The Sun.
London, England, 1836-02-13 00:00:00

leaving the parties to adopt such religious rites and cereme-
nies as they should think fit.) Not undervaluing the s
ceremony, I wished by all means to see it superiniuced ; but
still, being aware of the difficulties of the matter, I did net
propose to make it a condition indispensable to the validity of
the contract. The Noble Lord still proposes the same thieg,
though by a different process ; and not only do I not object to
the course which the Noble Lord has taken, but I thins: the
Dissenters have a right to be reconciled by it. The attendance
of a civil officer is nut required by the Noble Lord's measure,
except in cases of marriage-between Dissenters. fa such ewes
the presence of a civil officer is essential to the validity of the
contract ; but how does this differ from the proposition which
I made ?—( Hear, hear.) I proposed that the marriage should
be contracted before a Magistrate, but the Noble Lord pro-
poses that it shall taka place in the presence of the registrar.
There is, it will be observed, to be oaly one registrar in each
place, Tral this will render it impossible that the Dissniters
can chops.? the day on which they shall he nrtrrie,l. This
give rise to mach inconvenience, in aldition to which you may
be imposing on this officer to attend ecclesia=tteal rites and
ceremonies' in which, if he be a member of the Established
Church, he cannot concur. _ .

Lord J. RUSSELL—He is only to be present during the
marriage ceremony.
Sir R. PEEL-Still he will be obliged to attend the mar.
riages of Roman Catholics as well as of Dissenters, without
concurring in the ceremony used by either.. The Noble Lord
also provides that no marriages shall be solemnised in any
chapel which has not been certified to have had a congrega,
tion of twenty persons for at least one year ; but does not
the Noble Lord know that there are many Dissenters whose
religious worship is performed in private rooms? The Noble
Lord must perceive from this how easy it will be to evade the
law by pretended scruples of conscience ; but, so far as I
understand the footing on which the marriages of the members
of the Church of *England are to be placed, it appears to me
that-there can be no objection to the measure on that bead.
I see no material difference between the proposil4.3n of the
Noble Lord and that which 1 made in the 'Session ; but
still, if the Noble Lord's plan be more palaceable to the•
Dis-
senters than mine was, lam free to that their feelings
should be consulted. I make no objection to the principle of
the Bill ; bnt I shall cor-ilder in what way the law can be
rendered less Bahia to defeat, and how those frauds cm be
best prevented which aro so dangerous to families and the
security of families. —( blear, hear. )
Mr, BAINES said, that as far as he understood the plan
of Ow Noble Lord, it seemed to be satisfactory, both as re-
garded registration and marriage. By rendering the marriage
of Dissenters a civil contract, he had obviated the only difficulty
in the way of the successful reception of his measu;:e. It was
plain that the Dissenters ought to feel deep gratitude to the
Right lion. Baronet the Member for Tamsvortin arid, he be-
lieved, that they did feel grateful to that Right Hon. Gentle-
man. The Noble Lord did himself great credit in following
up the Righ.t lion. Baronet's plan, and, no doubt, it would be
a source 6t unspeakable satisfaeticol to the Dissenters when
they learnt that they were to stand on the same footin., as the
members of the Eitablished Church in reference to the' cele-
bration of marriage. With respect to church-rates, however.
he coeld only say, not as an authorised person, but us an indi-
vidual Member of that House, that the Dissenters never would
be content until those rates were altogether abolished.—
(Hear, hear.) lie thought that what had fallen from the
Noble Lord on the subject of the Universities of Oxford and
Cainlaridge could not fail to give to the ilissenters satis-
faction, for all they wanted was to obtain: collegiate honours
which would place them on a footistg with the members of
those Universities. The only 7/-,naining point on which he
would observe was that whlcit related to burial in the church-
yards of the E*tabli9l,ed Church ; and with reference to this
he rukvii say, tint the Dissenters had no right to that which
they claim A, because they could not enforce it without in-
vading the rights: and privileges of the Established clergy.
They ialould remember that, not Wishing their own rights
to be violated, they should not seek to disturb the rights of
others.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. O'CONNELL, not supposing Roman Catholics to be
included under the head Protestant Dissenters, had felt it his
duty to put a question to the Noble Lord. Finding, how-
ever, that they were to be comprehended in the provisions of
this Bill, he (Mr. O'Connell) must express his satisfaction at
the plan, because it would render marriages valid which were
not so at present. The poorer classes of Roman Catholics had
a conscientious objection to being married by a Protestant
clergymen, and the consequence was, that their children were
illegitimate, and after a few years both wife and children were
' discarded, and thrown upon the parish. It was in this way
that the parishes were burdened with poor, who should be pro_
vided for by other and different means. As the plait would
remedy this evil, be could not but approve of it.
Mr. G 0 U LBURN did not wish to prolong the discussion.
He, like his Right Han. Friend, was satisfied with 'be plan, so
far as he could understand it the statement of' the Noble
Lord ; but although hu Ynade this admission, he was not to
be precluded from evpressing, on a future occasion, any objec-
tion that he ro''nt have to its details.
Lord RUSSELL wished to correct an error of detail
which he had fallen. He was quite sure that the broad
and liberal principle stated by the Right lion. Baronet oppo-
site last year on this subject_ could not be objected to, and as
the Bill embraced that principle, he did not expect that it would
encounter any serious opposition. There could be no diffi-
culty about attending the marriages, inasmuch as each district
would not contain more than 5,000 persons, and with respect
to clandestine marriages, he did not think that this measure was
less guarded by provisions on that subject than the Right Hon.
Baronet's Bill of last year. This, however, was purely a
question of detail.
Sir R. PEEL—I suppose there is nothing in the Bill to
prevent Dissenters from being married in the Established
Church, and I am sanguine in hoping that as regards the fe-
males of the Dissenters, they will prefer being married there
to any place else.—(ao Hear," and a latt;l.)