The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-03-18 00:00:00

siastical Cowls set marriages aside that had existed
fur years. Caeca hail °centred, where, twenty tars
after the marriage had taken place. and en
parties had a numerous issue, the individual, who,
before the marriage was taOlelUl,lAed. had *worts
he was of age, carne forward,
unit. as the reward
of hi. own perjnry, proem rd the union to lie
dissolved.—(Cries of " year, hair, hear.")—
The evil did riot stop here, but visited with veil,"
grantee the offspring of such a marriage. For Ilse
son of a father who had married, when a minor.
without the necessary consent, might be prevented,
by the next of kin, from inheriting the pate.ual
property. This might be done at any period ; no
time sass pre.cribed, beyond which such a chains
could not be set up. lie could stew on act of this
kind in no other light than us a scandal mid dia.
grace to the statute book.—(l/ear, hear.)—
The remedy was obvious and simple. It was
merely to limit the time when suits should be its-
stituted for dissolving the marriages of . Ile
would leave to the guardian, the power of
btiug-
Mg the action during the minority of Ibis ward, and
the minor himself should be allowed a year alter
hi. minority hail ceased, during which he might
imtittire proceerlings for it divoire ; but that period
haviag expired, no further time for that purpose
shordil b granted. The !second put of the existtie.;
law, which referred to the marriages of tumors be
prevented a istiange anomaly—for, while to it..
nags, by license, wry• guarded in the most 'mutt
mann• r, tare snarrtages of minors by banns WaSV+ holly
unprotected. The Mai riage Act said, that the halms
should he pribbsliell in the parrsli to which the parties
belonged. But, in the present stater of the popisla-
lion of thia city, it was clear that Ilse publication of
banns was noticed by few. The tact was, that
persons residing in St. James's, or litiy other palish
air West ttt ttttttt to escape detection, often hail the
'minis publisher, in the City, where sin person knew
Harm, and wile thus entrapped iota 414.r:scant
marriages. Ile would, therefore, extend to the
minor, marrit4ll by basins, the same protecting' as
that enjoyed by 'Moors married by liceii-c. There
should be a complete residence in the pa.i.ti where
the parties intended to he married, fur a fort night
before the ceremony took place--and the sante bun.
tenon of one year, after the minor came stage, for
setting aside his marriage himself, should he allow.
ed, as nr the a% 1111110 f married by 'levier.. The
Learned Gentleman then moved for leave to
bring in a Bill to amend the Marriage Act."—
Leave given.

ORDNANCE STORES.
Alderman Wool), in risisig to move 4' for an
account of all stores sold to Mr.Satnuels, by the
Board or Ordnance, from the Ist ofJanuary, 1818,
to the lit of March, 1819. opecifyiug the different
articles. nod the as MOO Ist of Suds 'Oleo," observed,
that hr had so shaped his motion as to prevent any
opposition on the part of the !lon. Secretary of the
thdlisto:e Board (11r. It. M'aril). Ills only room,
fur brirgiiig forward ihr inotiou was, to learn the
particalui a of u sale of old stores, by private con-
tract, to the amount of about 900,0001. The arti-
cles were iron, sulphur, bran, goopowiler, and salt-
petre. The articles being few in itemiser, must,
looking to the sum paid for them, be considerable
in quantity —and the sending such a portion of
gocak into the regular minket must stecesvarily have
a Very s soesssive effect.
51r. It. WARD had no objection to explain this
transaction. The circumstances of the time, ns
Well as the recututwenitatiou of the I.'initice Com-
mittee, resoleted it necessary for the Board of W..
nonce to Sell a great quantity of stoics. It was
thought expedient to divine of a east numb-r tat
athletes, ill order to give up those imito i:se irriga-
antics, the building Will tepairssig of ishi• is had Leen
greatly complaiired of. It was a consideralde ob-
jset tb get it of them at mice. 'llir Treasury alit •
thought, that, in a financial point of ewe, is. was
proper tii.t I 1.: se stoma should be made available
to the ("jolt. n.a tire, :is far as po-Bible. The
'Erersury e al:ell oil the Board of Oraloonce, So
state, shit sum they 'night annually depend oa,
fur is tkerikal k•I liner years. On past expeiience
they could %kiwi's' but little, tor the arssul anode
of da-ponog of s loose ar.,elta was hy minor sales tat
the 'Tenser. Those sal.:,, altogether, Inuoutsted to
sit •assal a .01 . , that the desire of the Lords of the
Tkea.,kity Is. taiat us stem of 100,00111. easitually, for
three years, could not lie realised of the old system
were tool-rued. The Board of Oialtsence, there-
fore, were chliged to have remove to extended
sales. These had been conducted on the must
!abeaml plan, and had been very productive.—
The inglivarloal na (toleration had asevria great hirer*.
lily its tuakaug the contract. Ile had bought anti.
eke to the amount of several thousand postsdr-a.he
had given security for the whole suns, stud he en-
gaged himself to the I.syinent, whether the articles
should lot: taken away or not. Any alaia,g, therefore,
that might operate to the i.rejudice all that person,
should taut be theelongl.
Mr. CIIENFELL said, that the Right Ilonoveable
Gentleman who represented the Board of Ord-
natter, had ets.ted as a reason against the giving of
infortnali a:, that which of sill others should be a
rea-on for at. namely, lest the public 'Mould know
the prices of the articles purchased. The priisti.
ple of competition wa.s one must useful to the pubs
lit:; and he saw no reason why it should have
hero dispensed with in the contract under consis
derution. But the Right lion. Gentleman kaki
given its then reason for the course putsued, the
recommendation of the Fiustice C ter. The
Cutimottee Itatl indeed atlvind the selling of the
%tote-, but never had advised they should he di--
posed of in that clundestnie manner. Their opi-
nion, therefore, could not be *glanced as a jostifi-
cation. Ile 11,11 heard sitinetliwg of the butisuc-
! action ; i.e had utidersioull that Mr. Sumurls, who
was brother ni law 10 II person also lidd considerable
pecuniary dealings with (;entlessiess opposite (we
believe Mr. Itoiloichild), had entered into a con-
tract with the Board• of Ordnance for nitres, to a
considerable amount, mod on better terms than if
the sale had been made public--us lie hail been in-
formed by persons they would have gayest a higher
price thin they knew had been paid for the atilr le'.
hail they been aware they were fur sale. The Bight
lion. fleittlein all had cu id, the things writ. of H
perishable nature. Om article of them constsied of
400 tons or brass Cannon—was 11141 of It perish-
aide nature ? and if the lio rill of Orshiaaee had
sold tlwisi for la- 111311 16%1! bombed thosc.satoi
1 pounds they had cot soca forty by like ekkkuory.
A hutlier ptut a:54 :1011-Ctllllll LOA be said to be

ialibim. elr Im. • ala a > The Holt. Gentlen.:m then riami id,
41i an A inrisdnient, to earl to the cud of the oft goer I
motiois, the Welf4l4 " Together with the prit•ra at
which Welt stores have been sold."
The Cit aIieLF.LOII or the Elie:steepen v MI, that
whatever investigistioss might' be deemed proper,
should tea in...iodide the interest. of the purchaser,
and that timerelore a perfect impitry shimuld be post.
potted tsll after the conelurion of the contract. and
hut eurered into while the contract wile earr)iitg on.
Mr. Bent NO said, no sufficient ground hail been
laid by the Bight Hon. Gentlettian Ole Ward).
for tlepertoig 1 that rule from which no poblic
11m1..14 could depart without viretitti4limee• of boo.
ipoeloo—f freur) :The public would never be sallth
tit tl with comment of the present nature, cos ducted
in the dark. All great coistraeis woolly were, sag ,
ought to be matter of atotoriety. 'Flub, however,
had not been en, and the manner in which it hail
been carried on would induce him to suppose that
secrecy had hero desired. He hoped the House
would not wilt tine the proceeding, it would by
upeoine a door to great elmietr.
Mr. Ilstounti AM said, enough Intl trunspired to
drew 0141 inveetigetion cosiltl semi ...WI in thsit bilge.
lie suggested to his (Ism. Friend who had loronglit
forwurd the ententlturet, the propriety of o ith.
&leo itig it—thot if the pipers, to the imrsidireing
wl.:eli the ltight Hon. Cm-mimeo a-mu-vied, should
be found not to contain oil the imiformatimmii desired.
there might Ise no pretence for opposmilig ei 10011011
for 111011.
Ir. WARD 8441, that notwithstanding nil the
threats and imputations levelled :it kilt' IlOttrd of
Ord': ince by liesitlrnirii opposite, they o ere slot ill
the sliglitest degree afraid to lane,: the o hole of the
troloottstion before time House. Ile thought time
I lomat rable Gentleman who had iii ide the asocial.
maul too nearly tutererted Ole ineuilt through the
hon..- o ith which he stood connected) to irike an
impaitial view, and form a correct judgment on
the emote. The Honourable Gentlemen had stated
himself to be anxious for eostiutiiiun, but fcr
compoiliutt lie should have read conshinubion ; fu r
tilltAl recialise had been kid to poblie sates or
anctions, it hod been invariably fontal that certain
traders in that bite coinbitted togeilier to present
more dons a certain price being nbtained.—
To illustrute the system, lie should mention an
enecilete. A hiewl ,if his oent accidentally into
the shop of usi extensive irournotigt r, Nod asked Kitts
of Won't he bought Isis iron; he tended. of such
; and pitch persona. The other asked why be never
1 pure beset! at the sales at the Too er ; lie answered,
he had tried mice, but that Messrs. A. 11. and C.
had thirett hint away us un interloper, unit that by
1
letting them alone he could get his IWO t•heaprr.
Time house with which the lion. Groitleinau Nils
cobilekierl lied offered but fifty-nine shillings a ton
for t one part of the etoree, a tierces they had been
i demposref of at the rate of seventy-too. The 'ale
j complained of liad attained the object+ the Go-
I verionent had its view, as lie lied stirad‘ stmited,
and had moreover ratites' conierlitiwi- 01 " ft"-
titer occusion they had applied to the FaFt Indic
I slid runny other Conspatsies, revere! ineirliants,
I the Milian in Conte all—they had put ode, i 1 ise-
merits into tuition% provincial Papers, •pi cm. ioliti to
toe ti she of a parcel of gunpewder ----Ility It o 1 t-vrii
pot op to public ruction as focal u :litmitity as e
single barrel. in order to piocuie the beet price
posed & ; but 'Obeid these exertions they got six
shillings a barrel MeV! by? private (-0111t.:eto for
three thousand barrels, than they could get for ilw
sinele barrel. The purchaser, indeed, unfortts.
'Poorly tieeaine insolvent afterwards, but that was
sot the club of the Government. He defied the
lion. Gentleman opposite to sheer any thing *to the
toriamartion belote the House not strictly correct.
MOM WAY frequently to be had for owes by private
contract. though not in the dark, than by public
ask, und nathisig would be snore thsistlventugeous
to the public service than binding the public
Boards to the observance of any one rule in skiing;
stores.
Mr. fineries:l.e said, that the Right Hon. Gen.
Benton had rimlite mistaken its eleiractem, if lie
supposed he was to be it:Cornett! liv iiiter.hteti
views. I:e ili,u,,ht the statements t,f the Hi .elit
11-Init. Geode-now would lead to a concliteum the re.
vet se el a hat lie had drawn Duna them.
Mr. %VAUD rose to order.
Mr. Gtteereet, disclaimed the imputation at-
leinided to be thrterl4 oil him ; lie was almve troy
thug of the sort. lle insist. ml t:i it time public had
rust lined a great loss by tile misconduct of the
Board of Ordnance.
Mr. D. (111.111 RT said, that the Finance Corn-
nintee (of which the Hen. Gentleman is a Member)
did advise the sale of the stores, without, however.
prescribing the mode of Pale. He hail means of
knowing, that private sales of such thior were
snore beneficial to the country than public one,.
Mr. Ile esT said, that every elle() taken by the
Board oh Ordnance reflected the greatest honour
on it ; end he was happy to have the opportunity of
brining testimony to di services.
Mr. Weer) and Mr. BARING explained. and
after a few obsereations from 'Mr: FlitiaEs, the mo-
tion wit• put end agreed to.
Mr. Nl'entl then moved—
" Thal there he Wit before the Douse a Copy of the Me-
111006ii of the Guiipiiirdce Aleichants. presented to the
Imola of the Treasury, with the aemaskm .1. the Beard of
lkitintoce thertiipuit."—A%reett to.
TAUNTON ELECTION.
On the motion of Sir J. GRAHAM, the emisidera.
lion of the Taunton Election Petition was pug-
potted till Thursday, the tith inlay.
CoNeDLIDATF.D FUND VHODuCe..
Mr. GRENFELL hoped (11,1 use itiefit Hon.
Gentlertniii oppesite (Nlr. %%twilit utl) W Old il see
from the thin state of the !loose /he pii•priety of
testi ttttt init. the Committee oil the Consolidated
Font' Produce Bill.
The Citeeceeena of the Fxcrir.Qurr, de-
elated himself ovaily (as we mideisioeol)„ I. give
Yin esitlanation of the measure th.st might be
respelled,
Mr. GREN FELL faid there were some eleti.e, in
the Bill no which hr. was de so otos of receiving fur-
ther ex pletrit moi•.
Shortly mitre wards the Cionteittee was pt.stponed
till Fritley.

FUPPI.V.

The having reoilveil itarlf into o Com-
mittee of Simply, on the of Mr. It..WARTI,
.tuta nld exceeding i,50,00ti1. wu,
41c.ount of.Ortlionce iierviet:,.—flepott tii-morvPv.