The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-18 00:00:00

shall have been living apart from each other by consent
previous to the adul'erv."

The ATTORNEY•GENERAL agreed to the intro-
duction of worda to carry out the object of the hon. and
learned member for Guildford.

Mr. BOVILL then moved a third amendment to give
the Court the widest possible discretion—the same as
that enjoyed by the House of Lords. After the limita-
tion for divorce in the clause he moved to add "or where
a petitioner conic: not as heretofore have obtained a
divorce."

After some discussion the amendment was negatived
without a division.

On again putting the motion that the clause stand
part of the bill,

Mr. MONSELL proceeded to raise the question of
marriage by divorced persons, which be said would be
contrary to the laws of Christendom, and he instanced
the frightful consequences that had resulted to society
from such a permission in Prussia. He asked the com-
mittee to express its opinion on the subject, and he
therefore moved the expulsion of the clause.
The committee then divided. The numbers were—
For the clause
Against it
Majority
The clause was then added to the bill, and the house
resumed. •

The Consolidated Fund (Ippropriation) Bill, the
Probates and Letters of Administration (Ire!and) B:11,
and the Jurisdiction in Siam Bill were read a third
time and passed.

The Cut )ms and Excise Bill, and the Customs Bill
were considered or amended and agreed to, and orlered
to be read a third time to-morrow.

The sitting was suspended at 4 o'clo,,k.
The house reamed at six o'clock.
MERSEY CONSERVANCY AND DOCK BILL.

On bringing up the report of the committee appointed
this morning on this bill,
Sir J. GRAHAM said he had intimated to the house
at the morning sitting, in moving for a select commit•
tee to inspect the lords' journals relative to the Mersey
Conservancy Bill, that he would move for a suspension
'of the standing orders, for the purpose of re-intro-
ducing the bill and having it read a first and second
time, in order to have it referred on Wednesday to a
select committee to be appointed by a committee of
selection, and thus enabling petitioners against the bill
to be heard. His desire was to have the bill postponed
till next session, in order to afford all parties an oppor
tnnity of adjusting their differences.
The standing orders were then suspended, leave was
given to bring in the bill, and it was read a first and
second time pro forma, and ordered to be referred to a
select committee on Wednesday next, at three o'clock.
SANITARY CONDITION OF THE ARMY.

Mr. FITZROY moved for a copy of the report of the
commissioners appointed to inquire into the regulations
affecting the sanitary condition of the army, the organi-
sation of military hospital, and the treatment of the sick
and wounded.

Sir J. EAMSDEN hoped the right hon. gentleman
would not press for this return immediately, a 3 the re-
port had not beet received.

Cil. NORTH inquired whether the report would b 3
laid on the tahle in the present session.

Sir J. RA MSDEN could not say, as the report had
not yet been made.
MR. F. WARD AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACT.
Mr. CONING HA NI asked the Vice• President of the
Committee of Council on E lucation, whether Mr. F.
0. Ward bad been correctly reported to have said at the
International Congress at Brussels, in Sept. last, that
the appl cation of the Public Health Act to 200 houses in
England had diminished the morality by 50 per cent.,
and had in their vicinity quadrupled the fertility of the
soil I

Mr. W. COWPER, said that Mr. Ward was not offi d-
aily connected with the Board of Health, but the
zeal and ability with which he had supported sanitary
measures which had preserved the lives of many of his
fellow-countrymen had exposed him to some of the mis•
representations which had been cast on the Bard of
Health. He had a copy of Mr. Ward's speech at Bras-
Fel4, and he must say that the misrepresentations of what
he said arose from one part of the speech having been
quoted and not the other. Mr. Ward aluded only to
a class of houses in places where the air was impure and
the water bad, and his statement was founded on satis-
factory returns relating to Croydon, Leicester, Rug‘iy,
etc In the other part of his speech be was speaking of
the increased fertility caused by sewage irrigation, and
w ben ho said it bad been quadrupled, he was speaking of
what had occurred in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh
and Ayr.

THE INDIAN BUDGET.
Lord C. HAMILTON begged to ask the President of
the Board of Control whether it was intended to mako
the usual annual statement on Indian finance this year,
and, if so, on what day.

Mr. V. SMITH said the practice to which the noble
lord alluded arose from a desire on the part of the house
to have at least one day named for calling attention to
the affairs of India, and for the President of the Board
of Control, to explain the prospective situation of the
finances of India. This session the recent occutrences
bad caused the affairs of India to be brought forward and
discussed on two or three occasions, and it must be ob-
vious that, owing to the confusion which existed in the
North-West Provinces, it was impossible to make any
estimate, until the troubles in India were at end, of what
the prospective revenue of that empire would be. That
being the case, and looking to the lateness of the session
and the hopelessness, after the business now before the
house was disposed of, of any members remaining, her
Nlajesty's Government had decided that there should be
no Indian financial statement this year.
PRIESTS IN TaE COUNCIL AT MALTA.

1 Mr. KINNAIRD begged to ask the Secretaryof
State for the Colonios whether any steps had been taken,
or any order in council had been issued, to remove from
the Legislative Council of Malta any priest or other
minister of religion, and to prohibit them in future from
being elected or sitting. 33 members of the said council !
Mr. LABOUCHERE Paid that the Crown had been
advised to issue an order in council by which, for the
future, priests of any religious persuasion were to be
ineligible to be members of council at Malta. The ruls
would not be retrospective, or disturb those persons
who now had seats at the council ; but when a general
election occurred, or when any vacancy occurred, the
rule would be that no priest could sit in the council.
sn PE NDIA ItY MAGISTRATES AT
KILKENNY.

Mr. SULLIVAN begged to ask the Chief Secretary
for Ireland whether it was the intention of Government
to appoint a stipendiary magistrate to the district of
Kilkenny, in the room of Mr. J. Green, who had been
physically unable for many months to attend his magis-
terial duties

Mr. H. HERBERT said that as theta was no actual
vacancy, it was impossible to say whether the Govern-
ment would make an appointment immediately. Still
he might say that a statement that Mr. Green was not
able to attend to his magisterial duties had been brought
under the notice of the Government and was under con-
sideration, and if his absence was likely to be perma-
nent, steps would be taken to make a change in the ap-
pointment.

- THE LIBERTY OF THE INDIAN PRESS.
Mr. DISRAELI—I with to make an inquiry of her
Majesty's Government respecting an act of the legisla-
tive council of I ,dia. which has been lately passed (I
believe it is number 15 of the year 1857), restricting the
liberty of the press in tt.e dominions of the E►st India
Company. I wish to know of the right hon. gentleman
the President of the Board of Control whether he would
obj ct before we separate to place a copy of that act on
the table I

Mr. V. SMITH—I have not the least objection to
place a copy of that act on the table. I may say that it
has been only passed for one year.
Mr. DISRAELI—There are two other documents
which I wish to have laid on the table of the house, and
if there is no objection to produce them I will make a
motion for their production. One is a copy of the des-
patch of the Governor-General of India, explaining the
reason why he has ex..ended this law of restriction to
the loyal European subjects of her Majesty, as well as
to the natives ; and I also wish for a copy of a memorial
addi eased to the Governor-General on the subject of the
European population. If there is no objection t the
production of these papers I will give notice of a motion
for their production as unopposed returns.
Mr. V. SMITH--I have no objection to the produc-
tion of such papers as we have. The despatch of the
Governor-General is in the possession of the Govern-
ment, but I am not sure that we have the memorial ; if
we have it it shall be produced.
Mr. AYRTON—WiII there be any objection to ley
on the table a copy of the Friend of India, for which a
warning was given to that journal
Mr. V. SMITLI—If the hon. gentleman will commu-
nicate with me in private, I will endeavour to meet his
wishes.