The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-20 00:00:00

INDIA.

The Earl of ALBEMARLE moved for the appoint.
ment of a select committee to examine into the adminis-
tration of the Indian empire. The noble earl supported
his motion by soma prolonged comments upon the
anomalous conditions and injurious results with which
the existing government of India was now carried on.
Earl GRANVILLE opposed the motion, which, after
some further remarks from the Earl of Ellenborough,
was negatived a ithout a division.

MARRIAGE LAW AMENDING BILL.
Lord BROUGHAM, in moving that their lordships
go into committee on this bill, explained that he pro-
posed to strike out the two clauses relating to divorce
and legitimacy. The one simple object, therefore, of the
bill would be, not to alter the marriage law of Scotland
at all, but to give protection to the marriage law in
England, ' by preventing the gross and scandalous
evasions of it which the conflict of the two laws occa-
sioned. According to returns that had been supplied
to him, it appeared that last year no less than 747
border marriages took place, while he had seen a state-
ment signed by 19 reverend clergymen of various sects
officiating at Berwick-on-Tweed, in Whibh it was declared
that the moral taint created there was such that it was
impossible to credit the degree of bigamy, seduction,
and bastardy that prevailed in these border towns.
(Hear, hear.) This bill he hoped, however, would go
far to remedy the evil, while it would disturbl the law
of neither country • and he trusted their lordships would
experience no difficulty in passing it., (Cheers.)
Lord CAMPBELL admitted that the system of
border marriages was scandalously demoralising to
society, but at the same time he very much doubted
whether this bill would remedy the evil. It simply
provided that before a marriage could be solemnised in
Scotland there should be the condition precedent of a
three weeks' domicile. Now it was difficult enough
under the existing law to establish the legality of a
marriage, and this question of residence would only
tend to increase the difficulty. Strictly speaking, none
but a minister of the Established Church of Scotland
could, according to ecclesiastical law, celebrate a mar-
riage, but the whole question of the marriage law
of Scotland was involved in so much doubt and un-
certainty that he very much feared this bill would
have the effect of increasing rather than modifying the
evil it aimed at meeting. (Hear, hear.)
The Earl of ABERDEEN had no wish to see the
marriage law of Scotland disturbed, nor did be desire
that it should be allowed to invade that of England, but
oughtNtoewl:e
ideonheietoepcoierireenct
the
ie thoughtevils
of tthhaet
border
this bill was highly calculated to reduce the evil com-
something
system.
plained ef, and in its amended form he should be quite
ready to support it. With regard to what had just fallen
from the noble and learned lord, it was wrong to sup-
pose that none but members of the Established Church of
Scotland could solemnise marriages, because provided
the banns were regularly published clergymen of any
denomination could perform the marriage service with-
out being at all amenable to the ecclesiastical law. (Hear.)
After a few words of reply from Lord BROUGHAM, the
bill was passed through committee and reported to the
house, with amendments.

The Procedure before Justice (Scotland) Bill and the
Bankers Composition Bill were read a second time and
ordered to be comtnitted.

Their lordships then adjourned at a quarter to seven
o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—gEsTERDAT.)

The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hour.
The following bills were read a third time and passed :
—Antrim and Coleraine Roads ; Banbridge Junction
Railway ; Dewsbury, Bat!ey, and Ileckmondwicke
Water ; Eastern Union Railway ; Glasgow Court
Houses and Offices, and the Glasgow Paving.