The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-22 00:00:00

THE

when the Divorce Bill came up from the other house be
would move that the Commons' amendments be consi-
dered that day six months ; but nothing, he waa per-
suaded, could have been further from his intention than
to take their lordships by surprise. ladeed, he was sure
that his noble friend was incapable of anything of that
kind. (Hear, hear.) Let the house calmly and deli
berately consider this question, and let the Government
distinctly state whether they meant to afford full time
for that purpose. But if they were to have no other
opportunity than Monday, the day before the proroga-
tion, to (discuss and decide upon the many important
amendments which had been introduced into the mea-
sure elsewhere, be should be compelled, however unwill-
ingly, to vote with his noble friend against such a pro-
ceeding. He hoped, therefore, that the Government
would fairly inform their lordships when this subject
would be brought forward, and would also give an assur-
ance that there would be no attempt to prevent a full
and free discussion,
The Marquis of WESTMEA.TH trusted tba' the noble
lord would not persevere in the amendment of which he
had given notice, even though it might be strictly in ac-
cordance with the rules of the House.

The Earl of WINCHELSEA. was of opionion that, on
the eve of the prorogation, they could not bestow that
attention to this question which its deep importance
deserved.

Lord CA MPBELL said that he should support the
motion for the adjournment of the house. Upon his
solemn word and honour his opinion was that the pro-
posal of the nobly lord (Redesdale) was irregular. He
understood, and he believed their lordships all likewise
understood, the noble lard to give notice that he should
bring forward his motion when the discussion upon the
Commons' amendments came on. That would be a per-
fectly legitimate course, and the understanding on both
sides of the house, with the exception of a few who were
in the secret, was that the discussion would be taken on
Monday, and not sooner. He could not believe his ears
when he heard that the noble lord's motion was to be pro-
posed to-night. He thought it must be a hoax, for he
could not imagine the noble lord would do anything in-
consistent with his station and reputation.
Lord DUNGANNON protested against the Govern-
ment giving only a single day for a discussion upon a
Bill so important, to which the country was adverse, and
which would in his opinion be fraught with mischief.
Material amendments had been made in the bill, and it
was impossible to consider the measure adequately on
Monday, when so few peers were in town, and when the
right rev, prelates were detained in the country upon
the business of their dioceses. Their lordships would
r stand in a false and invidious light before the country, if
a measure of this kind were smuggled through the
House without due deliberation. His noble friend

(Lord Redesdale) had given regular notice that on the
bill being bronght up from the other house he would
move that the amendments be considered on that day
six months.

Lord WYNFORD had heard that it wag the inten-

tion of the Government to bring on the discussion upon
that night. (" No, No 1") The bid had been printed
and he held a copy in hie hand.
The Marquis of BATH remarked that a great deal
had been said about taking her Majesty's Government
by surprise, but ho should wish to know whether it was
not they who were taking by surprise many noble lords
who had supported the bill in its progress through their
lordships' house ! (Hear, hear.) Several noble lords
had, for instance voted in favour of the Bill because it
contained no clause giving to the wife the right to sue
for a divorce against the husbands upon the ground of
his having committed adultery ; and it was scarcely fair,
he contended, upon the part of the Government, at a
moment when they had entire command over the house,
to endeavour to force a clause to that effect, which had
been introduced into the Bill in the House of Commons,
upon their lordships, particularly when it was taken
into consideration that to the absence of that clause the
success of the B:Il in their lordships' house was to a
great extent to be attributed. (Hear, hear.)
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE, who was very in-
distinctly heard, was understood to speak to the following
effect :—My lords, the noble marquis w:.o has just
sat down seems to bare based his observations upon the
assumption that her Majesty's Ministers now possess
entire command over this house. But what is it, let me
ask, which has given to them that command ? Why,
my lords, it can be nothing else than the non-attendance
of noble lords opposite, whose duty it is to be in their
places as much as it is the duty of any other peer, and
to whom the same means of being present at our delibe-
rations were open as were within the reach of her Ma-
jesty's Ministers. (Cheers.) To state, therefore, that

the Government have the command of this house is to
talre a course which it is, in my opinion, unconstitutional
in the case of a peer in Parliament to adopt. (Hear.)
Her Majesty's Ministers never have had the control of
this house, and I trust the noble marquis will never
see the day when a contrary state of things shall have
taken place. (Bear, hear.) With respect to the
question before the house I can only say that what-
ever course the noble baron opposite (Lord Redes-
dale) may take, I cannot deem it right that a bill
of great importance such as that under discus-
sion, in which material alterations have been
made in the other House of Parliament, should be pressed
upon your Lordships' attention without due notice of
the nature of those amendments being afforded. If, my
lords, a contrary course were to-be sanctioned, and it her
Majesty's Government, even though they do not possess
that authori' y over this House f r which the noble mar-
quis opposite seems to give them credit—were to resort
to the practice of having measures of gr :at moment
brought up from the other House and passed without
notice, I ask whether such a system would not be open
to grave 01-j-Jction. (Hear, hear.) It nn loubtedly

would, and jet such is the course which the noble baron

opposite asks us now to pursue. (Hear.) I have un-
fortunately had a longer experience of the proceedings of
your lordships' House than the noble marquis who has
just addressed us—an experience ex'eeding over a period
of 40 years—but I am not aware that during the whole
of that time, there has been a single instance in which,
without notice having, been placed upon the books of the
House, the rejection of a bill has been moved by a peer
who was not either the author or the mover of the mea-
sure. (Hear, hear.) From that salitary practice I
turd, my lords, we shall not on the present occasion de-
part. (Cheers.)
Earl GRANVILLE, adverting to certain observa-
tions which had fallen from Lerd St. Leonard's, said it
was proposed to fix the future consideration of the
Divorce Bill for Monday next, and also took occasion to
observe that the Government had by no means come to
the determination that the prorogation of Parliament
should take place on Tuesday, inasmuch as that event
must altogether depend upon the progress of public
business.
Lerd REDESDA.LE complained of the tone which
had that evening been adopted by noble lords opposite
in his regard—(hear, hear) —and observed that if any-
tihng could justify a man fur being angry the treatment
which he had just experienced would furnish such justi-
fication. And yet, in what, he wool I ask, did his offence
consist ? Simply in the fast that he had given notice
that when the bill under discussion should come
up from the other House of Parliament he should
move that it be taken into consideration that
day six months. (Hear, hear.) That was a =rise-
which he maintained he had a right to pursue, and
which was in itself perfectly regular. (Hear, hear.)

If, however, it were supposedthat,sucla a course involved
anything unfair—whie!i he contended it did not—he for
one was not _the person to persevere in its adoption. He
did not blame noble lords opposite for being a lit le irri
table upon the subject, because they no doubt felt that if
he were to press the motion of which he had given notice
to a divi-ion they wool f be left in a minority. He, how-
ever, was placed in a somewhat difficult position, inas-
much as it he consented•to forego maliing that motion h•
might allow the opportunity to pass by for defeating a
measure which he believed to be fraught with the most
mischievous consequences to the community at large. Af-
ter the appeal which had been made to him by noble lords
-opposite he felt there was a difficulty in pursuing the course
of which he had given notice. But though he might not
persevere with his motionle trusted that something more
than ordinary consideration would be given to tho discus-
sion of the amendments in question, for it would be in the
highest degree danvrons to pass what was so serious an
innovation on the law and usage of the country with any-
thing like precipitation. (Hear, hear.) He would with-
draw his motion in deference to what possibly might be
the feeling of the house, but under the circumstances he
could not say he did so willingly.
Earl GRANVILLE sail his noble friend near him
and himself entirely acquitted his noble friend (Lord
Redesdale) of any intention to take the house by sur-
prise, and they were the more desirous of doing so, after
the handsome manner in which his noble friend had
withdrawn his motion. It only remained for him (Earl
Granville) to say the withdrew his motion for the ad-
journment, in order that his noble and learned friend on
the wool=ack might give notice of his intention to move
that the Commons' amendments to the bill be taken into
consideration on Monday.

The LORD CHANCELLOR then gave notice that
on Monday he should move that the Commons' amend-
ments to the Divorce Bill be taken into consideration.
The house adjourned at 20 minutes past seven o'clock,

HOUSE OF COMIVIONS.—( YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at twelve o'cl)ck.
GOVERNMENT STORES.

Mr. NICOLL asked the Secre'ary to the Treasury
if, with the return ordered for detailed accounts of the
receipt and expenditure for navy, for army, including
commissariat, and far ordnance services for the year, up
to the 31,t day of March, 1856, there will be any ob-
jection to include a detailed account of the nature and
value of public stores in hand at that date ; together
with a statement of the produce of sales of condemned
and surplus stores during that year ; and if the evidence
taken by the Public Contracts Commissioners would be
circulated during the recess?
Mr. WILSON said that the return to which the hon.
member referred had been prepared and laid on the
table of the honse, and if the bon member would refer
teend,thuendpeurblitshhed quarterly accounts he would
tphreoduperyducteo
of
hreea:einuoef. olAd
detailedwa
uhua.tu u
tu
theyi
very difficult to sal.es and surplus stores would. be
time, and trouble makeit would
out, and he thought the exe enee,
en.wtould entail on the department
would not be cone
enteiretpoort of the C.)ntract Coni•
he circulated during ,hen it
was made.P The report
by the value of the return
hon e, and he had, no
the
A R M. ir.
tnittee had been presenter
doubt it would
beenSecretar y for
CHAPLAINS FOR Tfilltigte recess.
Sir Hz1.111.1.Y VERNEY asked
War what number of chaplains had
accompany the military force now proceedianP,Pttuledt to
Sir JOHN 11.A.31cFDEN said that the pr„idiTa'a ?
chaplains for the Indian Army devolved upon the 'L'tf
India Company. lie believed that there were chaplains
at every station in India.
FR,ENCIf REFUGEES,

Mr, WILLaifiVILLIAMS aske) the First Lo..q