The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-11 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 11, 1850.

At length in the sixth month of the session, the
Marriage Bill has received a third reading in the
House of Commons. All the old arguments, that
have already been repeated usque ad nauseam, were
again brought forward, and a further attempt was
made to throw out this just and salutary measure
in the last stage of its progress. But the effort
failed—signally and decisively failed. Although
the advocates of the Bill did not exhibit the same
zeal and energy displayed by their opponents, there
was happily a sufficient attendance to defeat the
bigots who desired to control the consciences of their
fellow-subjects, and to deprive them of the most sacred
and dearest privilege belonging to freemen. The Hon.
Member for Midhurst led the van on the present
occasion. He repeated the hackneyed and stereo-
t3 ped objections, and again plunged the House into
the maze of polemical discussion. We had hoped
that what has been termed " the religious part of the
question " 'had been abandoned by general consent,
that we should have heard no more respecting a
matter so perfectly plain, that it is difficult to con-
ceive how any person of ordinary common sense
could have entertained a rational doubt on the sub-
ject. Mr. WaLeoLE has, however, discovered a new
reading of the translation—that the word OiZE10;,
in the Greek translation, meant not merely kin-
dred or relations, but " members of the same
household or family." And on this novel version
—the translation of a translation—he mainly relied.
But if this argument be worth anything, if the
slightest weight is to be attached thereto, it must
surely be carried a great deal farther, and to an ex-
tent never yet contended for. It must apply to
every person who ever dwelt under the same roof as
companion, friend, housekeeper, governess, or in any
other capacity whatsoever, although not in any
degree connected by blood or affinity. The weakness
of the cause may be judged of from the fact, that a
man of education and ability, who has risen to emi-
nence in his profession, should have descended to an
argument so puerile and ridiculous. The Hon. and
Gallant Colonel, the Member for Bradford, completely
dispelled the mystification attempted to be thrown
over this part of the subject by showing the true in-.
tent and meaning of the passage, that " for the sake
of peace the polygamic laws prohibited a man from
having two sisters as his wives in his house at once."
But Mr. WALPOLE, conscious of the slender foun-
dation on which he rested his case, endeavoured to
show that the prohibitionists should receive the
" benefit of the doubt." This might be a very reason-
able suggestion if the Bill were for the purpose of en-
forcing such marriages, and compelling a reluctant
widower to marry the eldest surviving sister of his
former wife under a heavy penalty—just as a childless
widow might, under the Mosaic law, have required the
titer of her former husband to receive her as a wife.
laeh r 3 rioft, the case. There is to be
'ono coninulsion Of an
.kind, No person who feels the
rilslightest scruple oa e called upon to act contrary
The only point in dispute is
to his oyrtrjallghae4l ',
,whether pnaoo ,Arher htertain no doubt or difficulty
-wbotoiveri: ow :, tin t the temporal and eternal 1
r Welfar4 of: ensq Wes and families
ti,
will be beat pro- ,

' moted by such an union, are to be restricted and cir:
cumscribed in their liberty of choice, in the privilege
of selecting the future partners of their lives, to
gratify the ridiculous fancies of a b'gotted and fanatical
clique. The question, as we have long since stated,
is essentially one of " civil and religious liberty," and
the very argument resorted to by Mr. IVALPous
affords the strongest evidence of this fact, which
we have endeavoured to impress upon our
readers ; for if everything were to be pro-
hibited on which some who profess to have
what are termed tender consciences were pleased to
entertain, or to say that they entertained, a doubt,
there would be an end of any degree of toleration.
The tyrant majority, or what is more to the purpose
in the present instance, the factious and turbulent
minority would carry all before them, and inflict
grievous punishments on all who ventured to wor-
ship their CREATOR in the manner which, in their
souls and consciences, they deemed most fitting.
But, although the Bill was read a third time, it was
not finally carried through the House. A clause was
proposed, providing that it should not extend to Scot-
land. This point had already been fully discussed in
Committee, and the proposed limitation was deliberately
negatived; but it was again brought forward, and
with a similar result. The " Obstructives," how-
ever, succeeded in retarding the measure for another
day. It must again be brought on next week, on the
question that the Bill do now pass ; and its friends
must once again attend in their places to ensure its
final success in the popular branch of the Legislature.
It will then be for the Peers of England to decide
the question ; we cannot doubt as to the result, or
suppose that their Lordships would reject a Bill on
which the hearts of so many thousands, aye millions,
of her MAJESTY'S subjects are anxiously set. One
thing at least is certain, the opposition in the Lords
will be of a straightforward and bona fide character•
If defeated on a fair trial of strength, the minority
will not resort to the " dodging and trickery," to the
vexatious delays and repeated divisions on the same
points, so justly to be complained of in the minority
of the Commons House of Parliament on this impor-
tant and deeply interesting question.

Our impression this evening contains elsewhere the
report of a meeting held yesterday in this metropolis,
with an eye to the acknowledgment of the great

public exertions made in the way of sanitary im-
provement by Mr. GEORGE ALFRED WALKER. To
few members (df the community are the people of
England more largely indebted than to this gentle-
man, whether in regard to intellectual ap-
plication, to physical labour, or to pecu-
niary sacrifices in the advancement of a
great social reform_ materially affecting the health
and morals of the community. Hence it was with
peculiar satisfaction that we observed the initial move•
went of yesterday towards the recognition of the
efforts of this really national benefactor. The Noble
Lord, the representative of the borough of Maryle-
bone, has only afforded another testimony of his
public spirit by taking the lead in this laudable

endeavour to commend the beneficient undertakings
of Mr. WALKER. As chairman of the meeting to which
we are now directing public attention, he yesterday
specified in terms of the most earnest, as they were
also the most deserved, eulogium the nature of the
enterprise upon which Mr. WALKER embarked
feurteen or fifteen years ago—an enterprise the suc-
cessful prosecution of which necessitated the most
complete self. forgetfulness and the most laborious
perseverance. That both those requisites have been
most fully and cordially yielded by him throughout
the agitation of the subject of Extramural
Interments, we fancy is sufficiently proven by the
mere circumstance that now, in defiance of all ob-
stacles, the evils of the existing system of burial have
been formally acknowledged by her MeeesTr's Go.
vernment. But for the assiduous persistence of Mr.
WALKER, and for his magnanimous sacrifice of his
own personal comfort and convenience, we should not
so readily have attained even this shadow of
the desired innovation. For to his painful
disclosures in reference to the manner of intramural
sepulture are alone attributable the steps already
taken by the Cabinet in the way of improvement.
True, without doubt, those steps are as yet only fal-
tering, and in many respects erroneous, yet, at the
same time, they are also reasons for our congratula-
tion, seeing that they are auguries of an ultimate
enactment securing to the community all the benefits
desired by Mr. WALKER and his co-operators. As
yet we have only a feeble hint of those
benefits, but in the end that hint assures us that,
with peneverance, we shall compass their entire
realisation. As was very emphatically observed yes-
terday at the meeting, the evils of the measure now
awaiting the last approving stamp of the Legislature,
are not in any manner traceable to the scheme of
Mr. GEORGE ALFRED WALKER, that gentleman
being strongly opposed to the whole project
of this lamentable Bill, and seriously dread-
ing the inevitably evil effects of its ope-
ration. Had the plan been submitted (as it
should undoubtedly have been submitted) to
his scrutiny prior to Its introduction to the Houses
of Parliament, the pernicious clauses, already again
and again enumerated by ourselves, would infallibly
have been expunged, and others substituted of a
nature calculated to reconcile all conflicting interests.
The circumstance that Mr. WALKER. has throughout
the whole movement acted independently of any one
else, was surely no valid reason for the Cabinet re-
fusing to avail themselves of his unquestionable
abilities, and of ** his undoubted experience.
Knowing mere than any other individual in the United
Kingdom upon the subject of intramural interments,
it would have been only rational to have permitted
him to participate in the labours of improvement,
especially seeing that he himself individually ori-
ginated the whole scheme of sanitary innovation.
Other persons have subsequently pushed forward
more prominently in behalf of the health of the mul-
titude, winning more particular regard from
the population by their more ostentatious
exertions, obtaining official appointments at G-wydyr
House, and being invested with the honours of
Knighthood in the columns of the official Gazette.
But, meanwhile, the gentleman in whose favour these
tardy efforts are now making towards the purchase
of a suitable testimonial has been labouring ear-
nestly, without any encouragement whatever from
the State, and accumulating for the masses, almost in
secret, a large amount of practical benefactions.
With a view to the public recognition of these great
services to the multitude, the preliminary meeting con-
vened yesterday will be beneficial as a testimony that the
nation is not invariably ungrateful to its benefactors,
beyond which the occurrence will not prove without
advantage as a glaring condemnation of the forgetful-
ness evinced by the Government. Gratified, how-
ever, as we are at the circumstance, and satisfied as
we must assuredly be with the share taken in this
commendable movement by Lord DUDLEY STUART,
the Chairman, and by Mr. GEORGE TnoeteeoN, the
Secretary, we cannot bat regret that the meeting was
nTohteo
inl
le
eofffe
cat
nmo re
ev
e generalrthe less, raellsdu 1 taccessible ct
hh
ea r a cter
selec-
tion of an inconvenient hour and locality
may be
readily obviated, and we trust that the people at
large will be soon enabled to evidence
their regard
for Mr. WALKER, and their admiration • for his la-
bours, by a more numerous attendance, and a not less
unanimous enthusiasm.

We would again urge upon those who are desirous
of promoting a Christian observance of the Sunday,
as contradistinguished from a Judaical observance
of the Sabbath, net to relax one jot or
tittle in their exertions. The Pharisees are reckless ;
it was only yesterday that the clique of " illustrious
obscure," who on Tuesdayihad stated to Lord JOHN
RUSSELL that they were the representatives of the
weekly metropolitan press (they being connected
exclusively with journals which do not publish on
Sunday, and having therefore a direct interest in
diminishing the circulation of the Sunday journals)
waited upon the Marquis of CLANEICABDE, the Poet-
master-General, and made the same representations
to him, urging him to render permanent the aboli-
tion of the Post-office Sunday delivery. The Mar-
quis of CLANRICARDE, in his answer, stated that the
inquiry now pending would continue for some weeks,and
that until that inquiry was concluded the Post- office de-
livery on Sunday would not be restored. This an-
swer is anything but safiefectory. There is no ne-
cessity for any such delay, and it would
seem as though the Ministry' were afraid
of the SabbAturittu4. Their conduct, too, on

Mr. LocAß's motion proves that they have vastly
overrated the force of the advocates for "a bitter
observance of the Sabbath." They had promised
him assistance, and we have seen the sort
of assistance thy have rendered him. 11.,
therefore, becomes doubly necessary that the great
msjority of the people should exert themselves, should
show their real strength if they do not wish to be
ridden over roughshod by a noisy, bigotted, fanatical
minority, whose congregalional organization gives
them—peculiar facilities for carrying out their selfish
object, and for propagating the grossest misre-
presentations in support of their views. The
arrogant assertion of exclusive righteousness on
the part of these Sabbatarians would be amusing from
its absurdity, were it not disgusting for its bigotry.
One " of the illustrious obscure," who attended the
deputation to the Marquis of CLANRICARDE yesterday,
coolly arrogated to himself and his clique
the exclusive possession of morality, and deemed all
public writers who were opposed to his narrow and
sectarian views as being wanting in a high moral
tone—this person evidently sympathises with the
fanatic who addresses the " Cursing Letter" to
Mr. LOCKE, and it is only want of power
that prevents such persons from condemning to the
stake all who venture to differ from them in
opinion. It is amusing to hear the manner in
which certain Sabbatarian newsvenders, who
attended this deputation, propose to deal with
the valuable property of those persons through
whose exertions these very men live, and move,
and have their being. We would remind
these gentlemen that if there were no newspapers
there would be no newsvenders, and that if
they destroy the circulation of the Sunday
papers they will at the same time destroy their own li
profits : they may perhaps eventually find that they will
have to pay too dear for their Sabbatarian whistle.
It is, however, a mere selfish faction of the great and
respectable body of newsvenders who are thus acting,
and who seek to injure the Sunday newspapers in
order to benefit themselves at the expense of their col-
leagues, by forcing a circulation fur certain journals,
miscalled newspapers—

Ut lucus a non lucendo—

because they contain no news—an attempt, however,
which must necessarily prove unsuccessful, as those
who are accustomed to receive their Sunday news-
paper, conveying to them intelligence up to
the very latest hour, will not be content
to substitute for it a " stamped sermon."
The Salabatarians are reckless and untiring, the
Ministry is:made of squeezable materials ; behoves it
then that we be active also, and apply the
pressure in the right direction. Let every
individual elector who feels himself aggrieved
(and who does not ?) by the abolition of
the Sunday delivery write a letter to his
representative, calling upon him to do his utmost
as a Member of Parliament to bring about a
restoration of the old system; and let him also ad-
dress a letter to the Prime Minister to the same
effect, stating therein that he is an elector. If this
be done speedily there cannot be a doubt but that the
Sunday delivery will he as speedily restored.

Sir Thomas Wilde has been appointed Lord
Chancellor. He will for the present fulfil the duties
of the office in Court and in the House of Lords, but
he will ultimately be appointed solely to the duties of
the Lords. He takes office subject to all -arrange-
ments. It is understood that Sir J. Jervis, the
present Attorney. General, will succeed Sir T. Wilde
as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and that Sir
John Romilly will be appointed Attorney• General.
It is confidently expected that Mr. Cockburn will
succeed Sir John Romilly as &Helton General.

THE F_RENCIT REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
It is said that the Legitimatists intend to cele-
brate St. Henry's day, the fete day cf the
Duke of BOURDEAUX with great solemnity. The
authorities have issued the following notice on the
subject :
•• The authorities are informed that at this moment a
banquet and a high mass are in course of preparation
for bt. Henry's-c ay, and that invitations to attend have
been addressed to several persons. The Ple‘cct of Pe-
lice apprises those persons who have been invited, that
manifestations of this nature are forbidden."

St. Henry's-day is celebrated on the 15th of July.
The discussion on the Law of the Press win re-
sumed in the Assembly on Wednesday, after a vain
attempt on the part of M. CREAIIEUX to record a pro-
test against the conduct of the President DUPIN for
refusing to call to order the Minister Rouutut who
characterized the revolution of February, 1848,
ES a funeste catastrophe. In the course of the dis
cussion M. LEO DE LAI3ORDE declared that he consi-
dered the absolute legitimate monarchy the best mode
of government, but that as he could not obtain that,
he should maintain the Republic as the next best.
M. VICTOR HUGO spoke most eloquently against the
measure. In the course of his speech he denounced
in eloquent and truthful terms the machinations of
the parti-pretre. He said the real revolutionists
were the absolutists and reactionists, the apologists of
the Jesuits and the Inquisition (pointing to M.
MONTALEMBERT), of that diabolical sect who, after
preaching the murder of kings, now preached
the murder of nations, who mixed maxims cf
death with those of the Gospel, and poisoned
the holy water urn. He then proceeded to taunt
them with seeking support from the Voltarians who
laughed at them, and from the Jew bankers whom
they would fain commit to the flames. During the
course of the discussion M. ROUHER, the Minister
who the day before had insulted the Republic, at-
tempted to address the Assembly. He was met with
loud cries of " order" from the Members of the Left,
which prevented him from proceeding. M. DUPIN,
the President, was excited to a pitch of fury by the
determination of the Left to insist on an apology from
M. ROUHER, and exclaimed, "M. MloT, I have
seen you interrupting several times." This sally
from the impartial and trustworthy President pro-
duced shouts of laughter ; M. MIOT had not been
present during any portion of the sitting. The noise
still continued, and tired with shouting, but determined
that M. Itoutsurt should not be heard until he had apolo-
gised, the opposition left their seats one by one, and re-
-tired at intervals of a minute each, every one slamming
the door violently after.him. As there are 225 Mem-
bersof the Left, this proceeding effectually burked M.
ROUHER, and the Assembly adjourned.
It appears that at a Council, held at the Elys6e in
the morning, it had been determined, on the advice
of M. BAROCIIE, that M. ROUHER should not
apologise.
General BOYER, the late President of Hayti, died
in Paris on Tuesday.
The differences between General D'HAUTPOUL and
General CHANGARNIER have become so serious, that
the resignation of the former has become inevitable.
PARIS BOURSE, JULY 10.—Closing Prices.—Five
per Cents. Rentes, 95f. 50c. ; Three per Cents. ditto,
57f. 40c. ; Bank of France, 2,250 f.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK-EXCHANGE, JULY 10.
Boulogne and Amiens, 7%—Central of France (Orleans
and Vierzon), 1434—East Indian, 7%—Great Indian Penin-
sula, s%—Ditto, 11As Luxembourg, VA—Northern of
France, 141—Orleans and Bourdeaux, 2—Paris and Stras-
bourg, OA—Tours and Nantes, 3%.

GERMANY.
The Bavarian Chamber has reduced the army esti
mates, presented by the Government, by one-third.

MALTA AND THE lONIAN ISLES.
The cholera has made its appearance at Malta. A
Malta paper publishes the following from Corfu :
" From Corfu the news is not unimportant. Some of
the members in the House of Assembly had proposed to
annex the lonian Islands to Greece—to abolish certain
powers possessed by his Excellency the Lord High Com-
missioner in employing the police force, and to cut down
the salaries of the Government employes, particularly
the English, to a mere nothing. The consequence of
these incidents has been that his Excellency Sir Henry
George Ward, Lord High Commissioner, on the 12th
Juc,e, issued a proclamation, proroguing the first ses-
sion of the present ninth Parliament until the 12th De-
cember, and a special messenger was immediately sent
to England, with dispatches to the Colonial Minister."

ITALY.
A letter from Rome, ofthe 30th ult., in the Union,
says:--

A circumstance has occurred here which has caused
a great impression on those who witnessed it and under-
stood its signification. You are aware that every year,
on St. Peter's-day, after the Pontifical
tcalhe mass, the Pope,
aodes nt a the
h a] middleby
a consistacrhivari candtroochaetaer,
tinheretpurranyienrg,
mstp
kneeling, to renew against the King of Naples the ex-
communication
weighsonthesovehraeniganasn a pr
ofthat
country
hiring whichp a sacrilegious
l aeeddomain of St Peter. The Pope pronounces
the
t
of
he t
excommunication, but immediately removes it. This
yi ar the ceremony became more embarrassing. The
souvenir of the hospitality given by Ferdinand caused
the faults of his predecessors to be somewhat forgotten,
and I am assured that Pius IX., in his inexhaustible
bounty, was disposed not to issue an anathema against a
King so devoted to the Church and to the Sovereign
Pontiff; but Ahe card,nals whom he con,ift-ti were of
opinion that the usage ought not to be abandoned, and
that the only arm which the Church possesses for the
defence of her temporal domain ought not to be allowed

to be broken. The excommunication accordingly was
pronounced, but after the absolution the Sovereign Pon-
tiff made in a loud voice the most complete eulogium of
the magn2nimous Ferdinand, of his very dear son in
Jesus Christ, the King of the two Sicilia, recalling in
the most flittering terms the services he has rendered to
the Holy See, and the Sovereign Pontiff ; and express-
ing his inviolate attachment and complete gratitude for
such a Christian Prince. Thus was saved, at the same
moment, the rights and usages of the Church, and the
regards due to a sovereign who has done so much fur the
Holy See."

THE AUSTRIAN PLOT FOR THE ASSAS-
SINATION OF KOSS') TH.
A man named BARDI has left Constantinople for
London in a sailing vessel. He is the bearer of do-
cuments which tend, by strong circumstantial evi-
dence, to show the participation of the Austrian
authorities in the plot for the assassination of
KOSSUTH. The Austrians had seized and imprisoned
him, but failed to obtain his papers, and he has at
length managed to escape from their clutches with
these important documents in his possession.