The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-16 00:00:00

done against the Bill, gave a strong proof of the feeling
of Scotchmen against it.

Colonel SYKES remarked That he objected to the bill on
social grounds, and briefly stated that the feeling of the
Scotch people was entirely opposed to any alteration of
the law on the subject.
Mr. MORLEY said that if this bill was one for the pur-
pose of forcing marriage on unwilling persons he should
oppose it, but it was not so, but to- enable thousands of
people to marry who according to the existing state of the
law could not do so. He was well acquainted with the
social habits of the working classes, and he was sorry to
say that concubinage was on the increase among
them. This class would be particularly benefited by
the passing of the measure proposed by the hon. member
for Marylebone. He could quite understand ecclesiastics
using the Bible argument against it, but the religious
element had not been imported into the discussion. The,
Church of Rome had testified in favour of such marriages,l
and so had the Jewish rabbii.
Mr. CHAMBERS said on introducing the bill in 1869 he
had encountered considerable opposition. Last session he
brought it on in time to enable the opponents
of the measure to discuss it fully. That dis-
cussion took place, and by a large majority
the House again sanctioned the measure. He had
taken the earliest opportunity of bringing the bill forward
this session. He did not think it would have been respect-
ful to the House to enter into a long explanation of a
measure the principle of which had been approved again
and again. He was, however, astounded at the course now
pursued by the hon. baronet the member for North Essex.
Hitherto it had been thought respectful to the House to
shew some reason why the bill should be opposed,
but the hon. member for Essex had risen,
and in two sentences, without giving any
argument, moved the adjournment. Was that
decent ? (Laughter.) Would the hon. member hand him
the notes of his speech? (Renewed laughter.). He would
undertake to answer all the points in it. The opponents
of the bill could not anywhere get up a large public meet-
ing in opposition to the measure. The hon. baronet had
endeavoured to catch them in a trap. If he had suc-
ceeded in getting a division at half-past twelve, he would
be able to tell his friends in Willis's Rooms to-morrow that
the feeling of the country had changed. He appealed to the
Speaker whether there was a parliamentary precedent of
such pertinacious and persistent opposition to a measure
which had been passed over and over again by large majo-
rities. He then referred to the fact that in six of the
colonies the marriage with a deceased wife's sister was
legal, whilst in ten it was void; and that on five different
occasions South Australia had sent a bill to the
Home
Government for an alteration of this law. He
felt that the Government, in refusing their sanction to such
alteration, might strain the tie which existed between the
colonies and the mother country. After urging the de-
sirability of there being uniformity in the law, he referred
to the fact that the reason why the bill was defeated in the
House of Lords waq in consequence of the opposition of
four bishops, who did not oppose it on religious but on
social grounds.

Mr. HINDE PALMER said there was undoubtedly great
diversity of opinion on this matter in the country, but he
believed the majority of the people were in favour
of the Bill. He considered the evils arising from the
present state of the law were greater by far than the
evils which could arise by the adoption of this Bill. He
thought that on every ground of policy, of justice, of
morality, of social virtue, and of the happiness and pros-
Purity of many families in this country, and especially the
happiness and prosperity of the working classes, the
Rouse should affirm what had been over and over again
affirmed, namely, that the bill should become law.
The Hon. GEORGE DENMAN supported the bill, and
argued that there was every indication that the opposition
to it was gradually dying out. The opposition must see
that the question would be soon settled against them when
he told them that last year the other House gave a ma-
jority of lay opinion in favour of the principle of the bill.
he considered that it was a cruel thing to keep this ques-
tion open and to thus illegitimatise hundreds of thousands
of people ysar after year. (Hear, hear.)
The House then divided on the question, That the bill
be read a second time, and the numbers were

Ayes ... ...
Noes... ~ .

... ... 125

Majority in favour of the second reading 41
The announcement was received with cheers from the
Ministerial side of the House, and the bill was accordingly
read a second time.

SUPPLY.

The House went into committee of supply pro forma,
and at once resumed.
CUSTOMS AND INLAND REVENUE ACT
(1870) EXTENSION,
Mr. HERON moved for leave to bring in a bill to extend
to Ireland, Clause 6, in the Customs and Inland Revenue
Act (1870), and to enable farmers in Ireland to
germinate grain to be consumed by animals. The
h 0
n• member said that the Act of Parliament passed last
session enabled farmers in Great Britain to germinate
gramto be consumed by animals, under certain conditions.
~,
farmer was required to give notice to the Excise in
and to describe the buildings, which must be situ-.
-"ecl on the farm where the grain was to be consumed, and
a.
quarter of a mile at least from any malt-house. The
bui74,ing, was also to be under the inspection of the excise.
f'lB Act had been found to be most beneficial to the
liaers in Great Britain, and he proposed to extend
TITIge G of the Act, which gave the power, to Ireland.
attle trade of that country was increasing in impor-
ye: every day. He found by a return for the
1'1869 that the value of oxen and other large beasts
eXPort
exe ed to England was £8,774,277, and the total export
tali
210,000,000. In addition to this there were large
the farms, and there was great scarcity of food owing to
bill failure of tho turnip crop last year. He hoped the
would be as beneficial in Ireland as it had been in
England.
Leave was given to introduce the bill.
Itt GIS TR ATION OF DEEDS AND WILLS

(MIDDLESEX).
~Tr• GEORGE GREGORY, in asking for leave to bring in a
Liu
Iv to discontinue the registration of deeds and wills in
:ddlesex, said the bill carried out, and was in accord-
:ee With the recommendations of the Commissioners
der the Land Transfer Act, and the existing law was
full
°l;nd to press heavily in its operation.
Leave was given.
PRIVATE CHAPELS.
44 Tr: SALT obtained leave to bring in a bill to amend
11e
'0 define the law relating to private chapels and to
114
k 5 belonging to colleges, schools, hospitals, asylums,
plc'iler public institutions. The hon. member said the
ICPIe of the bill had been already affirmed by the
'lase
•

PUBLIC PROSECUTORS.
Alt p
144 ‘USSELL GURNEY obtained leave to introduce a
'el' the appointment of public prosecutors.
JURIES ACT (1870) AMENDMENT.
b the ATTORNEY-GENERAL obtained leave to introduce a
to repeal Section 22 of the Juries Act, 1870.
FIRST READINGS.
e Whole of the bills introduced during the sitting of
1111-telise were brought in, and read a first time.
e /louse adjourned at half-past two o'clock.
lir _

of IlYacinth D'Arcy, who addressed the electors
4-W
411 aY some days since, has withdrawn his candidature.
iR..
rot
I4e unavoidable absence of the Duke of Marl-
-44;311 from the meeting in Defence of the Marriage
‘ll,4tel'eY, Willis's Rooms to-day, the chair will betaken by
Fla M.P.
that
• FISHERIES.—The Inspectors of Irish
th4t Ui their report for 1869, lately printed, state
assumingAro the control of the sea fisheries they foundbs
4110 e itions against trawling existing in most of the ay
Wkile..stnaries where it could be carried on. One of the
uci!eas°iLs for the restrictions against this mode of
iRt 11'4%1,11 the Places where it
.was forbidden was the injury
4411ur, `4l3l)osed to inflict on line and some other modes of
So far as they could ascertain, the interests
40:14(1 to be served were not benefited by trawling being
a 414 -ed'
while much injury was as done to fishing enter-
' s°. the Public deprived of a considerable amount. of
Anotherenter-
' o°•
of the reasons given for preventing
dl's wa'' the damage done to the ova deposited in
Re. 4,1 estuaries The great preponderance, however,.
it°r*on. appears. to be that if this deposit
cannot be affected by
15elaketiZosittiatiAonfst
whichr
full investigations in each
p7_t
inspectors trawl. d
, deemed it advisable to repeal the
arl_ieuibiting trawling in Lough Swilly,. Belfast
1-5, pr ". the estuary of the Kenmare river, adopting
litetaall,tiQii which they considered. necessary to pl.e
Ilerea nu other fishermen from being injuriously in-
' With.