The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-02 00:00:00

Country Markets.

EDINBURGH HAY AND STRAW MARKET.
JUNE 30.
Supplies of all kinds these last six days moderate.
Oat straw, from Ss Od to 10s Od per kemple of i stones
Iron; wheat do., 7s-61 to 9s Od; barley do., Oi 01 to Os
01. Hay from is 1(1 to is. 4d.

EDINBURGH MEAL—Jurrn 30.
There were in the market today 12 sacks oatmeal, each
weighing 2801 b imperial, which sold at 44s Od and -s.

5 9
,5 0

THE DIVORCE BILL.

PROTESTS.

Dissentient,--
1. Because the effect of rejecting this amendment
will be to confine the dissolution of marriage upon

the adultery of the husband to the four cases stated

in the Bill, which we consider to be not only inex-

pedient, but, as contrasted with the relief upon the

adultery of the wife, partial and unjust.
2. Because, as the clause is framed, although the
husband should be living in the most open and no-
torious adultery, and should even bring his mis-
tress into the family residence, insulting the wife
by her presence, and should endeavour by ill usage
to compel her to submit to this disgrace, such a case
would not come within its provisions.

3. Because the adultery of the husband, accom-
panied with the commission of the greatest crimes,
and even the most infamous vices, would not
entitle the wife to relief under this clause,
4. Because the adultery of the husband, although
coupled with his condemnation to penal servitude,
even for life, and the consequent degradation and
misery of the wife, would not, under the provisions
of this Bill, enable her to obtain a dissolution of the

marriage.
5. Because many other cases of similar injustice
and hardship are excluded from relief under this
clause.
6. Because to allow a divorce for the adultery of
the wife, and to refuse it in these and other cases of
adultery by the husband, coupled with ac's of deep
injury inflicted upon the wife, is manifestly unjust.
Because, although the adultery of the wife
may lead to the imposing a spurious offspring on
the husband, andentitlehim to a divorce for areason
which would not apply to the case of arlultery by the
husband, other circumstances may, and frequently
do, occur in connection with the adultery of the
husband. giving the wife an equal claim to this

remedy.
8. Because no distinction is made in Scripture
between the case of the man and of the woman in
the commission of adultery. The sin is the same in
both—both are included under the same prohibi-
tion.
9. Because the whole tendency and spirit of the
Christian religion is manifestly calculated to raise
women to equal rights and equal responsibilities
with men. "It has "in the words of an eminent
writer on general law (Chief Justice Story) " ele-
vated woman to the rank and character of an equal,
instead of being an humble companion or a devoted
slave of her husband ;" and accordingly we find
that as Christianity extended itself, and its influ-
ence was brought to bear upon social and civil
affairs, so the condition of woman has improved,
and her rights to protection and redress were ac-
knowledged. With respect to marriage and divorce
the rule of the Roman Catholic Church applies to
hoth sexes equally, while all Protestant Legisla-
tures (except our own), in declaring that marriage
may be dissolved for the cause of adultery, have
accorded to the wife the same rights and remedies
as to the husband.
10. Because by our ecclesiastical law (the only
law at present applicable to this subject), the same
judgment is pronounced in the case of adultery,
whether the crime be committed by the husband or
wife, and there appears to us no reason why, in ex-
tending the remedy, the principle should be
changed.
11. Because as to the objection that the exten-
sion of the law to cases of adultery by the husband
will give occasipn for a great number of suits for
divorce, we think such apprehension is altogether
groundless. The proceedings can originate only
with the wife; and she has, both as to feeling and
interest, so much at stake, so much to relinquish
which must be most dear to her, that we think
here is little fear of Ler resorting to this remedy,
except in extreme cases, and after all hope of
amendment has ceased.
12. Because by the law of Scotland the adultery
f the husband with respect to divorce is placed on
the same footing with the adultery of thewife. This
law is found to be attended with no inconvenience.
The evidence on the subject is above all exception,
and we deem it most desirable that laws which so
deeply affect the social and moral condi-
tion of the people should, in contiguous parts of the
same empire, be in acc,,rdanee with each other.
B.IITCRINSON.
HARRINGTON.
LYNDHURST.
TALBOT DE MALAHIDE.
BELMORE.

Dissentient,-
1. Because the contract of marriage is the mos.,
solemn engagement into which a man can enter,
and in which he promises to love, comfort, and
honour the woman, and keep her under all circum-
stances of sickness or. of health, and adhere to her
as long as they shall both live.
2. Because the purposes of this engagement, as
adduced from Scripture, are of the deepest interest
and importance—viz., for the birth of children to
be brought up in the love and fear of God, for a
remedy against sin, and for mutual society, help,
and comfort, both in prosperity and adversity.
3. Because by wilful desertion not only is this
sacred promise impiously violated, but all the pu:
poses for which this ordinance of God was instituted
are wholly frustrated. Even in the most ordinary
contract the breach of it on the one side puts an end
ti the oldigation on the other, and we see no reason
why a different rule rhould be applied to the con-
tract of marriage, and more especially in a case de-
structive of the entire Objects of the union. It ap-
, pears to us to be contrary to all principle, and
Most unjust, that the husband should be permitted
to set at naught an engagement followed, as it must
be, by such consequences, and that the womin
should continue to be bound by it.
4. Because we feel strongly the extreme cruelty of
such conduct towards the deserted wife in the utter

disippointment of herconfidext expectations of hap-
piness from the promised love, comfort, and society
of her husband, and leaving her without hope to
the contempla ion of a long, dreary, and desolate
future.

5. Because divorce from this cause is justified as
Scriptural by the highe-t ecclesiastical authorities.
It is well known that at the Reformation the subject
was anxiously and carefully considered by prelates
and divines eminent for learning and piety, and
that they came to the conclusion that wilful deser-
tion was a scriptural ground for divorce. We find
the names of Archbishop Cranmer, of the Bishops
of London, W nchester, Ely, Exeter, and others ;
of Latimer, Parker, &c.; of Peter Mai tyr, Martin
Bucer, Beza, Luther, Melancthon, Calvin, &c.,
among those who maintained this opinion, and
which was adopt-d by the whole body of Protes-
tants on the continent of Europe. Accordingly,
this has been the acknowledged doctrine of all
their churches to the present day. We find the
S +MO doctrine expressly stated and adopted in the
Bth Article on avorce in the " Reformatio Legum
Ecclesia-ticarum," compiled under the authority of
Henry VIII. and Edward VI., which body of laws
—although it did not receive the confirmation of
the Crown, in consequence of the early and unex-
pected death of King Edward, has always, as the
Commissioners on the Law of Divorce, in their re-
port, justly observe, -been considered of great au-
thority. We also find that at a more recent period
a right rev. prelate, eminent for learning and talents
(Cozens, Bishop of Durham), in his celebrated argu-
ment 'delivered in this house, in the case of Lord
Roos, maintained the same opinion. His words are
these—" The promise of constancy in the marriage
ceremony does not extend to tolerating adultery or
malicious desertion, which dissolve the marriage."
6. Because, by the law of Scotland, wilful deser-
tion, as in all the Protestant churches on the con-
tinent, is considered to be a Scriptural ground for
divorce, and the law in this respect is regarded by
all the first authorities in that country not only to
be free from inconvenience, but as just and highly
benefic'al. We further deem it to be most desiralle
that upon such a subject as marriage and divorce,
affecting as it does the whole social system, the
same law should, as far as practicable, prevail in
bo.h parts of the kingdom, and the more so as con-
tinued experience has sown the great inconvenience_
occasioned by the difference and anomalies of the
two systems.

LYNDHURST.
HI:7TCHINBON.

7. Because, as to the objections of the proposed
extension of this Iry asuro on the ground of its ten-
dency to demoralise society, this is not only dis-
proved by the example of Scotland, but a careful
examination of the state of society in Roman Ca-
tholic countries will, we think, lead to the conclu-
sion that the principle of the indissolubility of mar-
riage is far km favourable to morality than the
opposite arm'crine, accompanied with a cautious
exercise of the power of divorce in such extreme
cases as those of adultery and malicious desertion.
S. Because, as to what is urged with reference
to the law of our ecclesiastical courts, we answer
that the object of the present bill throughout is to
amend that law, and to render it more consistent
with reason and justice ; and, with respect to the
Church of England, we will merely repeat what we
find slated in the argument of the learned prelate
to
which we have already referred—viz , that "We
cannot see why they are to be styled the Church of
England who join with the Council of Trent, rather
than those who join with all the reformed churches,
and plead against the canon of the Church of Rome,
which bath laid an anathema, upon us if we do not
agree with them."