The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-15 00:00:00

TRE !MN, I,ON D!;;:,,, FRIDAY EVENING. JUNE 15 1855,

the Bishop of OXFORD would not have dared to
suggest such an Act now, had he not found one
quietly lodged on the book-shelves of the Star
Chamber. We hope all similar relics of bigotry
will be dragged out, and consigned to Legislative
extinction.

It was quite bad enough the cruelty and ab-
surdity of the promoters of the act prohibiting
marriage with a deceased wife's sister, avowedly
on religious grounds, and these most insuffi-
cient for the future, and legalising the marriages
of this description which had taken place were
sufficiently glaring, one would have thought, to
have prevented any imitation or aggravation of
such bygone procedure.
But no. It would appear there is no extreme
of cruelty and no depth of folly at any period to
which your politico-religious Pharisees will not
cordially descend, if they can do so with safety.
Ostentatiously parading the form of godliness and
philanthropy, it is, practically, but the more
surely and satisfactorily to discharge the dark
venom of their natures on the weak and uuoffend-
ing ; and thus they go on in their baleful
career, reckless that the divinest agencies
in the world are branded with their shame
and retarded in their operation by their miscon-
duct. The example, in short, was too recent to
be forgotten, and too congenial to be neglected.
Now that the bill legalising these marriages is
about to go into committee (June 20th) we learn
that certain amendments are to be proposed, we
trust only vicariously, by Sir FREDERIC THESIGER
—amendments of a nature so atrocious that, for
the sake of our common humanity, we are abso-
lutely ashamed to mention them.
Will it be believed—we are open to contradic-
tion if what we state is false, and mcst willingly
would we rectify the error—the effect of these
amendments, if adopted, would be to declare all
marriages before 1835 and after 1855 valid, and
all marriages between—all marriages in the long
interval from 1835 to 1855, an interval of 20
years—void, or at least doubtful 1 It may be received
as an exaggeration, but, positively, an icy shudder
seizes us as we contemplate the announcement.
Let but the most cold blooded reader try for a
moment to realise the case ; let him consider
that—by the legalisation of such marriages before
, 1835 and after 1855—the principle, the moral
legality of them is conceded ; and, with this fact
staring him in the face, let him further consider
that the effect of the amendments will be to per-
. petuate the brand of shame on thousands of con-
; fessedly chaste brows, the name of bastards on
still larger numbers whose birth is morally stainless,
; I and all the misery and confusion which a godless
law has occasioned. Let him but do this, and if his
3 pulse does not quicken with indignation it is be-
L cause it throbs with no English blood ! That the
House will reject these amendments we cannot
doubt. But what an insult to have them offered !

ANOTHER SIN OF OMISSION.

other vessels belonging to the Baltic squadron are
daily expected at Cherbourg, namely :—The float-
ing batteries Congreve, Foudroyante, Tonnante,
and Lave, and the steam gun-boats Avalanche,
Damn:to, and Grenade, the steam mortar vessel
Cassini, and the sailing mortar vessels Fournaise
and Trombe.

BOURSE, JUNE 14.—CLOSING PRICES.
Cash. fr. c. End of Month.
41. per Cents 94 85 94 850.
3 por Oen Ls 69 69
Credit Mobilier 965 Roman
Credit Foncier 545 Austrian
Belgian Fives ...... .. Spanish Threes —
Piedmontese B7 75 Home Debt 3Ol
RAILWAYS—NOR CASH.
fr. c. fr. -
Orleans ... 1197 50 Lyons 1230
Western 732 50 Rouen
Cette 662 50 Strasburg
Mediterranean 1207 50 Havre 620
Northern