The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-13 00:00:00

MOM WA= AI LOX UM WOOL

TWO Oat —lluraim Oa ia.... Altersoss. ob. ISaa.
To-imano• —Monis Aflanow. I. BM.

LONDON, TRURNDAY, MARCII 13.

Tat Marriages of Affinity Bill, designed to re-
move the kcal impediment to marriage with •
deceased wife's sister, was spin before the Hoses
of Commons yesterday, when Mr. Mosoavois
Moms moved its committal. After speecbsein
its favoorby Mr. BALL, NY W. JOLLITY; and Mr.
Gazosios ; and others against it, by Mr. Harr,
Mr. Laws, sud Mr. Messina., the motion was

rejected by a majority of 32 in a House of 264.
The Bill, therefore, is lost for the present
Session.

This result makes one more appeal to that virtue
of patience in which reformers in all ages are abun-
dantly exercised. A year's labours are lost, and
soother year's work he+ to be done. It is a task
which foe many incidental yet Important reasons
we should gladly have been spared ; but the in-
terests involved are many and very precious.
.Justice has to be done to thousands of innocent
children of virtuous parents cruelly stigmatised by
an arbitrary law. The honour of pure families
wantonly assailed must be vindicated. And if
these motives were not strong enough, others would
be found in the arrogant pretensions which have
been set up to subject the consciences of Chris-
tian men to the judgments of mcdizeval canonista,
or the private interpretations of divines. The
sentiment of civil and religious liberty must die
out in England before a course so tyrannical
as that of the defenders of the present law can be
pursued without uniting men in resolute opposi-
tion. That course has been characterised by a
meanness and unscrupulousness never found in
dealing with questions simply political, and is to
be traced directly to the infusion of the ecclesias-
tical spirit. The opponents of Mr. Muoira's Bill
appear to have thought it decent to attempt to
cover its supporters with moral opprobrium.
Although the free churches of the land have re-
peatedly petitioned for the repeal of the existing
prohibition ; and although ode-and twenty bishops
and two archbishops of the Established Church
have declared that, in their opinion, there is
no scriptural prohibition of these marriages,
they have sought to attain their end, the petty
end of imposing their own opinion as the rule of
the lives of others, by alarming the consciences,
and wounding the honourable susceptibilities of
women. The manly spirit of the country will
know bow to deal with such dastardly attempts.
One of the first consequences of these tactics will
be that every man-child born of these marriages
will inherit the duty of avenging the honour of his
parents by requiring a repeal of the law which has
wantonly placed it in question.
A resolution of a meeting of Scotch Presby-
terians against Mr. Mt L,N GM'S Bill has been appealed
to by a contemporary as an argument for its
rejection. It seems that both the established
and free Kirks hold that marriage with a deceased
wife's sister is condemned in Leviticus. Dr.
t'errou.o has expressed a hope that "the
" Presbyterian f'hurches would have the firm-
" nem to exercise discipline in spite of this ap-
" prehendint law," though he admitted that this
course would he attended by " circumstances of
" extreme difficulty and delicacy." We hope
that not only the Presbyterian Churches, but
all the churches in this realm, will severally
have the courage to nunetain their authority in
matters of relignsii, irrespective of civil laws
which intrude into the domain of conscience.

But let the Presbyterians be content with spi-
ritual freedom and independence, and not seek
furce their convictions by legal disabilities
on bodies of Christians whom divines con-
strue Leviticus otherwise than they. Is it not •
mean and shameful thing that Dr. Cssiittsm and
his colleagues, members of • free and self-govern-
ing religious body, should petition Parliament to
forbid members of the Church of England and
English Dissenters to contract marriages which
the Bishop of Limnos, and Dr. HOUK, and Joan
WICILIT, and Mr. 8,-rasv him declared not to be
contrary to Scripture, bet expedient and favour.
able to morality I Goo save every Christian
State from having its laws dictated by its
CANDLUIMIFJ4 !

sue word of well-merited acknowledgment.
Mr, M..N. ei,.e Marie.. deserves the thanks of all
fnerels of liberal legislation. He has conducted
this cause in Parliament with equal skill and
courage. It is not through his fault that the Bill
has nut been carried. The measure is, however,
only undergoing the ordinary trials and vicissitudes
of all returns% and we trust he may reap the
honours of its assured ultimate triumph.

The Duke of Somerset will hold levees at the
Admiralty foe the reception of of icets of the Reyal Navy
os the followtiot TI steles', at 2 o'clock :—March 27,
Aura .1 and 10, Mae $, 11, and «. einem wishing to
attend AI, requested to w.sert their LAMM, stating their
met and seniority, either mrsonally Of through their agent',
is a book left wdh the b. 41 porter for that purpose.

Her Atwjr.ty the I ?items lIFL4 s{racioit%ly trans-
mitted so adthtioctal enottnbution of 501. io aid ul the foals
of th. Royal NatiormlLifebost lostitutioo.

The Pn.v.et mei Fellow,' of Eton College have
elected the Eight Rev. Jam.. Chapman, 1).1)., late Lord
Bastiop of ('olumbo, to the fellowship mothred meant by the
appdatmeet of the Rey. Edward Ralston to the mai
mastership of the school.
M re, ott Ti THE LATE Ma. ROBERT EITIEPHIN..
wgi. C. E. A beautiful memorial in the ferns Of a " bents"
hen been let into the nays of Westminster Abbey, midway
between the western earn.", and the choir screen, to the
memory of the above distiognished engineer, who, it will be
remembered, me interred near the spot in the latter parte(
The memorial, which weighs 2;tons 2 cwt., is
hoolered awl interlined with Corwin!' partite and braes, ow
the bitter of which the decreed V represented in a stand-
ing position with his arms folded mess Ide bass& The
foll.eing nth' inscriptions mad the true :—" Seared to the
memory of Yr. Rohert Btepheeera, M.P.. D.C.L,
Prescient of llos lodination alf Civil Eepiesess, who Aid
via 12. le" Ted r 4; years.
CITY or LOlllOOll COLLIDE, LEADINHALE-1111112T.
—This eventsg, Mr. John Lubbock, R.S., be., will
daiter a teeters on the " Pre historic Races of Mai it
Northern rind I 'entral F.aripe." Mr. Marnisrluke B. a
son will take the chair at 8 p.m. The Hater term will
molester° ou !loader, the Wet aslant.