The Sun.
London, England, 1802-01-05 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAM ENT.

HOUSE OF PEERS,

MONDAY, JAN. 4, 1802.

A Meeting took place this day, in pursuance of
heir Lordships' last adjournment.
Prayers were again read by His Grace the Arch-
bishop of CAN r E BIZ RN". .
Seine private Business was disposed of, 'Which
principally consisted of PetitiOns for private Bills,
and arrangements for hearing of Appeals.
" Lord WALsitsc4Am brought in a Bill to dissolve
the marriage Of CPSARLES ,BRIDGES WOODCOCK,
Esq. with Ann, his now wife, late ANN CROSS E,
and to enable him .to marry again, and for other
purposes therein mentioned, which he moved be
now read a first time.

In reading the Bill, the LORD CHANCELLOR
particularly read the breviate thereof, which in
substance set forth, that the parties, Mr. and Mrs.
Woodcock, were married in the course of the year
1790 ; that some time in 1794, in consequence of
their not agreeing well together, a deed•of separa-
tion was mutually executed. That in some time
after, it was alledged an unlawful intercourse was
detected between her and Mr. Hutchinson, who, it
was asserted, had shortly after left the country,
from which he was absent several years, and in con.
sequence, as the Petitioner stated, he was advised
that an anion for damages could not regularly be
brought against Mr. Hutchinson in the Courts be-
low ; but that, in the interval, the necessary pro-
ceedings had been instituted in the Ecclesiastical
Courts, where the usual sentence of divorce be-
tween the parties was pronounced in favour of Mr.
Woodcock, &c.

On the question for the second reading of the
Bill,

The LORD CHAIVCELLOR quitted the Wool-
sack, and deemed it incumbent upon him to offer to
their Lordships an observation upon the case,. which
be thought one of a rather singular nature, and re-
quiring a degree of serious consideration. The
breviate which their Lordships had just heard read,
afforded them an outline of its merits. What he
should first have to call the attention of the House
to, in the present instance, was the circunitance,
'that. recurrence was not had to His Majesty's Courts
below, as was the regular custout in all such cases.
The reason alledged for this was, the absence of the
offending party from the country. It was certain
that their Lordships had no positive order against
entertaining Bills of Divorce, on the subject of
which a verdift of a Jury of the Country was not
recurred to, on the question' of, Whether the party
was entitled to damages ? but at the same time,
it was equally well known that their Lordships
were not in the habit of receiving Bills in which
such an omission had occurred ; there was also
another circumstance, of still more important con-
sideration, in the present case, namely, that the
parties had, previously to any alledged ground for
the present measure having taken place, entered
into a deed of separation. 'With respeEt to this
point, their Lordships would recollea that it was
lately held in the Courts of Westminster Hall, that
such a voluntary proceeding tended to obviate the
grounds of claiming for damages in such a case, as
by that aft it was clear, that the Petitioners parted
with the solatium of marriage ; for the loss of which
the compensation in the way of damages was
obviously given. These peculiar circumstances
forcibly struck him as requiring some serious con-
sideration, anti a rather longer pause than usual
on the part of the House. Under this impression,
lie thought the first day of next month could not
be deemed too late a period for the second reading
of the Bill, which the Noble and Learned Lord
then regularly moved should be fixed for the second
reading of the Bill, and which was ordered ac-
cordingly.
The usual orders were then made for the atten-
dance of the parties, &c. on the day fixed for the
second reading of the Bill.
The Earl of CAssree ts, one of the Scots repre-
sentative Peers, was sworn and took his seat.

Some routine business was then disposed of, after
which, the House, on the motion of Lord WAL.
NGHAM, adjourned till Thursday the t4th,

HOUSE OF COMMONS,

MONDAY, pvs. 4, -
Mr. ARTHS IMRE' brought up two Petitions
(we could not distinctly hear from what places)
against opening the Distilleries.
The SOLICITOR GENERAL brought up a-
Petition from the Prisoners confined for debt in the
Gaol of Anglesey, praying for relief.
Ordered to lie on the Table.
Sir E. KNATCHi3ULL presented a Petition
from seversl persons residin4 in the city of Roches-
ter, againit the Rochester Gaol Bill.
It was ordered to be referred to the Committee
on the said Bill.
Me. CORRY brought up an Account of the
Amount of the 6 per Cent. Duties in Ireland, for
the last five years.
Ordered to lie on the Table.
Mr. CORRY said, he took this opportunity of
giving notice, that as soon as public business was
resumed, he should beg leave to call the attention of
the House to this subject.
The CHANCELLOR ,f tine EXCHEQUER.-
4‘ Sir, on the last occasion when this House was
assembled, I thought it my duty to propose an
Adjournment only for a short period. The consi-
derations which at that time operated upon my
mind, are, ,to a certain degree, ,now in force, at
least 'to a sufficient degree to induce me to make
nearlysinikiar proposition ; at the same time I
hive the satisfaction to state, that fhe force of these
circumstances is so tar diminished, as :o convince
me that it will not be necessary for me to detail
them to the House. I shall therefore move to ad.
journ to Thursd.iy se'nnighr, at which time 4 shall
probably have to move to adjourn to the at
which it was originally intended to propose an
adjournment for the Christmas Holidays." —He
concluded with- moving that the House should, at
its riing, adjourn to Illursday scinni,ght, •
Agreed toa