The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-22 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 21
NUTFORD'S DIVORCE BILL.

Counsel were heard and witnesses examined on
behalf of the party applying. for this Bill, after which
the Bill was read a second time and ordered to be
committed.

PRESBYTERIAN MARRIAGES.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from the
Moderator and other members of the congregation of
Letterkenny, County of Donegal, begging the House
to take into consideration the law on Presbyterian
marriages. Also a petition from the County of Mo-
naghan to the same effect.
CORN-LAWS—THE SUFFRAGE.

Lord BROUGHAM presented a numerously
signed petition from the parish of St. Luke, Middle-
sex, praying for a Repeal of the Corn and Provision-
laws ; also that the right of voting for Members of
the House of Commons be conferred upon every male
of 21 years of age, of sound mind and of character un-
stained by criminal conviction ; also a petition from
a place in Fife for a repeal of the C•irn-laws.
-Lord STRAFFORD presented a petition from
Coleraine, complaining of the state of the law relating
to marriages in Ireland.
SLAVE TRADE TREATY.

The Earl of ABERDEEN laid..on the table of the
House a treaty, signed by the representatives of the
Five Great Powers of Europe, for-,thtmore effectual
suppression of the slave trade. He regretted that he
could not inform the House that France had agreed to
the ratification of that treaty, nor was he able to inform
the House when that ratification might be ex-
pected. 'Their Lordships were perhaps aware
of the causes which produced this difference on
the part of the French Government. His Majesty
the King of the French had thought the
reasons assigned by his Government to be
sufficient to induce him to suspend this ratification:
Their Lordships were aware of the nature of those
reasons, and he felt it to be his duty to say nothing,
nor do anything which could possibly throw the least
difficulty in the way affecting that treaty. The proto-
col had been left open for the accession of that Power.
It would be perceived it would combine the treaty
entered into by France and this country in 1831. The
treaty of 1833 remains in full force ; indeed it was in
effect the original treaty of 1831. The present treaty
was formed upon the principle of these two, and
entered into not with any intention of new engage-
ments, or any new articles, with but one exception.
By the treaty of 1831, a mutual right of search was
fully recognised and established. By the treaty of 1833
different articles furnished sufficient prima facie evi-
dence that such a principle was recognised. The present
treaty did no more ; there was but a slight addition
as to the latitude in which the right of search existed.
To this part of the treaty France had refused to ac-
cede, but the remainder of the other four Powers had
confirmed the treaty with respect to this latitude.
That was the only material article that made any
difference in the treaties, and he (Lord Aberdeen)
hoped that the time would shortly arrive when those
causes to which he would not more particularly al-
lude, and which had produced this decision on the
part of the French Government, would no longer
remain, and the treaty would be eventually concluded
as they had desired.
Lord BROUGHAM said he had heard with the
deepest regret the announcement made by his
Noble Friend respecting the ratification of that
important treaty. He (Lord Brougham) would
also carefully abstain from saying one word
that even would have a tendency to remove any
of the obstacles which existed towards the
consummation which all parties in this country
and persons of every description were anxious to see
effected. But one thing he would beg to add re-
specting what had dropped from his Noble Friend.
If in any quarter there prevailed—if beneath the
universal desire of the people of this country, of all
classes and descriptions, to see this important treaty
ratified, and its provisions honestly and faithfully exe-
cuted, there lurked any sinister motive, or wish, or
fancy, or imagination—if thereby or therethrough
increasing any supposed maritime right—any general
right of search—or fortifying any claim in existence
—he (Lord B.) begged to deny that such would in-
crease the maritime power of this country, or in any
manner of way accomplish any object or fulfil
any one view whatever, except the extinction of the
African slave-trade. He begged to state that any
opinion entertained, such as he adverted to,
was an absolute delusion. He would venture to say
that in no quarter, neither in the Government of this
country, nor in the party generally opposed to the
Government, nor in fact in the more minute portion
or the Parliament, did there exist any one idea what-
ever as connected with this subject save and except that
of seeing.the extinction of the African slave trade.
No man acquainted with the state of this great ques-
tion, and the interest that it excited in the minds of
the people of, this country, could• have the slightest
doubt that what he (Lord B.) now stated was the
precise and literal fact.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE presented some papers
(as we understood) relative to the number of Magis-
trates in Ireland.

Viscount MELBOURNE presented a petition from
Mullingar relative to Dissenters' marriages. The
Noble Viscount also presented a petition from the
North Riding of the county of York praying for a
total repeal of the Corn-laws.