The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-08 00:00:00

TUESDAY

that he did not stand in the way of the motion of the
Hon. Member for Birmingham, seeing the very able
manner in which he had performed the duty which de-
volved upon him. He would now endeavour shortly to
state to the House the grounds which had led the Go-
vernment to propose the present Bills for the registra-
tion of births and marriages. There could be no doubt
that the subject anticipated by the Bills was a very im-
portant one, for the purpose of affording accurate statis-
tical_and other important information. For the considera-
tion of the course proposed to be followed in carrying
out the Bill, the Government had to bear in mind that
a system of registration had existed for ten years in
England. After mature consideration it was decided
that a plan similar to that proposed in England should
be adopted in that country, and it was therefore proposed
that a central registration office should be established at
Edinburgh, with numerous other districts or divisions.
The existing town clerks of the larger towns of that
country could afford the opportunity of immediately
carrying out the provisions of the Bill at considerably less
expense than in this country. With respect to the ex •
ponses of carrying out the Bill, it was not proposed that
any advances should be made from the Treasury to meet
the expenses of carrying cut the measure, but that local
taxation should be made to support the whole of the system.
He thought that if he attempted to raise the expense of
this registration from the personal or real property of
Scotland. such a rate would not be favourably received.
It then became a question with him, what course, under
these circumstances, he should adopt, and after a care-
ful consideration of the subject, he could see nothing
more expedient, more cheap, more convenient, or more
just than a parochial rate, as proposed in this Bill. He
knew there were strong objecti ,ns to this mode of rating,
but of the various proposals that were made to defray
the expenses of the registration, it appeared to him to
be the most eligible. He had asked those who objected
to this mode of assessment, what other course they
would propose, but none of them were able to
give him a satisfactory solution to that question.
There were 786 session clerks, 423 inspectors of the
poor, and many of them held various offices, such as
clerks of session, collectors of the poor•rates, clerks to
the heritors, and also other offices of various kinds ; and
he found that a schoolmaster, who had been one of the
great leaders of the movement against these Bills, was a
session clerk, an inspector of the poor, a collector of the
poor-rates, clerk to the heritors, and held, besides, seven
other offices—(Cries of " Hear, hear ")—in fact, he
did the duty of eleven other offices. They were
told that registers were kept in Scotland ; so there
were in England before the Registration Act ; but
as the best results had followed from this Act,
in England, and as great evils prevailed in Scotland
from the inefficient system in use, he thought it ought
no longer to exist, and that the Bill before the House
ought to be passed to remedy it. In fact the system
pursued in Scotland was utterly useless. Intimately
connected with registration was the subject of marriage.
Both the common and statute law of Scotland required
nothing more to render a marriage valid than the con-
sent of the parties, of the age of maturity—no consent of
their guardians was necessary, nor was the intervention
of any minister of religion necessary to perform the
ceremony. Perhaps he might be met with this argu-
ment—that it was a salutary principle to make marriage
depend upon the deliberate consent of the parties ;
but, nevertheless, it was pregnant of evil, as
there was no standard—there were no fixed rules or
criterion of what was a valid or invalid marriage, and
such contracts might be proved either by writing or
merely by parole evidence. If a man and woman pro-
mised to marry each other, and connexion followed, the
law said that such a contract was insuperable from a
mass of inconsistent facts the law might infer marriage.
He bad known cases proved from letters which had been
exchanged between the parties, but the marriage of
which were so obscure that the judges trembled at the
decision which they were obliged to give. Under such
a state of things could it be wondered at that most lament-
table cases were repeatedly brought before the courts of
justice. There was a case which had given rise to one of
the most distinguished judgments ever delivered from the
Bench. A gentleman of birth, who afterwards became
the inheritor of a very high title in Scotland, and very
rich estates, contracted a marriage of this kind with a
lady in 1802 or 1803 ; but the marriage between them
simply consisted in letters which had passed between
them. They never lived together like married people.
In 1808 the gentleman came to England. Being a man
of no honour in this respect, and thinking, perhaps, that
evidence of his former marriage had been destroyed, he
contracted a marriage with a lady who was connected
with one of the very highest families in England. There
was no issue ; but soon after their marriage, a suit was
commenced against the husband by his former wife, and
the decision of the Court annulled the second marriage,
and the lady thus divorced was doomed to much degra-
dation in consequence. But let them suppose a case in
which a title or extensive property was involved, and
they would perceive how great the evil was which he
sought to remedy% There was not a country in the
civilised world in which the law of marriage was so un-
justifiable as in Scotland. The banns of marriage were
published generally in an inaudible voice, and at a time
that the congregation were either in the act of assemb-
ling or dispersing, not as they were in England at the
most solemn part of the service, when every body was
attentive. By the statute law the witnesses could not be
prosecuted unless a clergyman in orders celebrated
the marriage, and consequently the people resorted to
persons who were 3 not authorised. Now he proposed
that no marriage should legally take place, unless cele-
brated by the recognised minister of religion ; and he
would say, that unless the parties chose to resort to the
clergyman they should go to the public register, where
competent persons should witness and legalize the act.
—(Hear, hear.) Now it had been objected to
him, that he proposed to make marriages valid
for a time, and then not so. He did not propose
anything so absurd. But in order to prevent such mar-
riages as those of Gretna-green, which were moat objec-
tionable, he had proposed that the register could not
certify unless one of the parties was resident within the
district for a certain period of time. His object in ris-
ing was to move that the House do resolve itself
into a Committee for the consideration of the
subject this day three months. In the mean-
time, he would give every possible consideration to
every fair and legitimate allegation:which could be urged
against him, he certainly would not lend an attentive ear
to any clamour which might be ignorantly, urged.
Mr. FORBES said that he would continue to object
to the Bill, and he was content to remain in the
class designated by the Noble Lord as " unreasoning."
The people of Scotland objected to the Bill on account
of the stigma it would impose upon local schoolmasters,
who would be prevented by this Bill from exercising
their functions. The people of Scotland objeoted to
this Bill also because it would in effect prevent the poor
man from being married according to the rites of the
national Church. He thought the clause which com-
pelled the parties present at the death of an individual,
whether relatives, medical attendants, or any other per-
sons to give information of the event to the register
was objectionable. These were some of the grounds on
which the people of Scotland petitioned against the Bill.
The motion was then agreed to.
PRISONS' BILL.
The adjourned debate on this Bill was postponed till
Thursday.

TURNPIKE ACTS.
The Turnpike Acts Continuance Acts Bill was read a
,hird time and passed.
DESTITUTE PERSONS (IRELAND).
The Destitute Persons (Ireland) Bill was read a se-
cond time.
NEWFOUNDLAND GOVERNMENT.

The Newfoundland Government Bill report was
brought up.
PRISONERS REMOVAL (IRELAND).

The Prisoners Removal (Ireland) Bill was committed,
and ordered to be reported this day.
The Burgh Police (bcotland) Bill was read a third
time and passed.
The Police Clauses Bill went through Committee.
The Royal Marine Service Bill went through Com-
mittee.
The Trust Money Investment (Ireland) Bill was read
a third time and passed ; as was also the Juvenile Offen-
ders Bill.
The Leith Harbour and Docks Bill went through
Committee.
On the motion for the postponement of the
MIDLAND AND GREAT WESTERN OF IRE•

LAND RAILWAY BILL,
Lord GEORGE BENTINCK said that when this
Bill came before the House. it was his intention to call
the attention of the House to all the details of the Bill.
After a few words from Mr. HUDSON,
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that it was his intention
to bring on the Bill.
STAGE CARRIAGES DUTIES BILL.
Mr. GREENE brought up the report on this Bill.
On the motion for the adjournment of the House,
Colonel SIBTHORI! begged to, call the attention of
the House to the accidents that had occurred on the
London and North Western Railway. No less than
seventeen lives had been lost on railways during the last
fortnight, and he thought Government ought to adopt
somem measure
prevent such loss of life.
Mr. HUDSON said that no person could regret
these accidents more
than he did, and he would not
object to an inquiry being instituted to investigate
the subject. Calamities of a similar character had
occurred by other means of conveyance than railways,
which it would be as well equally to investigate.'
Nothing was more distressing to the directors of railway
companies thaw these accidents, and he was sure, if the
astute mind of the Hon. and Gallant Colonel could sug-
crest any means by which they could be prevented, they
'would be only too happy to adopt them.
The House then adjourned at Half-past Twelve o'clock.

SURREY THEATRE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Siit,—A statement having appeared in your paper
that the roof of the Royal Surrey Theatre has been
injured by the fire which took place at the tavern adjoin-
ing, this morning, I shall feel obliged by your correcting
the error into which your reporter has fallen. Neither
the roof, nor any other portion of the tilt atre having
sustained the slightest damage, and, consequently,the
performances proceeding as usual.
Your obedient servant,
J. KERSCHNER, Acting. Manager.
Royal Surrey Theatre, June 7, 1847.

LORD CASTLEREAGH S TRAVELS.—We are re-
quested to state that Mr. Colburn has this day published
A Journey to Damascus, through Egypt, Nubia, Arabia
Petrcea, Palestine, and Syria," by Viscount Castlereagh,
M.P., in two vols. post Bvo., illustrated with numerous En-
gravings, from original drawings taken on the spot. Mr.
Colburn has also just published the Tenth Volume of Miss
Strickland's " Lives of the Queens of England;" and, 3,
" Memoirs of Lady Sundon, and of the Court of Queen Ca-
roline, Consort of George II.," by Mrs.
that Dr. Whitley, one of the
Thomson, two vols.,
yesterday from typhus fever, caught
ofeesiceal duties.—Liverpool paper.
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ssvvltrhisecidiors.c,uehwrgagirrteeghot:Pstoo;rdthiisreatdiai tits)er.