The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-29 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY).
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

SECOND READINGS.

The following bills on the motion of Lord REDESDALE,
were road a second time :—Falkirk Police and Improve-
ment ; Llanrwst and Abergale Roads ; Norwich and Spald-
ing Railway ; Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton
Railway ' • Perth, Kinross. and Fife Roads; South Dur-
ham and Lancashire Union Railway; Cleveland Railway;
Colne Valley and Halstead Railway; Lancashire and York-
shire, and East Lancashire Railway Companies ; Tendring
Hundreds.

THIRD READINGS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed

Londonderry and Coleraine Railway; Stokes Bay Railway
and Pier; and Hereford and Brecon Railway.
EDUCATION.

Lord BROUGHAM complained that the explanation he
had made on Tuesday night of what he had said on Mon-
day had been erroneously reported. He had been made to
retract his former statement, whereas what he had stated
was that he had understated the case of the petitioners.
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.

Lord T EYNHAM gave notice that on Monday next he
should ask whether her Majesty's Government intended to
abolish the property qualification for voters in their pro-
posed reform bill.
DICKINSON'S DIVORCE BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
DIVORCE COURT BILL.
The house then went into committee on this bill.
Clauses 1 and 2 were agreed to.
The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the insertion of a
new clause to the following effect :—That the Judge Ordi-
nary should have preceence in this court next of
the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer.
The clause was agreed to.
The Earl of WICKLOW moved au amendment to the
next clause, to enable persons residing in Ireland to peti-
tion the Court. _ _ _

Lord MONTEAGLE objected to the amendment. The

feeling in Ireland was decidedly adverse to the bill. -
After a few words from Lord Brougham, Lord St. Ger-
mans, Lord Cranworth, and several other peers,
The LORD CHANCELLOR said as it appeared to be
the feeling of the house that the amendment should be
agreed to, he would not oppose it.
The clause as amended was agreed to.
On clause 3, which gives power to the judge to hear cases
in private,
The LORD CHANCELLOR proposed to insert the
words, "for the sake of public decency."
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said no doubt it was
desirable that a great deal of the evidence given in this court
should not be published, but at the same time the closing of
the doors of a court of justice was a novel practice, and
might be a dangerous one. There was no more reason why
the divorce court should be closed than that the assize courts
should be closed, many cases in the latter being quite as in-
decent as those in the former. He thought they should have
the security of publicity in order to prevent injustice being
done,

The Earl of DONOUGHMORE opposed the clause, and
remarked that they never closed the doors of that house,
when, before tho establishment of this court, they heard
such cases.

Lord CRA_NWORTH thought tho court ought to have
power to shut• out the public from these dreadful disclosures.
The Earl of WICKLO W observed that many parties
whom the expense did not deter from coming to this court
did not come to it for fear of the publicity which would be
given to their cases. He thought it well that they should
have this feeling, and therefore he opposed the clause.
The house divided on the question that the clause be
agreed to :
Contents
Non. contents 9
Majority —l7
Clause 4 was agreed to without remark.

On clause 5, -
Lord CAMPBELL explained that the object of it was to
prevent collusion, by submitting the case to the Attorney-
General.

After a short conversation, in which Lord Cranworth,
Lord Brougham, the Earl of Donoughmore, Lord Wens-
leydale, and Lord Kingsdown participated, the clause was
agreed to, and the bill was reported.