The National Register.
London, England, 1822-07-08 00:00:00

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,♦,;ter a few observations from the Lord Chancellor, both pe.
titian» were withdrawn as irregular.
The House then proceeded to the order of the day, for the
third reading of the Mari iage Act Amendment Bill.
Lord sTowEL i.hjected to the retrospective clause. The
noble slid learned Lord said. as the bill stood, minors had
nothing to do but enter the church and solemnize matrimony,
and then they were united for ever against their happinesillithi
interest, and the consent of parents and guardians. In such
improper marriages, what could be expected but elopement on
the part of the woman, and desertion on the part of the mem--
T:te marriage get had been concocted in evil, and looked upon
with horror, but they had overlooked the advantages which
had been derived. Many families had been restored, to hap-
piness by the effect of that law. 'I lie miseries introduced to
thatilies by imprudent marriages was one of the greatest evils
in society. He concluded by moving to omit the clause.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH said, after the bill had been enter-
tained thirteen days by the (louse, lie did not expect to hear ■
funeral oration over it. The noble and learned Lord's argument
was contradictory, and founded upon the belief that marriagas
were made fur the happiness of parents and guardians, not the
young persons themselves. Ile waa not surprised the noble
and learned Lord should urge that line of argument an one
suited to his views and situation in society ; but others like
himself, who were inure in life suit gaily than the noble and
learned Lord, certainly saw the question in a very ditlerent
point of view. He certainly was able to state, that the right
rev. Prelates had sanctioned the principle, that marriages once
solemnized, could not be dissolved; and if that was admitted,
the retrospective clause followed as the necessary consequence.
The LORD CIIANCtiLLOR said he wished to understand
on what authority the noble and learned Lord quoted the opinion
of the right rev. Prelates, and therekore should ask them the
question whether because it had happened dint marriages had
been solemnized under the sanction of the purative father, those
marriages were valid in the eye of the church? '[he noble
and learned Lord held that no marriages ought to be valid with-
out the consent of the lawful father, where the parties kuew
the father was living.
The ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURY said, in no in-
stance had the Bishops held that marriage under the consent of
the putative
.father was valid, where the consent of the real
father was known to he withheld.
The LORD CHANCELLOR- could not suppose the noble '
lord wished to make all the marriages since 1733 valid. He
could tell the noble lord, whose heart lie believed to be good,
that in twelvemonths after the Bill before the loose passed in
its then shape, his heart would be torn with anguish, occasioned
by the distress of families.
Lord WiLLENDORJUGH said the Right Re►erend Pre.
hates held their doctrine upon morals. They held that mar-
riage once solemnized ought not not to be set aside. In sup-
port of that doctrine lie might cite these word.:—" Tle•se
whom God Lath joined let no Mel put asundcr."
Alter considerable discussion, tLe Bill was read the third
time and passed.—Adjourned.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 3.
The Brighton Harbour Chain Bill—the Metropolis Police Bill
—and the Roasted Corn Bill, were read the third tune and
passed.
The Irish Land Revenue Bill was read the second time.
The Irish Exchequer Offices Bill went through a committee.—
The Welch Coals Bill also went through a committee. The
Howe then adjourned.

THURSDAY, JULT 4.
• A person from the St. Niclwlsa Bay Company presented the
annual account of their expenditure, made un to June, tin.
The Welch Coal Regulation Bill, and the Exchequer Offices
in Ireland Bill, were road the third time, The Irish Land Re-
venue Bill was read the second time.
Lord Eli KINE presented a petition from the owners and
occupiers of land in Northumberland also petitions from Essex,
Southampton, and ,Curnwall, against the Corn Importation
Bill.—The above were read and laid on the table.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE gave notice, that on Tuesday
next he Aiould move the second reading of the Scotch Juries Bill.
A message front the Commons brought up the Five per Cent.
Contracts Bill, which was read tae tirst time.
60111111 AIIEaIISAN TRADC.—The Nlarquis of LANS-
DOWNE said, in case a noble Earl (Liverpool) had been in his
place, he should have put a question to him respecting the poli-
tical and commercial relations subsisting between this country
and the Independent States of South America. As the noble
Earl was absent, he should reserve what he had to say until to-
IliOrli/W. The House then adjourned.
FRIDAY, JULYS.
The royal assent was given by commission 'to the Roasted
Goan Bill, Irish Window Tax, Scotch Disdllerier, aNletropolis
Police, Irish Exchequer ()dices, Welch Coals, and two local
bill:, the Kilinainhain Hospital, and Brighton Harbour Bill.
—'fire commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, Earl Bathurst,
and the Earl of Shaftesbury.
Petitions, complaining of agricultural distress, were presented
from owners and occupiers of land in Suffolk—Oxford—city of
Bristol—Hereford—Warwickshire—the NN olds in the county of
York--Somerwt--York—liertford--Denbigh,—Gloucester, and
other places.
Lord DUN DAS presented a petition from a numerous body of
Dissenters, complaining of hardship under the existing marriage
service. The above petitions were laid on the table.
A person from the Secretary of State's Office pit:sewed an ac-
count of the population of Great Britain in t , pursuant to the
Ist olGeOrge IV.—Laid on the table.
CORN BILL.
Earl BATHURST rose on the crrder of the day for the second
reading of the Corn Bill, and observed, that the unavoidable
absence of a noble Earl (Liverpool) had induced him to postpone
the discussion on this bill, but having recently understood that
several noble Lords were waiting in town to give their opinions
on the men sate, he considered it better to proceed forthwith. In
opening to the House the provisions of the Bill, it would not be
necessary to occupy much of their Lordships' time. He should
not discuss the tame of agricultural distress. The bill proposed
all alteration in the old Corn Bill. By that Act the importation
of all wheat was prohibited until the price rose to eighty shillings.
There was then unlimited importation. and the warehouses were
tilled with foreign grain. So soon as the ports closed the foreign
grain in warehouses was brought into the marker, and the glut
sat. as it were, like the night mare on the English grower. The
bill before the House provided a remedy. The agriculturists
would &rive benefit and security from the scale of potating
duties. The noble Earl stated all the objects of the bill, and
concluded by moving the second reading.
Lord ERSKINE said, this bill, fur laying a protecting duty,
was u repeal of the bill brought in by tl.e agriculturists
thtvt-
selves for their relief. During the war the agriculturists derived
great advantage from their produce. When peace came a change
took place. Distress was general, and then ante the bill which
the noble Lord called a night mare. The government had many
difficulties to encounter at the time they passed the Corn Dill;
but lie could not avoid saying, it was the duty of governments to
provide measures not for the interest of any one class of the po-
pulation, but for the general advantage of tile whole community.
Corn might be brought from the Continent at 31s. or 3/s. and
how, he might ask, would they expect to benefit tile growers in
this country by the proposed protecting ditties ? Excessive tax -
adon in England denied the lava a tenitunteung price. If

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faxation was reduced, a remunerating price might be procured.
The firmer had to pay tithes upon the hold brought to perfection
by his own capital. Ile had to pay assessed taxes fin roads and
bridges over which he travelled, and even for the light of Heaven.
If this state of things continued the poorer lands would ba thrown
out of cultivation. The farmers did not ask protecting duties,
but a temunerating pike. Before they proceeded with u law pike
this, they ought to equalise the public burdens. In a bill brought
into the other 110.110 e. by Mr. S. Bourne, there was a statement
that Parliament did did not mean to depart from the act of Elisa-
beth, which provides for the sustentation of the poor. No man
desired to sec the poor well supplied with provisions more thug
himself, but what were they doing by the bill? They were let.
dug in foreign corn to the market ut Sos. (it would not be more
with the protecting duty), when the English landholder could
not raise his corn under *)s. They were told by Government
and those who supported the bill, that it was fur the good of the
agriculturists. '1 lie remedy could not cure. but it would increase
the illness of the party. The promoters of the bill mitt be
compared to a bad physician, who, mistaking his patients case,
put him into a slioiver bath. The bill, which he considered the
shower bath, did nut contain a moderate fall of water, hut a
deluge ; a torrent bearing down every thing like a whisp of straw
in a flowing canal. The first thing to be dune was to equaiiac
the public burthens. Unless the agriculturist was relieved train
the weight of taxation, it would be in vain to look for remunera-
ting prices fur his commodity. No man looked with more respect
to the members of the House of Commons than he did, yet he
could not help observing, that they frequently appeared to forget
themselves. Private interest seemed to be preferred to public
good; cud he might soy, in the languag - of Hamlet,

" There are more things passing
In !leaven and Barth—than
Are dreamed of in our philosophy."
The landholder must be supported in common with other classes
of the community • and the noble Lord was most desirous to pro-
mote the general interest by liberal policy and free trade. The
bill appeared so objectionable, that he should conclude by moving
that it be real a second time this day toree mouths. The AIM nil-
men t having been put,
Lord DACIIE said he had long been of opinion that nothing
could be done at present to afford effectual relict to the distresses,
and he might say the destruction of agriculture, and he should
be happy to induce the House to throw out the bill, at least for
the present session.
A discussion then ensued between die Lords most interested in
the question, and the amendment having been negatived, the
bill was read the second time. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
MONDAY, 1.
Mr. QrARME, the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod, sum-
moned the House to attend in the House of Peer*, to hear the
royal assent given, by commission to sundry bills.—(See
Lords.)
Ihe Highgate Chapel Bill was read a first time, and ordered
to be read a second time on Friday.
The County Rate Bill was read a third time and passed.
SALT TA s.—Mr. LUSHINGTON brought in the Salt Ts:
Repeal Bill.
Mr. CURWEN gave notice, that he should oppose the second
reading, or on the question that the Bill be committed, when
he 'Mould move that the duration of the bill Le limited to
January, IS=
Mr. LUSHINGTON said, that as the question might he
on the committee, he should muse the semmd reading to-
morrow. Read a first time ,and ordered to be read • second
time to-morrow.
TNL Iltrtatt•dttAat ELECTION.—Mr. MOBHOUSE pre-
tented a petition from Chides Maddox, confined in Warn irk
castle. He was one of the persons who had been found guilty
of being concerned in the election of a" Legislatorial Attorney ;'
and be had received heavier sentences than any Oilier of the
defendants. Eallnoloia had nine months ; Wooller 1.1 months ;
and Maddox, this petitioner, IS months ; and he had under-
stood that the reason of this difikrence was, not that he was
deemed more guilty titan the other parties, but in consequence
of the mode in which he had conducted his defence. Against
such made of proceeding the House ought to interfere. The
petitioner prayed the House to address his Majesty to relieve
from prison all reformers now confined ; also to remunerate
them out of the produce of some of the sinecures, for the pro•
ceedings they bad endured.
The petition was read, and ordered to be printed, after Mr.
Twice had denied that the Judges punished in consequence of
the mode in which defences were cooduetede
Mr. DAWSON move(' the third reading of the Police Rill
of the metropolis. Read accordingly and passed.
Sir J. GRAHAM moved the second reading of the Surrey
New Roads' Bill.
Alderman WOOD enquired whether the bill was to be raj
ferred to a committee above stairs
Sir J. GRAHAM answered in the affirmative. Bill read 8
second time, and ordered to be committed.
Moat:et:AT 1N EDINBURGIL—Lord BINNING presented
a petition from Edinburgh, praying fur • grant from the sum
set apart for the building of new churches, towards building
the monument in Edinburgh, to commemorate the victories of
the late war, which was to be converted into &place of worship,
where there were to be many free seats.
Sir W. DE CRESPIGNY presented a petition from stage-
coach proprietors of Camberwell, praying to be heard by
Counsel against a bill affecting them now before the House.—
Read and ordered to be printed.
WAYS AND MEANS—THE BUDGET.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved, that
the House go into a committee of ways and means—Agreed tn.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in the commit-
tee, rose to bring forward his statement of the finances, gene-
rally termed " The Budget." He said hr had some apology
to make for br'nging forward his general statement before all
the supplies had been voted ; it lied generally been considered
that those supplies ought to be first voted. Why the delay 11..41
been, he would not stop to inquire; but it would be essential
that lie should make his statements now, and that certain pro-
visions should be mule on account of the sinking fund, which
were voted from July to July. A quarter would be lost, if the
votes were not flow proposed. He would make some reference
to the amounts already voted. For the army there had been
granted 7,700,0001.; for the navy 5,100,0901.; for the ord-
nance 1,200,0001. There had been granted for Ireland
100,0001. for artiular services. Te noti that ad been
voted was about 15,c000,01101. there rehinain mied tont be vothed shout
3,000,0001. the whole amount would be 17,1i00,0001. however,
for the services of the year. There was a grant of 200,0001.
which he should have to ask for, to make up the sinking fund.
The out-pensioners fell on the public, in consequence of the
hospital having decided against certain payments ; and that
lied compelled hint to resort to money that might have been
applied to other purposes. Adding this and other sums which
were in the nature of debt, Se. the gross amount would he
21,1L16,1361. Be then give the following recapitulation:—
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