The Press.
London, England, 1856-06-28 00:00:00

JUNE 28, 1856.

and its consequences were equal, would not meet
with the public concurrence at this time.
Lord CAMPBELL. laid down the general principle
that it was only in cases of adultery that the mar-
riage ought to be dissolved; but contended that,
though adultery by the husband might be condoned,
its inevitable effect when committed by the wife was
to dissolve the marriage at once and for ever, and
condonation was out of the question. He would limit
the power of the wife to sue for a divorce to cases of
incestuous adultery by the husband, bigamy, and de-
sertion for a certain number of years.
Lord ST. GERMANS suggested an amendment, that
so action should be brought for criminal conversa-
tion unless the court to be constituted by the bill
pronounced a divorce a vinculo matrirnonii.
The Bishop of OXFORD approved the bill so far
• as it proposed to deal with the acts of gross injustice
..too often perpetrated on married women. He ad-
intitted the evils resulting from the action for
► criminal conversation ; but he could not consent
to a provision the tendency of which was to facilitate
as far as possible the dissolution of marriage a
vinculo, even for adultery. Unsatisfact.,ry and im-
perfect as the existing law was in many respects, it
was more desirable than the universal laxity in the
public morals which he apprehended would result
from the bill under consideration ; and he implored
the house not to hurry through a measure of that
:importance without the most careful deliberation,
iijea'ing as it did with the whole family life of
Nrigland.
The Duke of ARGYLL thought the facilities should
;,be equal in both cases.
On the motion of the LORD CHANCELLOR, the bill
passed through committee ; and, on the motion of
~the Bishop of OXFORD, which was carried on a divi-
sion by a majority of 9 to 7, it was ordered to be
reported on Thursday next.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—THURSDAY.
AUSTRALIAN POsTAL SERVICE.
At the morning sitting, in reply to an inquiry by
Sir J. Pakington,
Mr. Wu.soN stated the arrangements which the
Government had entered into with responsible
parties for a rapid and regular postal communication
between this country and Australia:—
The first vessel would be ready for survey in the month
of August, and would depart on a voyage between South.
ampton and Melbourne direct round the Cape with pas.
sengers iu October. That vessel would be ready in
January to take up the service from Melbourne to Suez
and back; another vessel would be despatched for Mel.
bourne in November, a third in December, and a fourth in
January. From January the service would be performed
between Suez and Melbourne monthly without interrup-
tion, backwards and forwards each month. The vessels
would be of 2,200 tons burden, and not less than 500-horse
power. He thought everything had been done which
money and invention could achieve in order to accomplish
the most rapid and regular communication between this
country and the Australian colonies. (Hear, hear.)
None of the vessels to be permanently employed would be
less than 2,200 tons burden. There were two of 1,800
tons, to be employed temporarily. He did not exactly re•
member the time stipulated for the passage, but he thought
Oat the number of days was about fifty from London to
Australia. The contract was entered into for five years,
aiid the penalty to be incurred for the non-performance of
the contract was, for the first day of its infringement, 501.,
and so increasing by 501. every day afterwards.
The house having resolved itself into committee
upon Parochial Schoolmasters (Scotland) Tests Bill
It wax agreed to and ordered to be reported.
It then went into committee upon the Parochial
'Schools ',Scotland) Bill; clauses one to nine were
discussed, and agreed to.
' In the evening,
Lord DRUMLANRIG brought up the answer of her
Majesty to the address on the subject of National
Education in Ireland. It was in substance similar
to the motion of Monday.
CORPORATION REFORM BILL.

In reply to Mr. Hankey,
Sir G GREY stated that, as there was no proba-
bility of the London Corporation Bill, which stood
for a second reading, passing all its stages this ses-
sion, he proposed to withdraw it, with the intention
of introducing a bill during the next session, not
differing in its material features from that before the
house.

WILLS AND ADMINISTRATION BIM..

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL, in moving the second
reading of this bill, proposed to abolish all
necessity of resort to the ecclesiastical courts, and to
substitute a tribunal that should unite in itself all
the powers of the courts of law and equity, governed
by' the common law rules of evidence, procedure,
and trial, of the simplest kind, to determine once
and for all questions of testacy and intestacy. In
order to provide for the administration of the estates
of testators and intestates he proposed to arm this
tribunal with all the powers of administration apper-
taining to the Court of Chancery, giving to it, how-
ever, an independent existence, not mixing it up
with that court, but allowing an intermediate appeal
to the lords justices. He proposed to clothe this
dilnirt with the power of appointing, upon application,