The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-04-27 00:00:00

(1111INEY SWEEPERS.

Oil the mottos' of Mr. t the Chimney
Sweepers Itegulst. waii read the third tune,
and passed.

USURY LAWS.

Mr. Setjeant Ossfuss moved that the Order of
the Day for !he further considerstion of the 'Lewitt
of the Usury Laws Repeal Bill be read, fur the
purpose of being postponed. 'The lllon. Gentle-
■uau stated, that be ems induced to take this step
ill compliance with the wishes of several Member•,
who were of opinion the questio 'could be disetcowd
with more advantage mint tile Report of the Select
Committee on the affairs of the Bank.

Mr. CALCRAFT said, that the frequent postpone-
ments of the Bill had put many Members to great
Inconvenience. Ile had himself attended frequently
before for the- purpose of opposing it. However
correct the principle of the Bill might be, the pre.
sent was not tie time for earring It tutu practice.
He hoped the Bill would not be postponed alter the
trine now fixed for it.

Mr. Serjeant ONSLOW did not see why Members
should complain of bring put to inconvenience for
bring obliged to attend their duties in the House.
As to the hope expressed by the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman, he could not pledge himself but his mea-
sure might undergo further postponement ; that
depended on the time when the Report on the
Bank should he brought in, over which he had no
control. The postponement now proposed had
been adopted at the desire of several Gentlemen,
and (as we understood the Hon. Gentleman) on an
understanding with one of his Majesty's Ministers.
Mr. CALCRAFT thought he had not slid any
thing to excite such warmth in his Hon. Friend.
He was as unfit a subject for his sarcasrn as any
other Member in the House. Ile hoped the B►ll
would die a quiet death, and that this would be the
last lime it should be heard of during the present
Session.

Aldermen WAITHKAN said, that a great degree
of excitement and anxiety had been produced in
the public mind by the agitation of this and other
questions. He did not by any means think the
country prepared fur so material a change as the
Bill contemplated, and concurred with the lost
speaker in hoping that this might be the last time
the Bill would he heard of this Session.

Mr. DAVENPORT entirely agreed u► opini with
the two Hon. Gentlemen who spoke last. He
thought it his duty to tell the author of the L►II
that ►t had created a very great sensation in the
country, and that the sentiments of the people were
adverse to it.
The mutmo was then put and carried.
SETTLEMENT OF THE POOR. _

On the motion of Mr. S. BOURNE. the further
coasideration ot• the Report of the Poor Settlement
Bill was postponed tilt- this d-t• se'unight. The
Hun. Gentleman then stated (as we could collect)
that he meant to move on that night for the recom-
mittal of the Bill.
MARRIAGE ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

On the motion of 1)1.. l'ilitAlmoita Ilw Order
of the Day was read for the lurther consideration of
the Report of the Marriage Act Amendment Bill.
Sir C. RoulNsoN said, that the Bill was both

unnecessary and impolitic, and that no statemeiit
of facts, such as might naturally be expected
on such an occio.ion, had hero made out to induce
the House to agree to it. It would have the effect,
if passed, of annulling, in a great degree, the exist-
ing law on the subject of marriage ; and its conse-
(loran:ea might be most injurious to ramifies,
whose interests the author of the Bill seemed to
have overlooked in improving the situation of minors.
The measure appeared fu have been taken from an
Irish Act of George IL bet omitted its beat clause*.
It conferred considerable privileges on one class of
persons, 11111111115, who had at least, under the cir.
cunistances of the applicability of the Bill to them,
been guilty of imprudence, and on another class,
adulterers, who could not be held worthy of ally in-
dulgence. That part of the measure which ren-
dered marriages, performed after publication of
banns, void, unless the bating had beet' Nblislird
in tile parish where the parties resided, way reap-
tory with reference to the notice supposed to be
given by such publication to their parents and
guardians, as the hitter very frequently resided in
different parishes. way sometimes
desirable to the lower orticia on cow:lotting m ir.
tines. The operation of this ',mansion, oti auppo-
Dation that it would titian% the et,tl pi oiAt.t..(l, ti at of

publicity, would. Le prejutlA i•il to the: r
orders—it went Ira fir, it would throw them inio

confusion, and 6:rowdy. Ile thought
the Nlarriage Act ought nut to be altered but icon
the most grave t onsidtration, and alter a spry strung
case had been made out against it : and 11 he were
to choose between the law as it now intro.', and as it
would be after undergoing the propn4ed amend-
ment, with all the consequences B,wwg arum it
which •he had described, lie should feel at 1114 duty
to cling to the fornier. The Hun. 13artnitt then
moved, as an amendment, that the Report be Liken
into further consideratrun this day his month'.
Mr. *rjetnit ONSLOW litsvitot tett the Rill.
Though Ire thought thr 40r the Marriage Art
esariiiially necessary, yet he had alwaye heard it em-
petted dad the word, is which it was expire...seri
had been ao extremely strict. If the Advocate-

General (Sir C. Robinson.) sl,oul I mr.ve for the
re-committal of the Bill, its order to mil...rime lire
useful clauses of the 16.11 Act, to which to. had
referred, he shofar! otlititurt Ica min on,
11.- should vote fur that of ins Hon. Freud (Dr,
Priillintore).
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL, dtelliedly hostile
to the principle of the Bill. Oise of the most Ms*
portant provision* of the Miswrite Art was, 144.4
iiscupacitated minors lion' enteriog into the In•rr.
tinge contrict without vomPrilt of their parents moil
guardians ; but the proposed Bill went in greAt
degree to remove that incirpaciiy. Nirtsvitlistiontling
Ihe thpoitatimo of the Hon. aiirl Learned Gem!,
Ipfn tv‘ltb intrn•luced the Bill, he was yet to Irani
that the consequences of that provision had Then
found iiijurious to the consmimity, though he allow.
et' they were sometimes felt reverely by tadivitiaek
Tire hardships, however, with whitl►'it Isa*streild.
ed, arose from the igoorsoce of parties entering into
three contracts ; but the law was not made far the
ignorant, but for those who would take the limas
to siiidertaild it. It was impossible to say hoe
much property might be &vested II the mwrition
of the Bill if passed into a •law. The Bill w4s,
said, against the ratite*, provisious of Ike Marriage
Art, an Act winch was sanction-it ley the authortcy
of Lord Herdwicke, and other duti.•gui•hed 'ismer.
Ile concluded by voting ir the amendurent.
Sir JAMES MACSINTOMM raid. that the present
.sulijrct was our of extreme importance—ft-44 it
ro lie No, lee hoped the Ilimse would allow I is
make a few obserratiomr. The f Immo rable and
Learned Gentleman (site

that the prevent Bill was a ablaut we
the Marriage Act ; i.e most plead )(unity is
that charge—it woulil indeed lie hard to f ante
a Bill to amend a law, witlint.r, in Pow, di..
grey, &paring from that law— but what lam did i
depart from ? one which containi d provisions the
most inconsistent, and the most tyrannical . L.
restive—a law which foriii•hes a melaneli, ly 1,1•
biance of the carelessness a ith %%hitch bpi 1,,
may be enacted, and the tardittess :oat itifirtil•y
with which bid laws ore repealed. The
ridge Act wet the mere creature of acrid.(;
it was brought in by Mr. Pulteney, wino hap-
pened to attend a Scotch appeal, where a
contract prevailed against a s-cutitl in image. Ile
Was igitonint of the civil n•id corm-aim lats. The
subject of the. Bill was referred to the Judge.; ;tool
in consequence of viulent person tl altercations and
of party zeal, unexampled to legislative proceed-
ings. the Bill passed. As for the cornea:in-place
panegyric passed on that law, it was but of lade
value. The 'renal laws of England are a subject
of great and general complaint; and the queatitia
now is, whether a law so grievous and oppressii•
shall be coritinued, unanierided and unmitigated
lie (Sir James), notwithstanding what lie corm-
tiered of the law, was not against further inquiry ;
lie would agree to inquiry ma a principle he eo.
tertained, tianiely, that in legislative procceltuge
levity and precipitation ought to be atuidesl.
The Marriage Act has been paitegyrieed—hut
for what ? In two hues of that Act, file ca-
pital felonies are created—in tan hoes five crimes
are made, fur the commission of which bottom
beings are devoted to the put.islitursit of death.
—As to the avowed object of the Act, mute-
ly—the prevention of clandestine marriages—lre
(Sir James) was not opposed, lie thought that au
aulenin an act as marriage, sleittlai out only have
religion and virtue as its foutsdation, but should, as
it were, he aurrounded and sane titled by all the dig.
pity of law, and all the bolemitities of religious. That
clandestine marriages ought to be prevented, limit
they ought to be punished. na Inci doubted ; list
the question was this—were the punisbmerits saw
inflicted by the law, just or reasottable A
eirferiliill 50611111411% such Haan tegrs as he.
bit- to be transported for fourteen years. Ti.ll
furnishes • pretty dear idoof of Pas wilt
and lenient law. It will be found that tun
law principally affects the ionwelit and the weak,
bilst it favour* the party who is really guilty—it
falls with peculiar farce and severity on itinocent
children—arid woman, that amiable, weak, soil
Ilefeticeless being, whose protection against the
power and the baud of man is one great object of
marriage, is by this Act laid open to the attacks of
airy tyrarstrical villain who might seduce her to bar
arms, through the means of so ineffectual marriage,
end their turn her off, forlorn and unfortunate, alien
capricious cruelty might dispose him to do ii,,--
Ile hail front tape r'ence, from much coutideratiou,
strong objections' to the Marriage Act, its it outs
stood—aial he could nut help thinking that to sound
that law would he a wise and salutary measure.
lie did not think that penal enactments were elitists
the sure preventatives of crone. In England t,.,
crimes of ii,cest and adultery are nut tarnished lie
the criminal law, yet there are few cuuntrirs
which those crimes are less frequent—a strong pro
that we ought to leave Wore to nature, and less to
penal laws.
I)r. PRILLIMOILE replied at considerable length.
Ile said that the provisions of the Mareiage Act
were scandalous and oppressive. He drilled that
Lord Ilirdwicke had s mctioned the principle of
that Act, for lie had expressly declared that its
provisimis might fie amended by subsequent nararr
cures. Ile (Dr. Poillithorr) was only acting ac-
cording to that suggestititi. lle said, tue cassia-
quetices of that law *sere most WairellalOg. liar owe
CAW, a man, al rr a cohabitation of t•tiaja
seven sears, kid left his vile cud children,
end this proceetio;;.; was salicii,nied by the lie.
14 another Case M auu,ai , alio had cohabited aarh
her litnibmid fur aistet la i r arvetiteeil years, Inrinttl
hit adulterous cionirmoo—she btougltt her suit, cml
ihe marriage oat declared it nullity, at
the time oh coritrattikit the marriage, she war a arm
months tinder age, 'Oa re were other and mho.-
ions Installers iu which Ihs. oast Sliamrful an" t
wind:Tied siolstions of every moral and liaison... Ode
duty was tacitly sanctioned by Lhe tram Intrale op.-
ration of the Marriage Act—a law wliteli dew mil
marriage of its sanctity, and woman of her pita. c-
bon— leaving the fairest obits I of etc-allots ripen to
the tile *eduction and belittle** almodonnueot of
terry viilsiii —and whteh, usi ensue Uttla;itintly
ui-
staiu ea, tare sounder the timid) II that sacred await
which is the protectiuu of satiety dud the lagspluew
ul nun--
Ft amber euojantta worn nencvelit in Willa%
Vasiatpuc privatise sines,. comma,* hiss,
(i still runt pro.. Ingot. rx sr s Were C.tatarn.

TI e vrtitot uut a vivioaasy uNect—it RAS.

ressoure called for l.y sweatily. and justified lby
and he hoped the House would look
upon it as such. lie would willingly concur with
any lion. *whey who would lend his aid to the
alienation or a law ao prepaid with evil and rum-

town,.
Tb, Gallery woe then cleared, and the Muse
divided, Wiwi, there atioprareti
Fur ihr Amottthritni 33
Apiuot it

MAjoriiy in favour of thr 8a1.... 84

On re-entrring 'the Gall.ry we found Doctor
I'IIO.IOIOHE on 11111 leg., moving the clause tr-
.pri Wig the regulation of licenses, which was
adoinvdr
sir C. liOliN3oll obse►ved, that the niternt;on of
this Bill ought not to affect suitors in the Ecclesias-
tical Court.
'Sir S. MaclituToatt saw no claim that they had
to any peculiar indulgence.
The itcpon war then agreed to, and the Bill o►-
drted to be read the third time on Monday nest.

rooß LAWS REGULATION BILL.
On the nnnif.n Mr. S. BOURNE, the second
~,„ii,„l4 of I hit. BM W ordered to be postponed to
this dry se'nnight._____