The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-03 00:00:00

AN AMERICAN VIEW OP TOE

DIVORCE BILL.

The object of the bill is to extend to the English
middle classes the same privilege,3 on the subject of
divorce which have for two centurie3 past been en-
joyed by the rich ; to put it in the power of any
English subject to obtain, by the expeediture of
two or three hundred dollars, a boon the enjoyment
of which has hitherto been limited to those who
could afford to spend 10,000 dollars—thet being
about the lowest aerount needed to carry through a
divorce under the system which now exists. This
proposal, however, is very shocking to quite a num-
ber of members of Parliament, who, if they have
not actually voted for special divorces, have at least
suffered them to pies without protest. They discover
all at once that by religion and law marriage is indis-
soluVe under any circumstances, and that the same
privilege on this subject enjoyed by the few cannot
be extended to the many without danger of an
utter dissolution of manners. The English clergy,
always the bulwark of the aristocracy, from which
all its higher members were selected, step forward
with zeal in the support of existing privileges. They
undertake to make a matter of conscience of I*. So
long as the divorced parties were parties of wealth and
position the clergy seem to have married them again
without protest or question ; but the idea of giving
the marriage benediction to mere vulgar culeri's
greatly troubles them, and has led to many petitions
against the new bill, to which the English clergy
seem about as generally opposed as they are
to allowing a man to marry the sister of his
deceased wife. Whether the English lew which ad-
mits the remarriage of the guilty parry to a divorce
is wise or not, is a question upon which we express
no opinion. In most Protestant counts ies met,
marriages are prohibited, though here, in the United
States, the nrohibieiou is conetently evaded by cele-
bratii4,Y the new mat riage in a different State from
that in which the divorce was obtaint.d. The point
that strikes us as old is, that on'y in this parCcular
case do the clergy charge their consciences with the.
propriety or morality of the in trriages they are
called upon to celebrate. The same principle, fully
and consistently carried out, would, we apprehend,
stop a great, many marriages. A (le:gym:en called
upon to celebrate a marriage is b _mild to satisfy
himself that no legal obstacle exists. But it wool
not seem necessary to Ask any questions for mere
conscience sake.—New .York Tribune.

The line of electr:c telegraph'from Lisbon to London
via Madrid and Paris will be opened throughout the
entire length in a few days.

CITY OF LONDON REGISTRATION OF PARLIAMEN •
TART VOTERS.-Mr. Thos. Y. M`ChristiP, revising
barrister for the City of London, wid begin his revision
of the list of voters for members to serve in Parliament
for the City of London on Tuesday, fith of Oct. next.
SOUTHAMPTON, Wednesday.—The Royal Mail. Com-
pany's steamship Magdalena, Captain Abntt, sailed to-
day with the West India, Mexican, and Pacific mails,
173 passengers, 23,2921. in specie, jewellery value
16,800/.,- and a full cargo.
HERR STAUDIGL.—At a concert given by the Imperial
Lunatic Aslyum of Vienna, on the birthday of the
Emperor, the celebrated singer Staudigl was present.
It is already known that he has bean for some time
under treatment in this institution, and his appearance
gave great delight to all present, which was increased
when afterwards, in the presence of a small circle of
friends, Staudigl sang the " Wanderer " of Schubert,
with such depth of feeling and 'expression' as affected
many of his hearers even to tears.

A HAPPY LITTLE COUNTY.--For the last ten years
the judges of assize have frequently passed high eolo-
ginms on the county of Rutland for the very smal
amount of criminal business brought before them. On
Friday last Oakilarn county gaol and house of correction
was in an unprecedented condition ; the doors • of the
male department of the prison were thrown open, there
not being any prisoner confined there. Oa Saturday
evening the agreeable anomaly Tv:,s dissolved by the
committal -of Thomas Tomblin, of Batr,:wden, for 14
days' bard labour for a misdemeancr.
PILCHARD FISHRRY.—LOGE (CORNWALL), SEPT. I.
The pilchard fishery still continues to be prosperous, drift
boats this morning averaging about 10,000 per boat.
Seans did not shoot last evening. A large sturgeon
was caught in the Looe Harbour this morning. St.
Agnes, Sept. I:—The last of a catch of 600 hogsheads of
fine pilchards was brought in last night, in number cne
and a-half million. This is the third catch for the season,
making altogether 900 hogsheads. The prospect of fur
ther catches is very good.
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.—DUBLIN, Wednesday.—
Yesterday's proceedings were most agreeably wound up
with a monster soiree at Dublin Castle, the partakers of
Lord Carlisle's hospitality counting by hundreds, in-
cluding, of course, all the intellectull lions resident and
strangers in the Irish metropolis.' It is' conceded on alt
hands, now that the meetings of -the Association are ap-
proaching their finale, that the session of 1357 has been
quite a success, a result which must in no smell measure
be attributed to the warm encouragement and support
of the present Viceroy. This is the last day of the sec-
tional meetings, and to-morrow the savans commence
their tour of country excursions.
Loss OF LIFE BY FlRE.—Yesterday, W. Payne, Eq.,
the coroner of the city of London, received information
nf th. Joath of a ynunp: woman, named Fanny Craven,
aged 22 years, under the following circumstances
was a servant in a gentleman's family, at Lee, in Kent,
and was standing with her back to the fire, when the
wind from the kitchen door Wafted her dress against the
bars of the grate. The dress ignited, and she was soon
enveloped in one body of fire. Her screams brought
assistance, when the flames were extinguished, and she
was conveyed by trb.in to St. Thomas's Hospital, where
every assistance was rendered, till death put a period to
her existence.

A MAGPIE IN CEIURCH.—Such certainly was the case
when Jack, a magpie, well known iu the vil'age of —,
in the county of Kent, for his mischievous propensities,
entered the village church in the afternoon of Sunday,
July 25, 1852, during the time of divine service. Our
friend hopped quietly in at the open door, and for a time
surveyed the congregation, recognising many a friend
who was wont to greet him with words of kindness and
familiarity ; but, on this occasion, Jack was surprised
at finding that no notice was taken of him. At
last he seemed determined that he would not be
thus overlooked, and down the middle aisle he
marched knocking at the door of each pew and announc-
ing his arrival to the inmates with a clear lou I "Here
am I." This move had the desired effect ; forju a very
few moments, every eye was turned upon our hero.
The worthy parson, finding himielf in a decided minority
and perceiving broad grins coming over the before
solemn faces of his flock, at once stopped the service and
desired the clerk to eject the intruder. But the order
was more easily given than executed. Jack was deter-
mined not to leave, and so, finding himself pursued,
took refuge in a forest of legs belonging to
his young friends, the school children, who did not
appear at all unwilling to afford h:rn shelter. The,
clerk rushed on, intent upon catching the enemy,
and putting an end to this unorthodox pros: e Hug, and
over, first a bench, and then a chili, be stumbled, in his
attempts to pounce upon the fugitive, who easily evaded
his grasp and always appeared just where the clerk was
not, informing him ever and anon of hie whereabout by
the old cry—" Here am I." At last, with the help of
two or three of the congregation who had joined in the
pursuit, a capture was effected and Jack was ignomini-
ously turned out and the door closed upon him. After
the lapse of a few minutes, order and solemnity were
restored in the church ; and the prayers wore recom-
menced and ended without further disturbance. The
parson, in due time, ascended to the pulpit. He gave
out his text and commenced a discourse calculated, no
doubt, to be of much benefit to his hearers ; but he had
not proceeded far, when he was interrupted by a loud
noise, accompanied by rapping at the little window at the
back of the pulpit. Turning round to ascertain the cause,
he beheld our friend Jack pecking away it the-
window, flapping his wings against it, and screaming
at the top of his voice—" Here am I—here am I"
a fact which no one could gainsay or resist laughing
at. The worthy parson finding his own gravity and
that of his congregation so entirely upset by what had
occurred, brought his sermon to a speedy conclusion, and
dismissed the congregation. Sentence of death was re•
corded against-the offender, but upon the petition of a
number of the parishioners, it waa commuted to trane.
portation for life froth the 'precincts of the church.—
Fraser's Magazine.
SUNDAY PHOTOGRAPHY IN LEEDS —At the Leeds
Court House, on Tuesday, before J. H. Shaw and E.
Irwin, Esqrs., a your.g man, named Amos Lambert,
appeared to answer a summons charging him with
having, on Sunday last, followed his ordinate calling by
taking and selling photographic likenesses. Mr. Ferns,
who appeared for the defendant, said he was not in-
structed to deny the facts stated by the poliee.officer ;
but he contended that his client was not following his
ordinary calling on the Sabbatlodsy, inasmuch as he
was a wood carver by trade, and practised photography
an an amateur ; but, even supposing it to be his ordi-
nary calling, he (Mr. Ferns) would submit it to the
bench that it was not a case for interference, becawe no
harm whatever could arise from likeness-taking on a Sun-
day. Indeed, it very often happened that artists obtained
sittings on a Sunday. After a consultation, Mr. Shaw
said that the bench had no doubt whatever that the
taking of photographic likenesses had been made a•part
of Amos Lambert's ordinary daily calling. If a person
chose to know two or three occupations, each was his
" ordidaary callin." But the difficulty experienced b the
bench was, whetheraphotographic artist came within the
meaning of the word "artificer" in the Act of Parlia-
ment. The words were—" No trade.-man, artificer,
workman, labourer, or other person whatsoever can
exercise their ordinary calling on the Lord's-day."
words, "or other person whatsoever," must mean of
the same description as those mentioned before ; they
could not extend to other classes, that was quite clear.
That being so, the question was simply, wbat was the
meaning of the word artificer, and if it included artists ?
In the Imperial dictionary, the word artificer meant
artist ; and, turning to the word art, he found that it
included mechanical skill. If the case could be heard at
the sessions, he should have thought that the best coarse
would be to raise the question there, by theh bheenc
in-
flicting a small penalty, so that an made.appe"igoftthe
But there was no appeal from the decisiont
magi-
strates, and as they were anxious no ogo short of the
h t'
law, or to go beyond it, they should allpw t e clues lin
to stand over till they had an opportunity of consulting
the IV-corder, or some other person of eminence, on the
point whether the practice of photography came within
Parliament.—Leeds Mercury.
the meaning of the Peril