The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-06-20 00:00:00

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IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. •

HOUSE OF LORDS, Wassusm, Jung IS.

Their Lordship wet at tee &elect.
A PPEA

Jaitanost, Appellant ; Pruanps, kespismies?.
This .as as Appeal from ibs Coati Of SIMMS (Seethed).
idilleetrtof ii. retort Nl.i reviresital.

LONG, Appellant; Raepondent.
Tblo tiati ao Alaoral from 'be Coon of Esebegoer Ora-
i.adl).-.lottrorrtt of the Cord Wei allirsed, wit\ SRL
ettaut.—(Appel heard is 1817.)
Till *drm Appellant ; DVILOT, Papowisal
NX Thomroa ataa beard eta for the Illseddlosii" SS
the Al4orsey-Geurral is reply -.4•811oNsIPIIII011"!
Tleir Latd.itips I Igs erhollallOwell88141.88181•Fe•
The LORD CHANCELL011.8111“48881818olinsoll
seat to not Woolmtek.
ROMAN CATHOLIC Petit._ _ .

The Didion of LINCOLN awavraird s Patitioa from the
lubilliitaate of ihr iria• aod neighbourhood at Liven, pray.
irk that the Wit men NM pion for allowiait Catholic Peers
tar .N •ia their Lordship" and laid on lb.
t..frle.
Pb." Nike of MONTROSI presented a similar Priitioa
frpoi.P. rth sad 11,111 int. _ _

The Eorl of RONNt? peelmitod • Petitios to the same
•Feet Pout oh. lubobileate of Ri.R•dows sad Woodkry, to
CPO Munro of Krill.
The lishop of ELY presesta • eimilar Pelitioe from
the Clergy of •he &melt of the Holy Trisity i• the Dime*
of Ely.
lied COI CHEVY= preersted • rlatUar Petitio• from
she kilobits moil of lb, eity 44 Colchester.
Tttr•Risbop of ST. DAVID'S premmed • Prtilioe to the
same *feet from • Delusory itt the smutty of Caemeethms.
They were seorrelly reed sad !Mies the table.
Mr. Smarten, and Mime Members of the Housed Con.
moott, brought up the Tommie Duties Jewel Dill; the
roatto.aorl Mil,s y Pruitt& Dill; sod the Cutedoois• Asy-
lum 8411.—Th., self severally read • first time.

' NAVY AND MILITARY PENSION&
The Earl- id LIVERPOOL gave metier that he would on
Alirdtrae goer move the wood reirdieu uf this Bill. •
Lord RING 'Neared N he lee underetood, that Wire, the RIR
sae IV•Chiostitser he would peteguree each as *lteration lu the
ii,easetrie of it, as to lll*lte N d• whet it ought to do.
NAVIGATION ACT.
9a the static* of the Earl of LIVERPOOL, the Weet
!wile and **writers Trade Rill; the Colonial Trade Bill;
ore Amite, Cowmen-hill Statute, Rrpeal Bill; and the Na-
*egress Set Aitieudeaeut BIN were severally read a third
floor.'• "

MARRIAGE ACT AMENDMENT BILL.
`Oit the lootroo of Lord ELLENBOROUGH, this Bill
tertrro•iiid.
lid the Noble Chairman pattiog, that the seared clause
•hosted steed port of (be Bull, .hieb roes Ibis—"Or if
ghee.* 'shall be so inuthev liviag and unmarried, then of •
guardigitur giesidlatie of the person appointed by the Court
of ebaciemry; shaft be absolutely will and void, to ■Il in-
tros, sad pdrposes whatsoser: sad whereas great evils and
injustice have arise floes sock marriages having been found
u. b.' mill and *Did, shirr a cohabitation of many year., sad
she proereatinn of lime; for remedy hereof, be it enacted
by lee lOng's moil Excellent Majeyty„ by and with lbe sac
wit and minaret of the Lords lepiritrail and Tesapciril,`tiO
Commons, is this. present Parliament assembled, and by
the solbersty of the same, that au mach of the said statale
C, is beterti.before recited, as far ao the rase relates to asp
marriage to be hereafter solemoixed, shall be and thetas*
la hereby repealed;
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY rose to Hale ►is ob.
jrciiinis to the Bill. He conceived it to be the business of
itc.r L'•rdrhips to take Al utij.etions to improper marriages,
bast *bin they were once solemaixed they owed to keep
them teener. Marriage, is had been said, was a civil cuts:.
tract, but if it was, it was executed by a religions hand;
though It us. not the hand of the peruse perforating the act
that made it religions, It was the place where it was carried
trio erect, she house et God, by the Miniatir of the Gospel.
He bad hoped the Bill would have gone to reveal improper
snerriages instead of them. Ameadateals cer-
tainly bid been made to the drat clause, which areas to hates
but sot to du nosy with lb. evil. He would certainly op.
poen the
• Lord ELLENBOROUGH said he had listened with great
attesting m the speech of the Right Rev. Prelate, bat there
nag oterbing which bad faliew from him that could induce
him, (Lord .E.) to modify the Cause. He undersitiod the
Noble and Learned Earl on the Woolsack had some .scud.
renal to propose hi the clause, for which pawn he would
dish the Anther coasiderition of the 111,M111 clause to be
postponed, and go on with the retrospective devises, which
would enahie the Noble sad Learned Earl to have the assist.

=ice of the Brach of Bishops.
Tbe Archhisbop of YORK said be folly sgreed with every
doing that had falls from his Right Rev. Brother, the Arch.
Invhop of Canterbury.
The Led of LIVERPOOL said the questioe was, whe-
tter they would go ea with the further consideration of the
second clause. He agreed thst whew • marriage was cum.
pitted it ought to be prevented heeomitsg a Nullity; Ind
if that errand Not be obtained, the time ought to be shorten.
=I, which would tillable a pinion to make al so. H. was of
opinion that the sonendroests so she choose, ninth were to
be introduced by the Noble sled Leisured Earl, ought to be
stated, and the Bill recommitted He was of °pluton dal
the retrospective part of the Bill ought to form a separate
Lord ELLENBOROUGH said that be understood that
the Noble sod Leased Earl bad not his ameodnseats sofa-
cretin, papered to ley them before their Lordships.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, what be meant by ►ie
proposed mmeadasents were, that presser= after the =artiste
ceremony should know whether they were man and wife or
not ; it the propoord Bill were to put them in a worse state
than as the law sow stood, be would object to it ; at t►e
same lime he would lead his assistance to erosible the charac-
ter of man sod wife, after the marriage ceremony, to be such,
that each should kuow how far they were establiabed la these
el diouihip.
Lord REDESDA LE said, he had very little time to cam-
alder this question at the present moment, but when it was
brought on is she year ISIS, he was prepared wit► clauses to
move as amendmerds ; but from the opinion of their Lard.
ships befog against the measure, he was prevented: they
were still however i■ Ida possession. :le believed that Ii•
cruets granted by Surrogates, without much inquiry, re.
quired • check. The Noble 564 Leaned toed then weal
into • history of what his prepared clauses for the year
lilt had brew. He was aware that these clauses were In a
very imperfect state, but t►e very short time he bad had to
permit thins must be hes apology. The Noble Lord coo-
eluded by cautioning the Howse agai•et suspending the old
laws =nil they had provided au adequate substitute.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH said, it would be impossible to
follow the details of the classes read by the Noble Lord,
ciauses which bad been prepared sassy years ago, sod sp.
'snails= to former Bills, but net to the measure now before
them. With respect to the coons of proceeding, be thought
the best plea would be to pot the question on the clause now
before Ilrom, sod them proceed to the consideration of the
eetrospective clause.
The LORD CHANCELLOR coosidered that that would
be doing neither more our less then iatrodueing twit Bills,
and if their Lordships were desyrwerned I. persevere i• the
retreierctive clause, he should take the sense of the House
11110011 u.
Lord HARROWBT said, that all these clauses were de.
serving of the deepest cowsideratio•.
The gunnies was then put on the second clause, which
=as =Ratty. d without a division.

Tie LORD CHANCELLOR said, they should sow di.
wide the Bill befogs titer proceeded to the retrospective
clause.

loved ELLENBOROLIGH sold, there could col possibly
M • liter mosso& to cossoto the eussideration of the re-

sieepeelive dam, Macslr Lordships had last sigbl
.eleeed shot is (mime as marriages oboold be sail, and sow
that nese should ho irnid.
'he LORD CHANCELLOR said,' that les was set is.
volved is the isesaeistesep iebicbseemedi• be implied is the
elteeirattees of the Noble Batest (or be had &Haien die.

"twill Mahal. that If would siet.twitiir In passieg the 'Bret
deem lord, cult. emit they hod totaseillilog to substitute
is its mead. He admitted timt to Roder maniages cull glee `
the mental bed been performed, less *Sleet 'Woks led
miethiersies elesilere I bus still be Wield stet cseasit to its
attendee until • belga, measure hod's'', devised, sea hie
pretested ageism frittering dews the proiltet.eill, said it be-
tame this which it Aide', profess to be.
Ler/ HOLLAND 444. the obiservatinoe df the Neible and
teamed Lord seemed raib•or directed egoiemlbe order is
which the clause mood, alma its justice or propriety. But he
linew of me chose in soy Bill that wss oat liable to lie his.
(*jetties. The best merge remittal, would be, to/wooed
clause by clamor, end he wee at a loss to limey bow they
'could decide epee soy thieve, if they were to be regulated by
Ibis principle of the Nuhk and Leotard Lord.
Lord REDESDA LE objected to coterie' `epee the die-
' curios of the retrospective clause until the whole wieelliore
woe lame them. No oho coold (memo all the coos'-
, quasi that might follow that charm, and their Lordships
shook! therefore proceed with greet cantina and delibere.
tins. And the prietifile *bids ought to regulate them was
ibis : first, Whether the propmed law would have the effect
of preveatiog improper ; and, secondly, whether
IM retrolvetise port of it world p,are the parlors who lied
lone married before is the same irooditims es if they bad
bens married ender the sauctioe of this Act. But in all
cams be coosidered a retrospective dame shocld mime last,
oleo they hid eppeetaisity of Arm deciding the propriety of
teaming the miaow, prospectively. He (rested tbilr Leed.
ships were wot assembled for the porpoise of ramie, a re-
trospective clause, but t• comider *hat should be the Jaw
in !more.

Lord CA RNARVON said t►at all the prospective chows
to 'formai clandestine marriages proceeded ow the ;nisei*
of penalties, sod surely lM retrospective choose could out
effect act. which had been committed before ►he penalties
were imposed. There wail so alternative; they unit eithe►
render obese marriages impreperly solemnised, altogether
mull sod void, or place them in the situation of those which
bad been celebrated according to law. Last sight they ►ad
bees told they could sot proceed became it was tat o'clock,
althoogh there would have been so hesitation if it were as
Irish Police Bill, or mine such thief, sad slow they were told
it would be well to separate wit►owt deciding upon that ito-
pattast clause. He thought if they did ea they would be
trilling with the question before them, mad shrinking from
their important dirty.—(Hear, hese.)
Lord ELLENBOROUGH said that as It seemed moot de.
.feeble to save the time of the Ram, they had bettor pro.
teed at woes to the clause.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, If the Noble Lord op-
.

posit, west to supplisialitbreds essigue to gave the tine
of the Hasse, or his less •. Me, be costal tefl that Noble
Lord is the lapel eitil 0111114Nt that be ties greatly 'sleigh's.
If their Lordships bad 4144 yet arrived at the clause to 'lnch
he bed alluded, the* he admitted be had rose before the
Hoerr. All he bed said au, that the House 'Assad sot
come to a decision as the ritrospeetive clause until they
bed "one through all the others; sod be should therefore
propose that the farther euosiderstiogi of the reirepretive
clause be postponed.

The comennee hit divided es IM soda et !he Noble
Lord, •tres (here appognela—
-
Grannie i. 'ere ...... .4ar, . as
Nos evangel

-- —7
Majority spinet the Motion.... 111
Oa oar re-admission we found
Laid ELLEN BOROUGH contending is favour of lie
retrospective clause. He appealed to the opinions of the
Right Rev. Prelates, Densely, that all saarriars should be
valid, and surely if that were to be the case fur the future,
the tame aegumesits would apply to the past. It war, there-
fore, his istesties to propose, that all marriages since the
resist; of the lest Act is 1754 should be valid. If this law
should sot have a retroapeettee operation the greatest Injury
Slight arise. It week! enable • basbaed to get rid of • wife
Of wheat perhaps be was tired, and salail misery os their
Helder,. He might discover some Caw is the celebration
of his marriage, which he wo.ld preserve secret until Hie
death of se impartial onions, and thee destroy the mar-
riage to which he was pledged, sad iefluct perpetual editor-
' some so his family. Iw •hat quantum they' world reduce
busies happiness by strike,' off these quantities he could
nee soy; but be knew very well, that by panther that reiro-
speeliere Hasse they would increase the happiness of those
whose feels's* they should estimate. They would thes
kaow that their marriage was valid, that their children
would served them, and that they would enjoy that tees-
' riry in their property which, under the present law, it was
impossible they could poems,. But to this geueral retro-
spective measure he would beg to submit the fullowieg ex-
c.-plumes, with respect to particular marriages and property.
The Brat was, " That nothing herein cootained shall extend
or be conorsied tweed to reader valid any marriage
which had bees declared invalid in the Ecsiesissiicel Court;
or any Ilaffilig, which had been contracted daring the lute-
time of the parties *bone marriage bad bees previously
dis-
solved." The seat exerptios relent...el to property, mid was
as follows : " Provided always, and be it hereby enacted, that
bathing bertha sosittioed shall tetrad or be construed to ex-
lead to affect any property, real or peesesal, &nose or title
of hoisom.,o6lololli and enjoyed me the gloved or pretence et
the ioyelidity of Guy eseurisge, but that the same title, ire.
shall sot be affected or prejudiced, but reseals the same to
all Miami and purposes as if this Act r hod passed."
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, he should take so port
whatever is the amendments which had bee. prupoaed, hut
should avail himself of the privilege is a Nimes stage of the
measure to proomeace his °Finites upon them.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, there wall olio Pool ob-
jeciion to the retrospective clamor, which was this, that it
was • most serious matter that the Legislature should inter-
fere iu any proding suit, and be shoed therefore propose the
following •Ineudierent
" Provided always and be it hereby enacted, that nothing
herein contained shall extend Of be construed to extend to
any suit now pending, or to any suit which may be locket-
ed within twelve months after the passing of ibis Act."
Lord HOLLAND thought that the House should not be
stopped in the course of its procedengs by say ohmic le
which might be thrown in its way, but shpuld proceed to
perform au act of atonement for all the evil which had bees
produced by this Act. What was the effect of the law as it
now stood ' It said to the respectable matron, the mother
of a Alit family, " When you were 15 or IC years of age, be-
cause you did not inquire tato the conduct of your mother,
or investigate the character of your graudinother or great
graudamesbee, you shall be visited with the t punish.
needs that can be iaßtcttd ; the tenderest relatiusis of life
shall be turn asunder, mud you 'hill be separated from these
whom religion teaches you to love and berish."—(Hear.)—
This was the evil which the rotruspective elaJse would avert
Coma many virtuous, honourehlr, and worthy characters.
It would be worse than • pe too of justice to punish
those who bad bees led iota error by i 0 ignorance of facts.
And how should • proms man, and much less • young lady,
become aequatuted with all the traessetions which the pre.
scut Act required them to know? This subject was too
heart midis% to put It in a ludicrous point of view. But
what would their Lordships think of this cao:—Suppose at
the esurnest a young lady was led to the altar by a young
and srdeut bridegroom, she should stop at the eburch-door
old say, I have heard strange stories about your giandtuu •
titer sad gnat grandmother—do tell me all about them.—
(A laugh.)—Why if the geutlemou's judgment was equal to
his love, be would donned, say, "'This young lady is of a
most inquiring diepositioia. I should nut like my wife
to be of such an inquisitive tare of esiod".•-aad he would
instamily make his bow mad retire—(Hear, bear)—sod he
could not therefore object to the restrictive °petunia of the
proposed measure, when the 'aisles' law had a must odious
retrospect, nut consisleat with balsam happiness or virtue.—
(Hear, beat.)
The clause proposed by Lord Elleaborough, w lb the Brat
exception, was then put and carried.
The LORD CHANCELLOR staled, that be would
undertake to convince the Noble Lord (Ellenhorusgb) that
the accord exception meant a great deal woe than ha is-
teuded it should.
Lord HOLLAND said, if that were the case be was ours
the Noble and Loused Lord, who possessed such candour
and mach precision of weed., would be able to tairoduce as
auseudesent which would produce the desired . feet.
Lord REDESDALB said, that so retrospective clause
should affect the validity of say monage. For it could extol

Iseibe telnittoli of the Mame lode iajuslice to *Me persons
*hie a view to de jostle, to others.
The Earl of HARROWAY ries to propose an amend-
Wiest. It appeared to hie that if the ausendasent of his
Noble Friend (Lord Liverpool) were carried, it would be
preasaiive of great litigation, sod soul that never thought
of going to law would say, w Now or sever, we are rosined to
twelve mouths, aid we will slake the beet of our nese." He
should therefore propose to leave oat she words, "or any
itait which shall be instituted wales twelve months."
The ansesdrnent wee carried.
The Committee thee divided {so we understood) epos the
'retrospective Owns to its ameested elate. The numbers
were--
Cadent* 4l
Noo.Coatems

Majority @Wald the Claim ....• • MI
The Committee then proceeded to the essiderstios of
the following clause relating to the yobbsitiog of banes sod
between :

° And wbereu great mischiefs sod Inconveoinsew have
arises from the clandestiwe marrMies of mistiest ruder a
publication of banns Is the churches and chapelries of
parishes is which such poison have sot bees resident, and
the purpose of the shove recited Act Las been by such pub.
Iteatioa of banes utterly defeated; be It therefore reacted,
that if any marriage, after the psssiag of this Act, where
either of the parties, sot beteg a widower or a widow, shall
be Wader the age of twealy-one years, Mill be solemnized
gilder a Publication of beaus made its say other chuck or
chapel Nu is the parish church or public chapel of or belong-
hag to the parish or chapelry within which the usual place
Of &bucde of each of the ponies asysoder age, or of either of
them, if both be wader age, shall have beta for fourteen due
immediately precedisig illeepubtleatioa of such bases, it shall
and may be lawful for the father of such of the parties so
coder age Vales living), or if dead, foe the parttime or
guardians of the peruse! the party so underage, lawfully ap-
poisted,or one of them, et is case there shell be h guar-
dian or guardians, theu teethe natural mottaer (ifloviag sod an-
married), or if there shall be no ant oral nether living sad no.
married, then for • guardiaa or rowdies., to be appointed by
the High Conti of Chaeury, to institute a salt daring the lei-
*wily of such party is the Eeclesiestical Court, ofeompetrnt
jurisdiction, for the plume of annulling sad rendering void
such marriage s surd upon legal proof being made of each
carriage having heels solesnaised under a publication of banes
is any other church or chapel than the parish chards or
ae public chapel of or belooglog to the parish or chapelry
within which the venal place of abode of such minor shall
have been for 14 days immediately accredits' the publics-
ties of such beau, sock CANIrt shall be empowered, and is
hereby empowered sad required to pronounce the said mar-
riage to be mall sad void to all intents sad purposes what.
peewee; any thing in the said recited Act of the 16th Geo.ll.
to the contrary notwithstanding "
leurd LIVERPOOL said, that licenses were the great
cause, mot the wily cause of the evil of which they complain-
ed. iut he feared if they threw difficulties in the way of the
marriages of the lower orders, it would only lead to increase
their immorality.
. .

After a few- words front Lord ELLEN BOROUGH and
the LORD CHANCELLOR, it was speed t►at the Com-
mittee should •dj•uro the further cousideratioa of the sub-
ject tilt to-morrow.
The Bamkrupt Laws Ameadmeut Bill went t►rough a Com-
mittee, and was reported without soy ameedmest.
Adjourned at Nine •'Clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, WcosoaDmr, Jails 19.
ne SPEAKER book th• Chair it four o'clock.
SALT TAX.

Mr. BASTARD preseaTeria Petition from the Pertoss as-
pired is the Pilchard Falvey, I. the neighbourhood of Ply-
mouth, praying foe the total repeal of she Salt Tait.
Sir W. LEMON presested a similar Petition from the
Fish Curers of Mount's Bay. in Cornwall.
These Petitions were ordered to be printed.
Mr. Aldepassa WOOD presented a Petition from lobe
Knight, who stated himself so ►ate bees throws taco promo
ma a charge of high treason, for swotting a peaceable Meet-
ing at Manchester, on the 1011th of August, 1819, which was
'Remolds abandoned. He was then tried at York, so a
charge of misdemeanor, arising out of the use know-
'ion, and being found guilty, was sentenced to be imprison.
ed is Lancaster Castle. Ha now complained of various
hardships which lie was there compelled to undergo, and of
the injury done to his bodily health thereby.
Mr. B. WI LBRAH ABl called the menu.a of the Mount
to t►e language of the Petitioner, who described the Meeting
i■ question as a pi seeable Monis& when the Meuse and
the country were aware that it was the only one of she nu-
merous Meetings of that period at which the people attended
" positively sad decidedly armed with pikes." He denied
the truth of several of the Petitioner's slatemests, and said
he was not emitted to the consideration of the House, hay-
lug beefs cowrie'. d of atieuding au illegal Meeting.
Mr. Alderman WOOD said the Petitioner, at the age of
sixty, was put to bard labour, which formed no part of his
senteoce, and if he refried to we' k was set allowed to eat.
The Petition was ordered to be pruned.

ASSESSED TAXES IN IRELAND.
Sir. R. SHAW presented a Petition from the lobahitsnis
of the Parish of St. Mary, Dublin, worse fur the repeal
elite Assessed TlMM—Ordered to be printed.
Tim Hosaarable Baronet then mowed fur a Return of the
yearly proceeds of the Asse.xed Taxes in Leland, except the
Window sod Worth Taxes, foe the Ism severe years.—
Ordered.