The Express.
London, England, 1848-08-05 00:00:00

HOUSE ON LORDS.

ESTHER FIELD'S IitARRIAOR ANNULLING BILL —The
house met at eleven o'clock fur the second reading of this
bill, the Earl of Devon sitting u speaker, in the ab-
sence of the Lord Chancellor. Lord Brougham was the
only other law lord present.
Sir F. Kelly said the object of the bill was to release Miss
Field from a marriage into which she was driven by threats
and other compulsory acts. She was the daughter of a gen-
tleman who formerly lived in litrtf-rdels/te, and died there
in 1842, leaving thee' children—this young lady, who is
sow 18 years of age, and two sons younger than her, one of
whom is eines died. The mother died long before. The
father left considerable property in real and personal estate',
the former amounting to from 1,0001. to 1,2001. a year, for
this young lady's share, but d.•uhle that if her brother should
die under age. The personalty was shout 40,0091. The
father by his will did not appoint any guardian for these
children, but he named one Moore and John Brown as his
executors, and alter Moore's death Brown alone acted, and
he was also looked upon as the guardian to the children.
Miss Field having finished her education in April,
1847, went to re ide with John Brown, who is a brewer and
innkeeper at Thring. lie had a brother living with him as
assistant in his busio.ess of the name of Samuel, who was foe
merly a butler in a Tamil y in Wimpele•street, London, and
about 52 years of ege. lie used to ride out with Miss Field
and go to places art public amusement with her, and she
to ked upon him as a guardian or father. After six weeks
he proposed to her to marry him ; she refused, laughed at
him, saying he might he her g-andfather, and that she was
artached to another. Although the: was not the truth, she
said so to prevent hisanuoying her. Sh•• was then only 17 yearn
of age. lie got very angry, threatened to destroy himself,
and also the gentleman whom he supposed to be the object
of her affection. This was on the 18th of May, 1847. Ile
at last, on that day, by threats and intimidation compelled
her to consent to marry hint. On the 19th he went
to Epsom races, and returned on the 22nd, when lie
told her he had been to obtain the license. She
then told hint she had been very unhappy and
could not keep her promise. Ile became violently angry,
and persevered in that coulee until she consented a sewn.
time. lie brought h. r, on the 25th of June, by railway to
London, and they were married by banns in Trinity Church,
Maryleborie, he having pr. viously arranged by fraud and
misrepresentation to have the banns published, and for that
purpose stated that the young lady was of age, and that they
resided in Wimpolextreet. After the marriage they went
back by rail the same day to John Brown's, at Thring. The
marriage, fortunately, was never consummated. She re-
mained as John Brown's in a state of the greatest misery for
five days, and then went to llemel-Hempstead, to the house
of Mr. Smith, solicitor, and there she has resided ever since
by order of the Court of Chancery, of which she was made
ward, in 1816, but no guardian was appointed. Samuel
Brown has, by direction of that court, been since prosecuted
and found guilty for the fraud in the publication of the
banns of the marriage, and is now suffering im,
prisonment. But the marriage cannot be avoided
except by a legislative act, because even though it be a had
marriage, the only witness of the fraud and compulsory
means by which it was brought about in the young iady her-
self, and she cannot be admitted a witness in the ecclesias-
tical court, although she may in a criminal court. The
learned counsel stated four precedents for an act like this.
The first was a bill, in 101, to declare void, for similar rou-
lette, the marriage of Miss Wharton. The second was to
avoid the marriage of Miss Knight, in 1G97; the third the
marriage of Miss Harford: with one Morris in 1776, a ODD
very like the present. lie referred to these cues in the
journals of the house. The fourth was the case of Miss
Turner's marriage with Edward Gibbon Wakefield, in 1827,
a case in the recollec ion of every ~ne. lie alto referred to
the case of the Marquis of Townskind, two years ago, which
had for its object to bastardiu the children of the marchioness
by ante er person. The legislature, in its wisdom, and jus-
tice, and power, granted those remedies in cases where the
courts ciuld not afford relict. The learned counsel, after a
speech of three hours, called
Miss Field,and cumin, d her in detail as to the circum-
stances of the marriage, as stated by the learned comma
She was then cross-examined at considerable length by Mr.
Bellaeline, on behalf of Samuel Brown, the husband. So-
rural witnesees were in attendauce, but their examination
was adjourned to next Tuesday.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
Before Mr. Commßalmer Vane.
Re CONQUIST.— 0 CTLAW KT.—This wu the day appointed
for the last examination of John Conquest. solicitor, of Moor-
gate-street. At the last meeting fir the choice of aesigneee
(the particulars of which appeared in the Express at the
timt.) considerable dimusaion close as to the b.mkrupt's not
having surrendered; and as he has not yet done se, the
usual forms were gone through, and proclamation of out-
lawry was made against him. The bankrupt is supposed to
be on the continent. The debts hitherto proved against his
estate are about 2,0001.