The Express.
London, England, 1850-03-02 00:00:00

Lau inteßtgence.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—TTSTERDAT.
Pawner, 1153 LOW Cuasciuxon Loa" haotouxu, Al.O OTHER
ASHBY'S DIVORCI BILL.
The house sat at lour o'clock, Lord Brougham as speaker,
to hear farther evidence in support et the bill. The facts of
the ease were mentioned in our report in this journal on
Tues.:ey last. It will be remembered that at the
close of the petitioner's evidence on Monday Lord
Brougham intimated to Mr. Talbot, the counsel
for the bill. that the house would require evi-
dence to captive the inference, arising upon the evidence
of Mr. Charles Palmer, brother of Mrs. Ashby, that he,
Mr. Ashby, had not been sufficiently vigilant of his wife's
cnnduct with Mr. Scudamors Stanhope (the paramour) in
Madeira.
The evidence of Mr. Palmer on Monday was, that he ac-
companied Mr. and Mrs. Ashby to Madeira in November,
1849, where she was taken for the bentfit of her health.
Being put into quarantine on their snivel there, they be-
ams acquainted, in the common room, with Mr. Stanhope,
who was also in quarantine. They remained four months
in Madeira, and were visited occasionally by Mr. Stanhope.
He end witness were very intimate, bat witness saw no
ground to suspect any improper intimacy between Mr.
I :Stanhope and Mrs. Ashby. They left Madeira for England
in April, 1849. Mr. Bunker was a pmenger by the same
vessel. They put in at Madeira. Witness did not observe
any difference between Mr. and Mrs. Ashby on the voyage,
but on landing at Cadiz Mr. Ashby did not come with
them to the hotel to which witness conducted his sister. He
came next day to the hotel, but did not see his wife. She
had, in the meantime, informed witness of what had taken
plate in the packet between her and Mr. Ashby, in conic-
queues of his finding a note book of her's., in which was writ-
ten a letter to Mr. Stanhope, from which Mr. Ashby con-
cluded that there was an improper intimacy between them
at Madeira. This discovery was made on Sands,. and they
arrived at Cadiz on the Thuniay following. Witness did
not observe any difference orcoolneubetwee n them from the
Sunday to the Thursday. The ship was very crowded,
and all dined at the common table. There was no means of
having a aeparate dinner. After staying some days at Cadis
witness and Mrs. Ashby came off by the packet to South-
ampton, where they were met by several relations. Next
day Mn. Ashby was miming, and it was found that she bad
eloped with Mr. Stanhope. Towards the close of their resi-
dence in Madeira witness observed some difference in the
conduct of Mr. and Mrs. Ashby to each other.
They were on the hest terms up to that period.
He was informed, since they left Madeira, that
the intimacy between:Kr. Stanhope and Mrs. Ashby was
the subject of conversation there, but n heard it while
in Madeira. Oa arriving at Cadiz, Mr. Ashby himself
told witness of it, and that on the eve of their departure

air W. Cockburieautloaed Mr. Ashby against going away
in the aria vemel:with Mr. Stanhope. Mr. Ashby on the
same session said he thought they were intimate in Ma-
deira, to which witness replied that if be thought so he
ought to have prevented it ; whereupon Mr. Ashby said,
" it was too late now."
Mr. Talbot now said that he was prepared with some fur-
ther evidence of the negative description alluded to by Lord
Brougham on the former day. Sir W. Cockburn would be
the best witness, but he was rill in Madeira. Some evi-
dence we* then given, but none wcrth noticing, except the
letter written by Mrs Ashby to Mr. Stanhope, and found in
her tablets by the husband.
Lord Brougham, at the close of this evidence, said he had
paid very particular attention to the whole of this case,whieh
was in some respects a very painful case, and in other re-
aped' a very peculiar cam. The conclusion he came to on
the whole was that there was a great degree of carelessness
cm the part of the husband in respect to his wife's conduct.
The rule on which the house acted in these cases was that a
Maimed had no title to the favour of the house—for to grant
• divorce gas a favour—if he was not found to stand rectus
in curia. Ile was biund to show that hies conduct and treat-
' went of his wife were not chsractcrised by impropriety is
himself, or careless's@ of her. There were divers ways 1.
' which husbands might dieentitle themselves to the remedy
of divorce from an thconductei wife. If a saa had lman
guilty of cruelty or bad treatment of his erMe, this Maas
I would never release him from the naarrier, nor mesa Mak
• Iniallaad get damages in an action at law ; were he the
1 judge at the trial of anth an action he would direct • Ter-
i dic: for the defeedaat insuch as cam. Upon the evi-
dence in this ore it appeared that these partial
enjoyed a great deal of domestic contorts until
i=xii=
went to Madeira, of any diacomfort that the wife
of there the house would not take notice, as it be rib
triS.uted fairly to the love-making between Mrs. Ashby erecther par Amour, which led to t • adultery. Ilia lords fg
mentioned some natant:ea in which the house showed ea
favour to a husband. This cam did not come up to say ti