The Sun.
London, England, 1849-07-04 00:00:00

CE ASh) WIFE.

Mr. FORBES MACKENZIE and several other Mem-
bers presented petitions, some in favour of, and others
against the Bill.
The House then went into Committee on the Bill, and
on the first clause kiting proposed,
Mr. GOULBURN said that he did not think that it
was wise to discuss a Bill too often, and ho should
therefore offer no further opposition to it, and content
himself with merely offering a few observations as it
progressed.
Clauses 1 and 2 were then passed.
On the third clause being proposed,
Mr. GOULBURN said that an alteration had been
intresluced into the Bill since the second reading, the
effect of which was to prevent the validity of any mar-
riage with the sister of a deceased wife in any case when
the individuals had been convicted of adultery together.
Now, how could such a clause possibly operate, for he
would appeal to any gentleman in that House whether
there were not feelings in the heart of every female
which in ninety-nine cases out of every hundred would
prevent her from entering the witness-box and im.
peaching the honour of her own sister and her husband?
lie only made this observation to show to what lengths
this relaxation.of the law was leading them.
Mr. SIZART WORTLEY said that this clause
'had been 'introduced at the express desire of
persons high in the Church, and it was in-
tended to prevent that jealousy of feeling which might
possibly arise when a woman was resident under the
roof of her sister's husband. The only case that had ever
occurred of such a conviction of adultery bad occurred
under the present repressive state of the law. In that
case the husband and wife respectively proceeded for a
divorce. They obtained it, and when the tie had been
dissolved the relationship was at an end, and the gentle-
man and lady who had before been brother and sister-in-
law, were openly married within three weeks after
the Act for the divorce had been obtained.
Mr. HOPE, in the alisence of Mr. Roundell Palmer,
rose to move the following amendment on the third
clause :—" That nothing in this Act contained shall be
be deemed or construed, in any civil or ecclesiastical
court of this realm, to alter or in any wise affect any
doctrine, canon, or law ecclesiastical, of the United
Church of England and Ireland, or of the Church of
Scotland, whereby the degrees of consanguinity and
affinity, within which marriage is now held to be pro-
hibited by the doctrine and:: 'discipline of the same
churches respeCtliely are settled or defined; and no
clergy man, minister, or offiCer, of either of the said
churches shall be required or authorised, by virtue
of this Act, to solemnize or grant any license for solem-
nizing any marriage contrary to the doctrine or disci-
cipline at the church of which ho is such clergyman,
minister, or officer; nor shall any such clergyman,
minister, or officer, who may hereafter solemnize or
grant any license for solemnizing any such marriage, be
exempted, by virtue of this Act, from any spiritual or
ecclesiastical censure or punishment to which be would
by law be subject it this Act had not been passed."
Mr. STUART WORTLEY said ho had framed this
clause in order to meet the consciences of all parties.
IL was, however, anxious to obtain the opinion of the
House upon this subject. As regarded the canons of
the Church, it was certain that the 99th canon prohi-
bited such marriages as were contrary to the word
of God; but before any man could be proceeded against
it would be necessary to prove that the marriage, for
which he was prosecuted, was contrary to the law of God.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

THE ARMY.—We understand that Captain P. P.
Storey,. of the 38th Foot, has been appointed staff officer
of the pensioners at Stockport, and that Captain Christie
is now engaged superintending the formation of a new
division' of the Lond&ei district of pensioners, the head-
qu.aters of which will be ut Deptford.
Mr. Marah had an interview -eaterday with Earl
Grey.