of such a marriage. Of course I
could give but one answer viz., that as It WAS forbidden by
the law of the land. I could not possibly sanction a breach of
the law ; still less could I solemnise such a marriage, as I
should thereby incur a heavy penalty. At the same time I
expressed swish that tne law might be altered, as I did not
think that such an union was contrary to the law—and as far
as the law ea, ill expression of His mind and will—of God.
They were in consequence, married at a place far distant,
and the union I believe has been a happy one.

A MAN OF PEACE WITH IMPLEMENTS
OF WAR.
A deputation of gunmakers fr ,m Birmingham has
had an interview with the Right Honowsble John
Bright (remarks the Daily Tileyraph). We men of
peace are avenged. For a long time past the tendency
has been to thrust soldiers into every berth which
might fall vacant, without regard to fitness or unfit-
ness. The half-pay captains have taken the smaller
places colonels on the retired list have been the
favoured candidates for the better things of this world.
We have, however, got the upper hand of the Army
List at last. This time the Gown has fairly beaten
the Sword. The soldiers may have had their little
triumphs; but can they point to such a success as we
have won? Here is the most eminent member
of the Society of Friends presiding over the manu-
facture of small arms, and gravely transacting business
with the gunnaakers as though he had spent his
early life in a powder-magazine. What the result
of the interview may be, we know not; nor is it likely
that Mr. Bright will tell us. If some improvement
in revolvers has occurred to the right honourable
gentleman, we can scarcely hope that he will take us
into his confidence. From small arms to big guns is
but a step, as compared with the gulf which yawns
between the small-arm trade and Mr. ]rights ante-
cedents. We may hear of him next at Shoeburyness,
settling the vexed question of artillery and armour-
plates—of attack and defence, there is nothing to be
ashamed of in all this. Whatever Mr. Bright takes in
hand, no doubt he will do it well. After all, it was out
of such stuff as John Bright that the Ironsides were
made. They would fight by the hour, and pray by
the yard. Zerubbabel Pray-till-Pawn and Zephaniah
Pound-Text were, in one sense, frightful bores. It is,
nevertheless, true that many who cattle to laugh at
them went away laughing very much on the wrong side
of their mouths. Among other little matters, they
understood how to smite the "Rollicking Rams'
of the period hip and thigh—yea, even till the
going down of the sun. Has not John Bright
even our John—smitten his curled and per-
fumed foes till there ister a curl left in them ; and,
as for perfume, the less said about that the
better. Jerkins and jack-boots, culverins and petro-
nels, have been out of date in our time; but John has
met his opponents manfully with the weapons of the
period, and given back as good as ever he got. The
heart of many a dull, fighting corporal, who would
never have shrunk from mounting the imminent
deadly breach, would have fainted in the face of the
warfare which John Bright has bail to wage His
heart never fainted. Macbeth, in his last sphatter,
was a lamb compared to Friend John when his
fighting blood was well up. Why, then, should
we wonder if he feels an interest in small arms? Of
, course his heart warms to a good weapon. To our
, fancy, however, a broadsword should have been his
i tool. He would have done his work like Balfour of
Burley, in Walter Scott's tale. Age may have some-
, what check ed the headlong current of his blood, may
have slightly blanched his hair, dimmed the brightness
of his fiery glance, and, indeed, lie may be getting a
shade too stout for active service; but, depend upon it,
if the clarion sonnds, and calls England once men, to
arms, John Bright is the chief fur our money.