The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-17 00:00:00

REPEAL OF ACTS.

If these recommendations are adopte 1, NrB
further recommend that the enactments necessary
to give effect to them should be embodied in a
single statute ; and that all the existing statutes
of the United Kingdom, and of Scotland and Ire-
land, upon the subject of marriage, should be re-
pealLd. Care should, of course, be taken not to
revive, by such repeal, any canon or other law on
the subject of marriage, which has been expressly
or virtually repealed by former legislation.
CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE PRINCIPLES OF TLIS

FOREGOING RECOMMENDATIONS.
We feel encouraged by the general spirit of
much of the testimony with which we have been
favoured from persons whose opinions are entitled
to the greatest weight to believe that the foregoing
recommendations will be found to approach more
nearly than any other practicable scheme to a s°'
lution of the difficulties of this very important

subject.
If we turn to Roman Catho'ic testimony, it Will
be found that we give no more than a reasonable
development to the principle laid down by the
English Roman Catholic prelatcs, that it le
desirable " to constitute the Catholic clergy the
legal witnesses of the marriages celebrated by
them ;" and to the declarations of Bishop Lea*
that the State " possesses an unquestionable right
to require proof of the marriages of its subjects'
and to take care that they are properly registered;"
and of Bishop Moriarty, that " the State has 3
right to see that the marriage is registered."
We derive equal encouragement from the vieWS
expressed by some of the most authoritative exP°'
nents of Protestant opinion in Ireland. The late
Bishop of Derry considered it " not only
objectionable, but highly desirable, that the Minis-
ters of religion should as far as possible be t"?,
persons empowered by the State for this purpose'
adding—
" As, however, it seems desirable that the liberty
of parties about to marry should not be needlessly
interfered with, I should be inclined to extend this
privilege to all ministers, of whatever denominatie°'
who may be willing to comply with the require
ments of the State, as to time, places, &c., of pc;
formance, and likewise as to registration. These
requirements should be, in my opinion, as far
possible identical as regards the various religioe
bodies."
Dr. Bryce (of the Irish United Presbyterians)
also said, " I would allow a Roman Catholic clergy"
man man to celebrate mixed marriages, just as I .
that I should be at liberty to do the same thing'
but I would insist upon his being subject to te:
same rules with regard to time, place, notice, and
"
registration that all Protestant clergymen of all de
nominations are subject to."
Sir Joseph Napier, Dr. Ball, and others sPeka
exactly in the same sense.
In England, so far as marriages by the clergY
the Established Church are concerned, the tencleel
of some of the most important suggestions which
have received has also been in changes %flue
we recommend. The Bishop of Oxford is favotlr;
able to making all the parochial clergy, in effect,
Surrogates ; and the committee of the Lower house
of Convocation of the Province of Canterbury pro-
pose, to allow all persons who wish to avoid the pm".
lication of banns to be married upon the certifies
'a
of their own parochial clergyman after twenty-001,
days' notice, upon terms almost identical with those
which we have advised.
In Scotland our recommendations are in harl3l
with the principles of all those who are attached to
the present system of regular marriage as practised 0,
in that country, and who would make the niainte
ante of that system, in its essential characters, tbe,
condition of any interference with the law of irregu
lar marriage. vciong
It is true that by some other witnesses es -
whom ,
c
whom we may mention the late Bishop of
'
ter, the Dean of Chichester, Mr. Porter, -Lir' $ tar
leas
and the Registrar. General for 'England) view s
,soy
favourable to the employment of a clerical ag
ar the
for the fulfilment of what may be described aessej.
civil conditions of marriage have been exPre
.01
But we are strongly impressed with the e°ovi e'r fere
intee
that it is in the last degree important to bits
no further with the general sentiments and habits
no
ob-
w
of the people, nor even (in any matter f
stance) with the existing provisions ° ur•
the P
law, than is absolutely necessary for - jago
pose of constructing a safe and consistent 111ardrosi ;
code for the whole people of the United 10'ogoside-
and, under the influence of this paramount co Wee
ration, we have deemed it right to forego been
minor advantages, which might doubtlessbittiootal
obtained by a nearer approach to the C°°.„ their
system. Should our recommendations/ 1". ,t ,
general substance, become law, the great obie:laif
. thv
uniformity will have been accomplished; o
highest
will be simplified and consolidated ; t"e and
..,igD j
practical security fur the facility, cer"'
safety of marriage will have been attained' 0;0'
out any infringement of religious liberty, and the
nism between the authority of the State.ol:, there
nifluence of religion ; and, at the same
tiouyly
will be no sensible interference with the Phitherto
accustomed course of regular marriage,
.as 004
solemnised, in England, in Scotland, or 1° i 1
ssioner°
The report is signed by all the Cow°. , duties
except Lord Mayo (Naas), whose ofletl.
prevented attendance at the later rneetiu_g:. oosso
DISSENT AS TO DIVORCE. BY TILE RIGHT 1105. "
Ihe
AND THE HON. MR. JUSTICE &HAGAN:. we, .
In appending our names to this rePortLinissioe!
undersigned members of your,MajestysC°' dation,
are compelled to dissent from the recoo3l lot
ee!
contained in page 26, which affect t„."_.„rto, b.
divorce and the jurisdiction of Divorce t-ie",.,„ssol-
tie la liwin the
cause we believe that the Marriage trail 1-
üble, and that divorce a vincao is eon 5,00.
law of God.—WILLIAM MONSELL (b•S')'
O'HAGAN (L.s.)—July, 1868. towith
The Lord Justice-General also cu.
mc
ouncshe
nosfu themreport
eassinprsoepootisaesndto do away

Births.
CESARINI—On the 13th inst., at Genzano, near 11°111e'
N oDltußeihse—ssoSnptohrez
sCthesianrsitn,i,ato,f
,aßtickingliani..l,i,ol:olot°l3:
the wife of John F. Nor.ris, barrister-at-19" cilortei
SUDLEY—On the 14th inst., at Bracket 10/

3 ie.
.RE BeenS
EiLie.
aNEism _eacien
Viscountess Sudley, of a
Mi,ssorutt Ernyln,
ExTLN—TritNoli—On thearr liGatghTst, Earlte):lboir°,:it:
FIV:rI:7 oldest son of the of -AcitroliP
'nor, eldest daughter of Mr. and LOY
tEn—CLAYTON—On the 16th inst., B. A- ~ jet', c,7
ui nor. fsrlsll
.I.Tornsel pl 4
occhurch, Edmund, second son of Thos. Foci
Catherine,l3erners-street and Clifton-road, St. Jolabo-
e, Spain.
S
HOPKINSON
Yorkshire,.o° Y daughter of George Clayto
Deaths. IA 061°
at
Ule
in Hopkinson, Esq., aged 59.
_3ool;st
Joseph
he l,lth
loth
Crossley,
Tjl3ll. rreo. o,Onnalgkoeseci:„...sl,so3. to,
inet., at
~,i3eai*forrd,
Jain m late of Oulverton
On the 15th inet., at 3, Albert-terrace 0
shire, aged 72.'

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of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Tail Sur;
tl/1 020
Strand, in the Precinct of the SevoY,
bliddleaez.—Thurglay, September 171 Vile'

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