The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-24 00:00:00

THE lONIAN ISLANDS.

The Marquis of NORMANBY moved for copies of recent
despatches from the lonian Islands, The noble lord took
the opportunity of correcting some mistake that had arisen
in the lonian Islands respecting the observations he had
addressed to their lordships on a former oct'asion.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said the papers would be
laid before their lordships very shortly, as they had already
been moved for in the House of Commons.
THE 1 CALIAN PARLIAMENT.

The Marquis of NOR NlANBisaid on a future day he
should ask the noble lord the Under-Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs if, there would be any objection on the
part of the Government to produce any despatches that
might have passed between the noble lord at the head of
the Foreign-office and Sir J. Hudson as to the constitution
of the present Italian Parliament, and the number of elec-
tors qualified to veto, and those that actually did vote in
the last election.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Great Western Railway (capital), the Shrewsbury
and Welchpool Railway, the Wallesey Improvement, the
Bradford, Wakefield, and Leeds Railway, the Gains-
borough Bridge to East Retford, &c., and the Preston
Markets Bills were read a second time.
MARRIAGE LAW AMENDMENT BILL.

The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the second reading
of this bill, which was one to amend the law of marriage
between Protestants and Roman Catholics. The noble and
learned lord proceeded to notice the anomalies that existed
under the present state of the law. Owing to
the present state of the law the most monstrous cruelties
were perpetrated, the seducer often availed himself of them
to secure the possession of a woman, because he well
knew that if it could be shown that he was a
Protestant twelve months before his marriage was
celebrated with a Roman Catholic, 'it was
null and void. By the present bill certain
restrictions were laid down, but they were only
such as would act for the protection of the Protes-
tant as well as the Roman Catholic, and if the
bill passed the marriage between a Roman Catholic and
a Protestant by a Roman Catholic priest would become
valid, provided the notice ordered to be given by the bill
was properly given.

Lord SIOiITEA.GLE approved of the bill.
The Earl of DERBY thought some of the clauses re.
quired amendment.

Earl St. GERMANS said the state of the marriage
law In Ireland was such that amendment was most
urgently required, and he hoped the present bill would
meet with the approval of Parliament.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE highly approved of
the bill, as it would put an end to au evil that had too long
existed.

The bill was then read a second time,
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—YESTERDAY.
The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
_

The Neath Water Bill was read a third time, and the
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (Wigan to Clifton, &c.)
Bill was considered and ordered for third reading. The
Holyhead Road Bill was read a second time.
THAMES EMBANKMENT BILL.
On the motion for the second reading of this bill,
Lord J. MANNERS said that at the present stage of
the bill he would not offer it any opposition, but
if the report of the commission now sitting on the bill were
not in accordance with its provisions, he would feel bound
to oppose the measure.
Mr. COWPER said that he objected to the bill on prin-
ciple, as it answer] the railway company to take possession
of what he believed would be a
.great thoroughfare. That
company also proposed to obtain a large grant of
public money to enable them to carry out their
purpose. He did not wish to attack the ob-
ject of the company, but he thought, as there
was a commission sitting on this subject, that the
bill should not be read a second time at present. However,
he would consent to its being brought forward again, and
moved the postponement of the second reading for a fort-
night.

Mr. MURRAY', who had charge of the bill, said he
had no objection to the postponement proposed.
Mr. 'WILLIAMS objected to the bill, on the ground
that such measures should not be brought forward as pri-
vate, latt as public bills.
The amendment was then agreed to, and the second read-
ing was postponed for a fortnight.
PETITIONS.

Several petitions were presented in favour of the Non-
Conformists' Burial Bill, and against the appointment of
Roman Catholic chaplains in workhouses.
THE RIGHT HON. W. E. GLADSTONE AND THE