The Express.
London, England, 1865-01-27 00:00:00

LONDON, .7RIDAY EVF•NING, JANUARY 27, 1885 e

icaPILESS MX PARIS

(WOW OM Owl

PARIS, THORIDAY Emma!

The question whether a priest can lawfully
marry by the law of France, which is said to have
been raised only twioe in sixty yeas, was yester-
day decided in the negative by the Court of
First Instance of Paris, presided by M. Benoit
Champy. The plaintiff, a priest, sought a decree
of nullity of his own marriage, on the ground that
he was in holy orders at the time of the contract. .
The wife, though cited, did not appear, eo that
the other side of the question was not argued on
this occasion. Counsel for the plaintiff made a
very long speech, and his arguments were adopted
by M. Aubemin, the judge-advocate. In
the course of the argument the counsel, M.
Georges Coulon, said :—" It is pretended
that several of the apostles were married ;
I admit that, but what I deny is that any of them
married after they became apostles" Hecontended
that the celibacy of priests, was an ordinance of
Christ himself, who on several Occasion had pre-,
mimed the kingdom of Heaven, as a reward for
celibacy. The court, without going into any of the
theological questions, laid it down that by the
organic law of the concordat of Germinal year X,
persons in holy orders were subjected to the canons
then prevailing in France, and were consequently
under an incapacity to marry ; and that this
organic law had never ceased to be con-
sidered a law of the state, and that
neither the Code Napoleon nor the constitution
of the present Empire contained anything incon-
sistent with it. On this ground a decree of nullity
was pronounced. Another case in which M. Jules
Favre is counsel is now pending, but in this the
question is raised in a different form. An inter-
dicted priest desires to be married, and the mayor
refusing to perform the ceremony an action is
brought to compel him. The point of law is, how-
ever, essentially the same ; holy orders are admitted
to be indelible, and the fact of a priest being un-
frocked cannot in law affect the construction of the
concordat relied on by the court of Paris.

The contest between the conservative and liberal
protestant+ has terminated by a measuring cast,
majority in favour of the former; but with this
serious drawback for them, that their leader, M.
Guizot, is at the bottom of the poll of the air
members of the presbytery elected, and its elec-
tion, for want of an absolute majority, is not defi-
nitive. M. Guizot polled 1,283 votes, while M.
Barberat, who stands first on the liberal list, had
14306. There being what is called balotagc. •
second election is necessary, and ill all probability
M. Guizot will be thrown out. Lt seems that the

protestante living in Paris proper are in favour of
M. Athansee Coquerel and the liberals, but the
cosservative majority was made up by inhabitants
of the suburbs.
M. Labbd, of the Opinion Nationale, and M.
Barrel, both belonging to the extreme liberal
party, write letters to the press protesting against
the suppression of the lectures of their political
opponents, MM. Broglie, Cochen, and Lavergne,
end declining to profit themselves by an authorise-

tion which has been withdrawn from the others.

The Empress, being indisposed, did not appear
at the court ball yesterday, and the Emperor
retired to his private apartments as early as half-
past 11.
At the Bourse Rent* left off without change.
Railways were rather high. There was a con-
siderable rise in Mexican stock, owing to favour-
able reports touching the new bank.

NAVAL AND MILITABY.

Astmumr, JAY. 28.--4prourrimits.--Bub-
Liostooonto W. P. Doers, to tho ; H A. Balitlis
sod IL B. Trollops, to the Canvas; B. Barton, to tlus
Was).
Paymaster A. Pries (additional), to the Fisgard.
Naval Cads& (II allimd) J. L. &volt, and B. Has sock.

'ULU., JAZ. 21. .
Yesterday her Majesty's ship Liffey arrived
from the Pores, and is a week or ten days veranda sa to
Me Wast Indies.
Her ilajody's ship ffellef sow just touched beta Point
yesterday ie attain round to the docks, but she wee off la
throoquartain of an hour, sad all right. Royal Oak is eot
of dads sad ready for not
We kayo had a most inciting week electing the new mem-
bers of email. The regulations were most smallest, and'
the event passed off very well ; times woe three Enedinhaaes
anon the caedidates—Oommosder aricaland, Osgood
=m os, and Mr. Christian, but none of them were sue-
The weather matlintes moat beautiful, gull. like
Hugffrh euesater weather.