The Sun.
London, England, 1831-03-31 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HO USE OF LORDS, MiltCß 30.
The Royal ASSCRt vaa given to-day, by Corurnissiov,
to the Sugar Duties Bill, the Pauper Settlement Bill, the
Population (Ireland) Bill, the Prohibition and Tilandamns
Bill, the Witnesoes Examination Bill, the Canada Lando
Bill, the St. Martittlo (Birmingham) Burying-ground
Improvement Bill, and 32 private Bills.
The Commissioners were the LORD CHANCELLOR, Earl
GREY, and the Earl of SHAFTESBURY.

TURTON'S DIVORCE BILL.
Mr. Adam appeared in support of this Bill, which is
rather extraordinary, teing the second instance only of a
wife applying to the Legislature for a divorce from her
husband. The first instance took place in 1801, when a
wife applied for a divorce from her husband, on the ground
of his having hod an adulterous and incestuous intercourse
with her sister, and there the Bill was passed. The ma-
terial farts of the present case were, that Turton, a bar-
rister, tnarrit d the applicant, a daughter of General Brown,
residing near Bath. Turton came to London with his
wife, and applied hiniselt with great diligence to his pro-
cession. Adeline, another daughter of General Brown,
resided with them while in London, arsine years after the
marriage; and the wife at length discovered that an adul-
terous and incestuous intercourse was going on between her
sister and her husband. Ste telt utterly at a loss what to
do, as she was anxious to avoid exposure, both on account
of her sister, and clii,fly on account of her father and fa-
mily connections. The husband admitted the fact, and
stated his determination to proceed to Calcutta to prac-
tise there ; and his wife understanding that he was to leave
the sister behind and give up his guilty intercourse with
her, aareed to accompany him. When at Gosford, and
about to embark, she found that the sister was to go out
in the same ship, and when she remonstrated, the husband
said that the sister was with child by him, and that he
could not abandon her to exposure and infamy. The wife,
still actuated, as was alleged, by the desire to avoid expo-
sure, and the pain which it would occasion to her father,
consented to go nut with him. The incestuous inter-
course continued on the passage, and still the wife and
the aiater dined at the same table. In three months after
their arrival at Calcutta, the sister was delivered of a child,
and then the wife demanded that she should be sent back
to England, as the husband had engaged she should be
after her delivery. The husband, however, refused to send
her back again. The delivery took place in April; and
the wife finding that the sister was not to be sent hack, re-
solved herself to leave India and return to England. A
ship could not be immediately got at that season, and she
remained in the husband's house for two or three months
more, and then embarked for England, and commenced
proceedings in the Ecclesiastical Court, and obtained a di-
vorce a mensa et thoro, and now applied to the Legislature
for a divorce a viactdo.
The LORD CLIANCELLOR said, that in the instance
of 1801 everything was in favour of the lady, and the
House broke through its rule of not listening to such ap-
plications on the part of the wife, through the horror en-
tertained at the incest. But here the lady had remained
with the husband and the sister after she knew of the adul-
sarong and incestuous intercourse, and even went in the
same ship with them to India, and dined at the same table-
. wit's them, although the criminal intercourse still cont\.
nued. This looked aomething like connivance. She
should have left her husband the moment she knew of the
crime, or have consulted the father, who might have
taken measures to compel the sister to -
and not to go to India. In the case of 1
hand had been in the situation of the wife,
got a divorce. Here, if a husband had In
ration of the wife, it was clear that he

divorce.
Lord ‘VYNFORD thought that the lad'
*itch au etnbarrassing situation, that eh,
know what to do, and it wae rather too mr
application on the ground that eLe had ,
best coulee that micht have been taken,
ships were not confined to any particular
to be considered that ti e lady's motive
what she stated it was, that teas, to submi
her very cruel situation, rather than by
lather's grey hairs with sorrow to the gre
Lord TENTERDEN—The lady might
acted from tie most pore and viltuous
thought therefore that the case ought not

the present stage.
The LORD CHANCELLOR felt the
observation.. and had only stated the
which the case was beset, without saving
not be got over. But it was his duty to
lou.y these c4.eR, in order to aveertain wl
core—ion or contrivatnee, end he would cane
the coot,. of the evidence.

Farther proceeding ttn the MI of Apri.

Lord DUNCAN pfaseutedape----tition fr..° .the
of Commerce of Dundee, in favour of oe
of Reform. He took that 4:spier-re/snit)",
with the petitioners, to -express Xis thardee
to his Majesty's Ministers for that most excellent
which united the two important advantages
and being efficient, and which had in a wog unexampled
degree united condictieg opiniewe, sied given ahnost
uni-
versal satisfaction, ee ooeiolidating the representation in
Parliament, and placing it on the clearest and the. surest. I
footing. But that part of the country from which
came was under peculiar ohligationa to his Majesty's
nieters, and there the measure was, as aright well be esa,
pected, hailed not usevely with approbation, but entlitre
sissm. In England, however bad the system had become,
there was always some real pepdarr representation ; but in
Scotland there wee none, and his isluble and Learned
Friend en the Woolsack Ives well wairenteii in saying, as
he did the other night, that in Scotlaud, even the tanits-
ties were closer than English . close boroughs, and the
llernbers for the close boroughs in Scotland were elected!
by clo.e bodie., who elected each other; so diet there was i
nothing like popular representation. It was no wonder,
therefore, that this measure was there hailed with enthu-
siasm; and it was remarkable that at Glasgow, when they
heard of it, there was an illumination, under the directions
of the Magistrates, whose monopoly it went to destro;.,.
Lord FARNHANI admitted that, through length of
time, the representation had got into such a state that
thete was need for some Reform. But if the theory of
the Constitution were to be acted on as a rigid rule, ad-
mitting of no relaxation, it would be impossible to carry
on the Government. There were, however, some ano-
malies in the practical part of the Constitution and in the
state of the representation, which enab!ed the Government
to carry on the pubic hueinees smoothly. One of tht:
meet important of these anomalies was the borough inte-
rest, which prevented a too violent collision between the
different p eta of the system, as that was the manner in
which this House and the Crown were in some degree re-
presented in the House of Commons. But his great and
special objection to this measure was. that it destroyed the
close boroughs in Ireland. These boroughs were established •
in the reign of James 1., for the purpose of peoteeetiug
the settlers from Great Britain and the Protestant interest.
They had not decayed, but were still efficient, and still re-
quired to answer the great purpose for which they were
established. If in these boroughs they extended the elec-
tive franchise to every householder paying 101. a year
rent, they would create a very inferior class of voters—a
class which would depend on popular opinion for their
existence. There was an attempt during the heat of the
agitation on the Catholic question to ruin that description of
people in case teey did not support the measure of what was
called emancipation, and many of them bad heen ruined. The
summons of coercion might he used to compel then) to sup-
port the repeal of the Union, anti it might be taken (10 a
certainty that that use of it would be made. The conse- ,
quence would be, that thirty or forty of their nominees
would be returned to Parliament; and they all knew thst '
thirty or forty agitators in the House of Commons, acting
as one united body for a particular purpose, might be so
troublesome as to prevent the public business being car-
ried on by the Government._(Hear, hear.) They all
knew that the Catholics of Ireland wished the desti action
of the Protestant Church Estahlialuneot in that country,
and so many Members leagued and banded for that pur-
pose would be too much for any Government. Now, lie
affirmed that the grand stake which this country held in
Ireland for the preservation of the Union was the Protest-
ant Church Eetahlieliment, and if the Protestants saw that
their interests were abandoned and sacrificed, they would
'oin the Catlailici in eshiee; for a repeal of the U,noe, and
then no Government could resiee a brave, determined, and
united people, wee would laugh at a6y efforts that might
be made against them. lie would deprecate that coercion
as much ca any man, but he was bound to state his
opinion that such would he the effect of the Reform if
pushed to this extent. lie was tine of those
who thought
that the Irish Legieletere, in acceding to the measure of
the Union, had exceeded its powers. But thirty years'
acquiescence was a prescription which no man ought to
nut the slightest wish to dissolve the
break, and he ha d
connection.
The LORD CHANCELLOR did most e:sox,e,eelyeiLngolryd
la-
ment to Lear such language l'n'tql by any
this House. Suppose that hr, ti=e friend of Reform, end
the advocate of the measure, had Laid to those who op-
posed it, beware how you oppose the measure, for if you •
do, you will unite Jacobins, 13allot-wen, Annual Varna-.
mint-men, and every thscription of people against you;

uestion.
peal . .fir a estsblislune4
AuITICI Cethelic Cl.ltreh in Ireland; en the reoutrcry.,
sentiments trcre zulverse to boil. At liens of :1
finiOn he iod opprired the ; bu 4 Jibe many stioa
ti' done so, he noist theru,;7lt trust any atte4t to of feet-a
Clunkgee could not urnve otherwise than tuischievous. He
said that he should strenuously deprecate. any attempt trs
ests.blish the Catholic Church in Ireland ; and though he
could not hen' consider. such an establishment a misfor-
tune, he could riot at any time regard 4.as iuccrusiatept
with the union of the two countries, He had always
Glared hiideteeinination to support tise Prottnaut
thaadvicaci-of the:Catholic claims he had always
maintained, that danger there might he in 'heir-
iineesaitin, there won!'" be in their. refusal ten timer
-greater danger. Indeed, in the ore case. there might he
::n;jes-; but in the Lather there was certain destruction.
But he trustee' the Protestant Establishment was in no
(I.inger,, that the correction of abuses would remove all
odium, and tliz system of its government would be placed
upon such a footing as to render it secure against any hos-
tile excitation of the people which its enemies might'
crezte, He would repeat that, if asked his opinion re-
specting the establishment of the Roman Catholic
Church in Ireland, he should say, as he had said before,
that lie should deprecate any such establishment ; but if
a le-li:fortune of that nature should befal the country, be
saw no reason whatever why the two countries might not
rennin united still. Canada, and several States on the
Continent, distinctly proved the practicability of such a
stag of things—he meant that in which two countries
possessiog different religious establishments, should still be
united legislatively--should acknowledge the slime Govern-
ment, and he ruled by tit:: same institutions. He had been
led into these observations by finding himself compelled to
make a few remarks upon the language used upon that oc-
casion ; and, finally, he begged to affirm, that the measure
of Reform proposed in the other House was nn proof what-
ever that the Protestant interest had been deserted or be-
trayed ; nay, so far from there being any danger of the
sort, he believed that the intended change in the represen-
tation of the pl'ople would have a directly contrary result,
and would support, instead of injuring, the true intriesta
of the Protestant Religion and the security of the Esta-
blished Chu:eh.

Lord WYNfORD, before he proceeded further, would
beg to ask who began the present discussion ? As to
what had fallen from his Noble Friend, he must beg to de-
clare that that only went the length of saying that the
effect of the meesore would he to give to the Roman Ca-
tholic interest in Ireland such a preponderance as would
induce the Protestants to think that their interests had not
been duly attended to ; and, therefore, would dispose them
to give up their connection with England, ono! throw
selves into the arms of the Catholics. The House could
not fail to bear in mind that the Irish Protestants must he,
under all circumstances, a minority incapable of offering
any successful resistance to the enc:.oarlanients of the Roman
Catholics, and they must oatui ally he alarmed at any in-
crease of power imparted to the Catholics. He fully aereed
with those who thought that the language of intimidation
should not be used; and he wished that the supporters of
the Bill had abstained from the use of such language.
None could have gone further in the use of such language
than they, for they plainly told the opponents of the 'ilea-
sur, that if it were not agreed to, anarchy and confusion
must he the consequence. To this he adverted from two
motives : for the purposes, first, of proving the incon-
sistency of the supporters of the measure; and secondly,
to afford an opportunity for the assertion that the language
of intimidation could not promote its adoption i❑ that
House, fur their Lordships would not he afixted by the
base passion of fear ; but, uninfluenced by fear or hope,
or by any conaideration of private interest, think of no-
thing but the great interests of the country. The Noble
Lord then entered into 3n eulogium of the British Consti-
tution,
The Duke of BUCKINGHAM thought that the dis-
cussion ought pot to be carried any further, for the Bill
was not yet lie!ore the House; they knew ❑ot in what
shape it might come before them, or whether it would
ever rouse before them at all. Ira its present form he
could certainly never give it any support, regarding it as
a means of committing public and private wrong, by
placing tie representation in bands for which the Consti-

wno tnixnc navy .)t Irani British connectiol
remain at home, I ~.„t~as 4nrimin, the toki„.ct
I 801 , °us ,Motitity
if the hue- I, fur that wz..t • .5 94 eti•va
fe, he would have h3i not yet bot 4,,Jronit. - r%t0;114
been in the situ- way,tiie
,übjec,
co,
e could not get a who had ?shin spott.f had t.est+ei ..**(n*AV•tit 01-04
or nomination )SO11113E:IA roi 11:410,..11igtf3,1•4441'74 hidotit
ids wa
in , and part;el.4 the C4ituttitte4intli timt. trA4 Itt r
ihe really did not e,„y-pne p;ftiiissi„g een moot ttit'e,
such to refuse her with consti,oti,,,,,i.prisrAloot_u,s
,v• tettee,4
not adopted the timr, fottraiog 44 4)4,1
t 4litp
3. Their Lard- 1 derogatozy from the
• -
rule, and it ought matrary t, ti4prislopjoi,i_vcr.„comaitto;„„,f, 2',„,"5,1-44 '
mi r+X+ acre
ght have been tutiuu was founded upon renreseotatioth reik
,mit in silence to jt am/. ovuiur ,tijNaik, a
bring down ber ,„it maw ef,e tineenthr
rave. 'y ' ;,ere ,a;,,4 tcz ..intef!so,pa
lit certainly have for its ; -11;a''
mativex, and heitt~ti 11,601' --)r,,L.Cn":t3g..
to be stopped in x ,t ~„,,
e)..4")7 04204:,*;
he force of these 143-ike --;;,4; it
difficulties with Pe,:le that vl'esa %)ir)::349t4+1.1404114.10„ept1mP!
g that they ntighvf ""„ 't) :be9t',V441'41., 341.°4 01; ;
qt,ill;,s;stin: 7.
.1407., th'en....TrA34
o watcbwitkjea-'
vi ethei,oere wss tve ttttl "4r those Pk-
.ntinue to do scaknd whin x Tictt4r Purestatew,of cleat ppitts4
no sort of: stion ttat.
pose soy wr..ild i:eely F.:11 t.. 0 him _r.e to the ti ii me
-s*,,,ortp.r.or 14;:fe.: Cheers...).—lTe
thfro ehambe oene•sary Eger..spy plc:v.of
minieeriat
plan he ;1)04% t suc'n
in concurrence ; bstts ckiveltngl:r irregolat—lied not las attention, +t!;!
jo and grantn4 to a rnileubbtrattica of an e.preseicu,,,t,„
efitite the Itist,i-vona on ;14.4. non= entn,,,,,-.4'!"
xcelletzt Measure,
Ages of bei„l4. 'ale 1 e%tic rt. lie ha.l mtver ,p,ken i'swol4:ll,4 c;:tier
moat unexampled rrp, si 4 th'e Art cf Urk;or,, i",l* GI all ttglibli4ilnar.,4'.. for de;