The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-23 00:00:00

SICILY AND NAPLES.

Mr. BANKES wished to give notice that to-morrow
he should put a question to the Noble Lord the Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs with regard to a statement
made by him in the House relative to the atrocities
said to hare been committed by the Neapolitan troops.
He proposed to ask the Noble Lord upon what authority
he made the statement, and whether he still held the
same opinion.

Lorci PALMERSTON had no objection to answer
the question then. The documents upon which
his statement was founded would certainly form part of
the papers to be laid before the House on the affairs of
Naples and Sicily. The opinions he expressed before on
the subject, to which the Hon. Gentleman had re-
ferred, he still retained, and that opinion ho could
assure tha House was founded upon reports which he
had received from responsible officers of the Crown.
Mr. BANKES—How soon will these papers be laid
on the table?

Lord PALMERSTON said that would depend upon
the progress of tha negotiations now pending on the
suoject.

COPYHOLDS.

Mr. AGLIONBY gave notice that, next week, he
should move for leave to bring in a Bill on the subject
of copyhold tenures.

RATE IN AID.

Lord CASTLEREAGH said a good deal of anxiety
was felt in the north of Ireland in reference to the
rumoured intention to propose a rate in aid.—(Hear.)
He wished to know whether that impression with respect
to the intentions of the Government was correct or not.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE said that notice would be
given to Hon. Members as to the course the Govern-
ment intended to pursue.
DISTRESS (IRELAND).
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, in answer to a question
from Mr. Disraeli, said that, providing the discussion
on the Parliamentary Oaths Bill was not concluded
before half-past ten o'clock to-morrow night, he should
not proceed with the further consideration of the Dis-
tress in Ireland Bill.

RATE IN AID (IRELAND).
Sir J. WALSH gave notice of his intention to-mor-
row, to ask the Government whether it was their in-
tention to bring in a Bill to give relief in aid in Ireland.
POOR (IRELAND).
Sir G. GREY, in answer to a question from Mr. J.
O'Connell, said that it was the intention of the Govern.
went to bring in a Bill to give relief to the destitute
poor of Ireland.

MARRIAGES WITHIN DEGREES OF AFFINITY.
Mr. STUART WORTLEY rose,_ in fulfilmera of the
pledge which he had given to the House last session, to
ask tur leave to bring in a Bill to alter and amend the
sth and 6th of William IV. c. 54, so far
as it related to marriages within the de-
grees of affinity. Having entertained, in common
with many, a prejudice against any alteration of the law
on this subject, it was not without the deepest study
which he could give to it, and the most mature delibera-
tion, that he had been induced to bring iu the Bill. In
1842 a Noble Lord, who was now a member
of another House (Lord Ellesmere), and than whom
there was no more true and faithful adherent
of the Church, introduced the question before the House,
but upon that occasion it refused to sanction the measure,
although the Noble Lord received a great deal of support.
The discussion upon that occasion tended to bring the
matter more prominently before the public, and there was
a general conviction that the law ought to be altered
It there had previously been any doubt entertained as to
the illegality of the marriages to which this Bill referred,
it had been entirely removed by the decision of the
Queen's Bench, which rendered them altogether null and
void. That decision would affect persons in
bigh situations of life as well as persons in
a lower station. So far from the general body of the
people having acquiesced in the present law, they had
extensively avoided it, and the law had tended to the
immorality of the lower classes, and to their making
false declarations. In consequence of various petitions
having been presented from parties interested in the
question, and from others who bad no more interest in
it than as a matter of social feeling, and also from a
considerable body of the Established Church, a great
quantity of evidence had been collected of
which the House was already in possession.
He thought, therefore, he was justified in saying that
with the exception of himself a better qualified body
of Commissioners could not have been selected,
Those selected 'were entitled by their position
and their acquirements, to command public
confidence and respect. At the head of it was the Right
Rev. Prelate, of the highest character in the Church;
next there was Dr. Lushington, second to no man in au-
thority, the lamented Mr. Blake, a member of the Roman
Catholic body, and commanding, therefore, their confi-
dence, Mr. Justice Vaughan, the Lord Advocate, whose
knowledge of the marriage law of Scotland was very
great, and himself. He might say, therefore, with
perfect confidence, that with the exception of himself,
the Commissioners had their minds most perfectly open
to the matters into which they had been appointed to
inquire and report upon. Their report contained no
propositions with respect to the alteration of the
law, for this simple reason, that it was no part of the
task assigned to them to do. They simply confined their
attention to the collection of facts. He appre-
hended that no one would say that any of the
Commissioners had put their hands to the re-
port without being fully convinced that an alter-
ation of the present law should take place. He
had, therefore, the testimony of the high
authorities he had mentioned that some relaxation
of the law was necessary. The measure which he 'in-
tended to propose dealt with marriage with a deceased
wife's sister, or with a neice ; and it merely partook of
a permissive character. There was nothing, bowel or, in
it, that would du violence to the feeling. of any one. The
marriage of two brothers with two sisters had been long
permitted. Up to 1835 the marriages dealt with in this
Bill were practically permitted. Unless property or a title
was involved in any such marriage, no process took
place with respect to them. There was no danger of
any proceedings being taken by parties contracting
such marriages. Accordingly, before the appointment
of the Commis,ion, and the Act of Lord Lyndhurst,
these marriages had been celebrated in every rank of
life. A small number had taken place among
the higher classes, a large number among the
middle classes, but a still greater number among the
industrious classes, whose poverty prevented them
from becoming acquainted with the state of the law.
Though these marriage. had existed tor years they
heard of no complaints; no petitions were presented against
them. He thought, therefore, he bad a right to say that no
valid objection was urged against the continuance of the
system. But a case occurred in the hi ,hest ranks of
life which immediately attracted public attention, and
what was the consequence? Instead of the Legislature
reprobating that marriage in the higher classes of
life, and enacting a measure against any such
for the future—(Hoar)—a Bill was passed through
that House, and received the assent of the House of
Lords, including that of the Right Rev. Prelates, lega-
lising that marriage.—(Hear, hear.) The present re-
strictions could only be justified either on the ground that
such marriages were forbidden by the law of God, or that
some overwhelmning necessity rendered them necessary.
He should not, however, in that House enter into that
question, but into the important one, how far the
present law affected the social condition of the people.
After the corruptions of modern times and the middle
ages came councils, and canons innumerable were
made condemning this particular degree of
affinity, htit condemning it with many more
which have since been establiabed as perfectly
legal by decisions of the House of Lords. St. Basil,
who was the founder of the Eastern Church, and the
founder of the monastic orders in that church, and was

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