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

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LONDON,
SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 13, 1836.

Bills for the Registration Gf Births, Marriages, and
Deaths, and for regulating the celebration of Marriage,
were introduced into the House of Comm6ns last
night by Lord JOHN RUSSELL. Attempts have
been made by successive Governments to amend the
imperfect state of the law on these important
questions ; but they have hitherto failed, either
from the difficulty of reconciling so many conflicting
interests and prejudices, or from the public mind not
having been sufficiently enlightened as to the neces-
sity of some of the proposed changes, or perhaps from
both these causes combined. It must be gratifying
to the friends of civil and religious liberty—to all who
regard the abrogation of unjust and impolitic distinc-
tions founded on differences in religious belief, as ob-
jects of deep interest—that there is at length a fair
prospect of surmounting the obstacles which have
stood in the way of reform in those institutions
which, instead of being national, are altogether sec-
tarian in their character, and exclusive in their

operation.
The first of the measures which we have men-
tioned is altogether of a civil nature, and, we appre-
hend, will easily be carried into effect. For this
purpose, Lord JOHN RUSSSEL has adopted the
machinery furnished by the Poor Law Amend-
ment Act. The Commissioners are to have the
appointment from among the officers employed
by them, of persons to act as registrars throughout
the country, in several degrees of subordination,
there being a district-office in each county, and a
head-office in the metropolis, to which duplicates of
all registers are to be sent. The plan is simple, and
we have no doubt will be effectual.

The Marriage Bili renders it imperative on all who
are to be married, whether belonging to the Established
Church or not, to give notice of their intention to the
Registrar, who is to enter their names in a hook to he
open for inspection twenty-one days prior to the
celebration. At the end of this period the Registrar
is to give the parties a certificate, on the production of
which either the Clergyman of the Church, or the Dis-
senting Minister, as the case maybe, shall be authorised
to perform the religious ceremony. It is also provided,
that those who object to a religious ceremony may
have their marriages celebrated by the Registrar with-
ou t it. The Churchman and the Dissenter are put
on a footing of perfect equality, except in one respect,
which is—that at all marriages solemnized in Disc
senting chapels, the Registrar must be present,
while his presence is not required when the ceremony
takes place in a Church. We think it will be impos-
sible to carry this provision into eirect without a much
greater number of Registrars than the Bill contem-
plates ; and we are afraid it will be unsatisfactory to tice.
Dissenters, as placing them unnecessarily in a position
of inferiority to the Members of the Established
Church.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY—the foreign
finger-post of twaddling Tory Peers—edified their
Lordships last night with a speech on the foreign
policy of the present Government. The Noble Mar-
quis is one of those orators whose eloquence is a relief
to us, because, by being confined to no particular sub-
ject, and far less to any particular line of argument, we
are thus saved the trouble of thinking, and, besides, are
plentifully supplied with matter for merriment; His
as prolix, as
speech last night was as rambling,