The Press.
London, England, 1857-08-22 00:00:00

818

fine upon the adulterer having been withdrawn from
the bill. _

Upon a division the clause was carried by 78
to 40.

Mr. MALINS inquired what course the Government
intended to take to punish the adulterer.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL replied that, although he
should be extremely sorry to retain the action of
criminal conversation, which was an opprobrium on
the country, some such remedy was needed, and, if
the proposal was acceptable to the general body of
the committee, he had no objecti3n to endeavt.ur to
embody in a clause a provision that., when a husband
presented a petition to the court, he should say
whether he desired damages against the adulterer or
not., and, if he did, how he wished them to be ap-
plied ; and that, on the hearing of the petition,
a jury shall determine by their verdict if any and
what amount of money should be paid by the
adulterer, and the manner in which it should be
applied.
The clauses contained in the bill having been gone
through, the committee proceeded to consider the
new clauses.

One of these clauses, moved by the ATTORNEY-
GENERAL, and agreed to, gave jurisdiction to enter-
tain and decide upon petitions for judicial separa-
tion to the judge of assize for the county, or any
other person named in the commission of assize, and
appointed by the judge, or the chairman, or assistant-
chairman of the quarter sessions for the county or
district, or the recorder of any city or borough in
which the husband and wife were last resident.

A clause for the protection of the earnings of a
woman after,'separation from her,husband was also
inserted.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then proposed a clause to
the effect that proctors in the Ecclesiastical Courts
in England should, at the expiration of two years
after the passing of this tact, be entitled to make a
claim for compensation to the Treasury Commis-
sioners.

The clause was agreed to.
The other business was disposed of, and the house
adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-MEDNESDAY.
NEW MEMBER.

Major EDWARDS took the oaths and his seat for
Beverley, in the room of Mr. Glover, unseated. He
was introduced by Sir William Joliffa and Sir
William Heathcote.

FOR DEBT.

Sir G. GREY, in reply to Mr. Hadfield as to
whether the Government intend to bring in a bill
next session of Parliament to abolish imprisonment
for debt contracted without fraud, said the subject
was under consideration, but he' could not then
give any promise with reference to the introduction
of a bill.

SALE UP OBSCENE BOOKS, &C., PREVENTION BILL.

The house went into committee, and amendments
moved by Mr. ROEBUCK and Mr. AruroN—making it
necessary that there should be an overt aqt sworn to
be committed by the person charged before a warrant
should be issued, that there should be an appeal
from the decision of the convicting magistrates, and
that for the purpose of obtaining the issue of a
warrant the exhibition of the objectionable works
should take place for gain —were adopted.

DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL CAUSES BILL.
The committee was resumed.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL brought up a clause to
add to the judges of the coact as already constituted
the senior puisne judges of the three courts of
common law.

It was suggested that this proposition should be
introduced into the clause constituting the court; to
which

Sir G. GREY replied that it was better to have a
new clause than to alter the other one.

It was arranged eventually that the matter should
be discussed on the report.
Clauses were also proposed for the establishment
of local courts in accordance with a promise given
by the Attorney• General on the previous night, and
were agreed to after a brief discussion.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then proposed a clause
providing that a husband may obtain damages for
the adultery of his wife from the adulterer, by the
verdict of a jury, in the new court—the money to be
applied to the use of the children, or for the support
of the divorced woman.
The clause was agreed to.
A clause providing that a clergyman who con-
scientiously objecte•l to celebrate the marriage of
divorced persons should not have power to withhold
the use of his church for the solemnisation of such
marriage by clergymen not entertaining a similar
objection, was proposed by the ATTORNEY-GENERA!..
Mr. HOPE, Lord J. MANNERS, Mr. HENLEY, and
Sir W. HEATHCOTE, protested against a clause which
would create nothing but disturbance and dispute
among the clergy.

Upon a division the clause was carried by 73
to 33.