Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-20 00:00:00

LORD-LIEUTENANCY OF IRELAND,

Mr. Roebuck gave notice that early next session he
should call attention again to the subject of the Lord-
Lieutenancy of Ireland, and propose a plan of his own
for the government of Ireland, which, in one word, would
be by the establishment of another Secretary of State.
He should also call attention to the subject of the rela-
tions between this country and the Hudson's Bay
Company.

SALE OF OBSCENE BOOKS PREVENTION BILL,
The house went into committee on this bill.
On clause 1,

Mr. Roebuck] demanded some explanation as to the
course to be taken with regard to this bill. He could not
allow it to proceed further, unless he received a promise
that further guards wiuld b 2 taken against the provisions
of the bill being abused, such as that there should be an
overt act sworn to before a search warrant could issue.

Sir E. Perry, who had charge of the bill, said he had
already adopted the suggestion that the jurisdiction under
this bill should be vested in two justices instead of one,
and he was quite ready to assent to the other two sugges-
tions—namely, that an act of sale should be sworn to
before the issue of a warrant, and that there should be an
appeal to quarter sessions from the decision of the one or
two magistrates who might act in the first instance. At

the proper time he should bring up clauses for carrying
out these two suggestions.
Mr. Ayrton proposed to insert an amendment in line 14
of clause 1, with the view of providing that the offensive
prints should be exhibited for gain to justify the issue of
a warrant.

Mr. Roebuck, in supporting the amendment, adverted to
a letter of Lord Brougham, referring to the petition of
four poor men, presented to the House of Lords by Lord
Lyndhurst, wherein it was stated that they had been fined
Queen Elizibuth's shilling, by certain justices, for non-
attendance at church. They had been brought before the
justices on a charge of poaching, but that charge failing,
the justices interrogated them as to their religious duties,
and finding that they had not been to church on the
previous Sunday, fined them accordingly. He mentioned
this letter in order to show that a man might be brought
up under one act and convicted on another. Now if the
greatest precautions were not taken this bill might be
perverted in the same way.

After a few words from Sir G. Grey, who did not
object to the spirit of the amendment, the cause was
altered as proposed. Clause one was agreed to after the
insertion of some other amendments, as were also the
other two clauses of the bill.

Mr. Joseph Locke moved to insert the following clause,
viz. :—" That any person aggrieved by any act or deter-
mination of any magistrate or justices of the peace out of
sessions, in or concerning the execution of this act, may
appeal to the next General or Qiarter Sessions for the
county, riding, division, city, borough, or place in and for
which such magistrate or justices of the peace whose act
or de erminations shall be appealed against,. notice in
writing of such appeal, and of the grounds thereof, within
seven days after such act or determination, and before
the next general or quarter sessions, and entering
within such seven days into a recognisance, with
sufficient surety, before a justice of the peace for
the county or place in which such act or determination
shall have taken'place, personally to appear and prosecute
such appeal, and to abide the order of, and pay such costs
as shall be awarded by the justices at such quarter
sessions, or any adjournment thereof, and the court at
such general or quarter sessions shall hear and determine
the matter of such appeal, and shall make such order
therein as shall to the s lid court seem meet ; and such
court, upon hearing and finally determining such appeal,
shall and may, according to their discretion, award such
costs to the party appealing or appealed against, as they
shall think proper. And if such appeal be dismissed or
decided against, the appellant may order the articles
seized to be forthwith destroyed."
This clause was agreed to, and orderel to be added to
the bill.

The house then resumed, and the bill was reported
with amendments. The bill to be reprinted.

MATRIMONIAL CAUSES BALL.

The house then went into committee on the Divorce
and Matrimonial Causes Bill, and clauses were pro-
posed by the Attorney-Gmeral, in accordance with an
agreement entered into on the previous day, and added
to the bill without opposition. The clauses respectively
provided for the establishment of local courts, and enacted
that a husband may obtain damages for the adultery of
his wife from the adulterer, by the verdict of the jury in
the new court—the money to be applied to the children,
or for the support of the married woman—and related to
the constitution of the court. The Attorney-General
moved a clause, providing that a clergyman who consci•
ously objected to celebrate the marriages of divorced
persons should not have power to withhold the use of his
church for the solemnisation of such marriages by a
clergyman not holding similar objections.

Mr. Malins considered that clergymen would object as
much to give up their churches to the performance of the
ceremony, as to solemnise the marriage themselves.

Sir G. Grey had understood the objection of the clergy
to apply only to be compelled to read certain passages in
the marriage service Over divorced persons:
Some further discussion having taken place, the com-
mittee divided,

For the clause
Against it

33

Majority.—

'4O

After further discussion some other amendments were
withdrawn.

The preamble was then agreed to.
The chairman reported progress.
The house then resumed, and the report was ordered to
be brought up on Thursday.