The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-15 00:00:00

T.H. SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 1842.

• - -- -
In the Court of Queen's Bench, Ireland, a
udgment has been pronounced which cannot
fail to astonish and afflict hundreds of highly re-
spectable families in the northern districts of that
kingdom. A Mr. SMITH wail convicted at the
last assizes at Armagh of bigamy. His Counsel,
Mr. WHIT3iBIDE, objected that his first marriage
was not valid, having been celebrated by a Pres-
byterian clergyman between an Episcopalian
Protestant and a Presbyterian. Judge CRAMP-
TON, before whom the case was tried, reserved
the point for the decision of the Irish Judges,
who, on Tuesday last, pronounced theirjudgment,
in presence of a very crowded court. There were
ten Judges on the Bench, eight of whom decided
that a marriage celebrated between an Episco-
palian Protestant and a Presbyterian, by a Pres-
byterian clergyman, was not valid, and therefore
that SMITH must be discharged out of custody.
As this judgment will operate retrospectively as
well as prospectively, in a country where some
thousands of families have been so married, and
where the fruits of such marriages are exceed-
ingly numerous, it is impossible to estimate the
amount of suffering which it may occasion. We
regret it on many accounts, but chiefly because
it will tend to unsettle men's minds as to the va-
lidity and force of the most sacred engagements.
It opens a door to the widest and most heartless
profligacy, as it leaves it at the option of any
person so married to desert his family and the
partner of his bed under the hypocritical pretext
of flying from a state of fornication. It is true
the persons so united may be married again by
application to the clergy of the Established
Church; but in the case of old decrepid people,
who have reared up families, and who stand M
the relation of grandsires to their descendants,
what a deal of scandal would not such marriages
cast upon the Church ? Regarding the judgment
in a purely secular sense, it is of the utmost im-
portance as involving endless controversies re-
specting the rights of property.
That this question will be early brought before
Parliament we do not doubt. An Act of the
Legislature is imperatively demanded to supply
whatever is wanting in the validity of all mar-
riages already celebrated, to which the judg-
ment of the Irish Court of Queen's Bench ap-
plies. This Act, if quickly passed, may prevent
separations and actions at law without number.
It is for the Church of Scotland to determine
whether she will consent to admit the invalidity
of any marriage celebrated by her regularly or-
dained ministers, one party to which shall be of
her own communion. For our own part we
think justice and decency demand that in all
mixed marriages it is enough to constitute their
validity that the officiating priest be of the reli-
gious communion of one or the other of the con-
tracting parties. It might lead to abuses were
a Church of England, a Presbyterian, or a Ro-
mish priest to celebrate a marriage between per-
sons of another religious communion, or of dif-
ferent sects from themselves ; but were one of
the persons about to be married to hold the
tenets of the Established Church, the Presby-
tery, or the See of Rome, we consider the reli-
gious right of one or other of these priests to be
undoubted. To grant a monopoly of mixed
marriages to one class of priests is an outrage
against the liberty of the subject, and a violation
of freedom of conscience. A Roman Catholic,
for example, marrying a Protestant, may not
think a Church of England marriage binding,
whereas the object of his choice may have
scruples as to the validity of a Romish marriage,
Now, in this case, the monopoly claimed by the
State Church necessarily leads to great domestic
unhappiness. To the parties who contract mixed
marriages it should be left to determine in the
communion of what Church they would prefer
their celebration, all and each being declared
equally valid by the Legislature.
But the most painful impression which this
judgment of the expounders of the laws will
make out of Ireland will be the effect which it
must have in opening the eyes of the people to
the defects which exist in all our social institu-
tions. Here is the denunciation of a grave, civil,
and ecclesiastical error, which has existed for
centuries 'in Ireland, unknown to all who took
part in it before the Court of Queen's Bench
pronounced its judgment on Tuesday. Men and
women mouldering in their graves, after a life of
what they died in the belief was the perfection
of Christian connubial happiness, are by this
sentence denounced to their descendants as
having lived and died in a state of fornication.
But what was the State Church doing all this
time? Wherefore did she not lift up a warning
voice? But it is ever so. The Church is the
last to find her tongue when her pecuniary in-
terests
are left untouched. Give her the tithe
pig, and letit be the fattest of the litter, and SATA x
may, if he chooses, carry off the swine-herd
without molestation.

The following is the latest news from Madrid :
" M. de Salvandy, after receiving from the Spanish
Cabinet a reply to his ultimatum, left Madrid on the 6th
instant for Paris. M. de Salvandy appointed M. De-
cazes (one of the attaches) to act as Charge d'Affaires."
A Bayonne letter of the 10th instant announces
that two attaches to the French Embassy at Madrid,
had just passed through Bayonne, on their way to
Paris, and that M. de Salvandy had stopped at
Breviesca, a village situate between Burgos and
Vittoria, whither the courier who was the bearer of the
instructions forwarded from Paris on the sth inst., and
who had just arrived in Bayonne, proceeded.
No cash transaction took place on the sth in the Five
per Cents. The Three per Cents. sold for 231 23-1 23i
231 at different dates.

The Paris Journals of Thursday have been re-
ceived. All the important news they contain
will be found in our Summary and the Report of
the Chamber of Peers. The following roe general_
'extracts from them :
Our Madrid advices, of the 4th int., state that the
affair of the French Ambassador rcolainedjust where it

are common to all Kings, the latter his
MAJESTY of Prussia derives from a long line of
ancestors, including several Electors of Bran-
denburg. Again we must borrow a descriptive
sketch of his MAJESTY'S appearance in his last
and real part, from the coarse, sign-board
pallet of the Times :
It would appear therefore, upon the whole, that what-
ever be the ostensible purpose of the King of Prussia's
approaching visit, his Majesty's real object is to insult
the English Ministry and Baron Bulow. The latter has
for some time resided among us as Plenipotentiary from
the Court of Berlin. No complaints, that we'are aware of,
have ever been made against his Excellency's diplomacy.
But as it appears that his Royal master is now about to
take matters into his own hank the poor Baron, we fear,
is about to get a humbling. Neither is Sir Robert
Peel's Ministry destined to escape a brush. The Royal
schoolmaster is evidently coming from abroad to drill
English statesmen in divers points of duty—to cate-
chise them on matters of common interest to Germany
and himself—to make a serious push for his own profit
—and to ascertain from the questioned Conservatives
how far they themselves are acquainted with, or are ca-
pable of revealing to foreign interrogators, the real con-
dition of the English Government.
Further comments upon these extracts we
feel to be uncalled for. It would be an insult to
our readers to suppose that there is one of them
—however Republican his principles may be—
who can read without disgust the gross insults
thus offered to a Royal personage on his way to
pay a friendly visit to this country. To brand
an independent Sovereign who, at the invita-
tion of our Gracious QUEEN, comes a guest
to our shores with the epithets of spy,
hypocrite, and bully, is a piece of low,
brutal, Old Bailey insolence, of which no
Journal in England, save the Times, could be
guilty. Be the designs of the King of PRUSSIA
what they may, the Press generally knows
what is due to the sacred character of a
national guest ; nor will it even suspect a
King of opening a Prayer-book to cloak de-
signs more sinister than those of reconciling
himself to his Creator. Thank Heaven, Eng-
land is not in a condition to be terrified at the
idea of having her living defences examined
by Kings; and though her Tory statesmen might
dread a reproof from the lips of Prussia's
dread Sovereign, his MAJESTY is too sagacious
a Prince, and too well-bred a gentleman to
choose the occasion of a temporary visit to this
country, on the hilarious occasion of the baptism
of a Prince of Wales, either to snub the Premier
or to call the Chancellor of the Exchequer to an
account for the deficit in the revenue.

The commission appointed during the last session of
tho Chambers to take tho question of tho abolition of
slavery into consideration, reassembled yesterday, at tho
Palais Bourbon.

The Toulonnais of the 9th announces that the Bran-
don steamer, bound to Tunis, had neither letters nor pas-
sengers on board.
The mails from Spain have not arrived.
(
The Ley, a Barcelona journal, says in its number of
the 4th that the Government was going to dissolve the
societies of mutual assistance (de secours mutuels) esta-
blished in Catalonia on the plan of the French societies.
The Marshal President of the Council has just ap-
pointed a Commission to examine a project of colonisa-
tion in French Guiana, presented by Mr. Favard, the
delegate of that colony, and of which M. Jules Lecha-
valier is the author.

BOURSE—Tens, THURSDAY, JAN. 13.
First Highest Lowest Last
Price Price. Price. Price.
french 5 per Cent 5.......... • 117 80 ... 117 80
... 117 60
... 117 65
4 per Cents lO2 20 ... 102 20 ... 102 211 ... 102 20
3 per Cent. 7B 75 ~, 78 75 ... 78 70 ... 78 70
Loan
lank of France
Latlltte Bank I,ooof. Shares 1020 ...Imo
...lola
...Iwo
4,000 f. Shares 5025 ...5025
...60.25
..5025
'wean Bank
Belgian 5 •per Cents.
6 per Cents., 1840 104% ... 104% ... 104% ... 104%
9 per Cents 7l 50 ... 71 50 ... 71 50 ... 71 50
Spanish Active 25% ... 25% ... 2Mi
Passive .th ... 5Yi ... 53i ... 514
Neapolitan
.1,,..01 20 .., 137 30 ... 107 ... ICI
R05nan............... ........ .
... 104
... 104
Portuguese& percents.
RAILWAY 311AREb.
Versailles. R. B 333 .... 335 .., 335 ... 335
L.B 246 ...205 ...205 ...203
Rouen 485 ... 483 ... 485 ... 485
Orleans .. ...........
Strasburg to Bale " 207/50 ... 227 50 .. 224 25 ... 226 25

THE DUKE OF CLEVELAND. —Upon inquiry
is morning at the Duke of Cleveland's, in
St. James's-square, the answer was that his
Grace had passed another quiet night, and was
much the same as yesterday.
JUSTICE IS WISDOM.—The Morning Post
affirmed yesterday that justice is wisdom. That
is our opinion ; and, therefore, regardless of what
ignorant persons (for ignorant they must be of
the future) predict as to the consequences, we de-
mand the abolition of the unjust Corn-laws.
They raise the rent and increase the incomes of
the idle law-making classes at the expense of the
industrious classes. They are a gross and pal-
pable injustice, and therefore must be, on the
Post's doctrines, also unwise and inexpedient.
If that Journal cannot prove the Corn-laws to
be just, let it extend its own nxiom to them, and
denounce them as we denounce them.
The number of deaths in the metropolis
during the week ending January 8, had de-
creased by 46, as compared with that of the
previous week. The decrease had taken
place chiefly in the deaths caused by dis-
eases of the brain, the heart, old age, and
those of uncertain seat. The deaths from dis-
eases of the lungs are still on the increase,
eighteen more have occurred during the last than
the former week, and not fewer than forty-six
as compared with the week ending Dec. 25.
Sir Robert Peel left town at one o'clock this
afternoon, by a train of the Great Western
CRail,
afoprp
oWinitneddsotor Ctle, to
held
to Putney yesterday morning, on a visit to the
aattthenadlf-tphaesEt rtiwvoy
o'clock.—The Chancellor of the Exchequer went
Earl of Ripon ; the Right Honourable Gentle-
man and his Lordship went from Putney to at-
tend the Council. Most of the other Ministers,
except the Duke of Wellington) also left town
for Windsor Castle this morning. Several new
Privy Councillors are expected to be made to-day

missioners of the Metropolitan
CAUTION TO HOUSEKEEPERS.---The COM-
Police have issued a
coach-house, stable, chapel,
occupier of any house, tenement, washhouse, shop, shed,
public or private building
notice that by the 57th Geo. 111., cap. 29, sec. 63' "LverY.
street or public place,
meeting-house, or other
during the continuance oi in any
the frost, or after or during the
fall of snow, shall, once in every day, before ten (54clock
in the forenoon of each day (except Sunday) cause to be
neglect shall forfeit a sum not 0
swept and cleaned the footway all along the front, side,
or back wall of their respective houses, and for every
10s."
APOTHECARIES' HALL.--Nantes of gentle-
men to whom certificates of qualification were granted
on Thursday :—Daniel Wheeler, PankB James Wiggin-
ton, George Robinson, Thomas John Starling.
During the past year 292,000 passengers were
conveyed by the railroad between Amsterdam and Haar-
lem. The total receipts, including luggage and mer-
chandise, were 136,698 florins (or 336,745 francs.
The Lincoln Mercury intimates that Mr. Chris-
topher's constituents are greatly dissatisfied with his
late speech upou the corn cinestion, and are about to I
take steps to express their feeling on the subject.

was, notwithstanding that Sir A. Aston had done all in
his power to bring about a good understanding upon the
subject. In the sitting of the Deputies on that day, the
Minister of Finance had brought forward the Budget
of 1842, which was referred to a Committee- Accord-
ing to this document, it appears that the deficit for 1842
is upwards of 180 millions of reels, or 45 millions of
francs. The estimates of the war department are fixed
at 600,000,000 reals, or 150 millions of francs. The
average revenues of the Spanish Government are calcu-
lated at between 700 and 800 millions of reels, or from
173 to 200 millions of francs per annum.—The Castel-
lano of the above date gives the following:—" The even-
ing before last an extraordinary incident occurred at
the Palace. A carriage drove up to the steps from
which the Princesses enter their equipages, and a gen-
tleman alighting went to the door at which are stationed
the first sentinels of the halberdiers, who asked him
where he was going. Ile replied that he belonged to
the household. Of entering the saloon he was again
questioned, and then replied that he was the King Don
Philip, affianced to Queen Isabella 11., and was about to
marry her immediately. He was taken before the Cap-
tain-General, and, being recognised as a lunatic, was
placed in safe custody.'
The Cure of Vernon, in the Eure, as we learn from
the journal of the department, having refused to perform
the funeral service over the body of a grocer of the town,
who had committed suicide, the grenadiers of the Na-
tional Guard determined to accompany his remains to
the cemetery. As the procession was about to move
from the deceased's house, it was opposed by the Freres
de Charite, but the Commissary of Police interfered, and
declared that the grenadiers had a right to carry their
late comrade to his grave ; but as the Freres de Charite
refused to lend their staves to support the bier, the gre-
nadiers used their muskets for the purpose. It is the
custom at Vernon to throw the bodies of criminals over
the wall of the cemetery, and bury them in the common
fosse, but in this case the gates were opened to the pro-
cession, which was numerously attended, and the corpse
was interred in a separate grave.
The Revue du Havre mentions the detection of a secret
gambling-house in that town, and the prosecution of
several respectable persons as being concerned in it. It
is said to have been denounced by a foreigner, who lost
4,000 f. in playing there.
The Journal de 1 'Eure complains that the wolves con-
tinue to ravage the country round Evreux, and have de-
voured several cattle belonging to feeders in Authou,
Pont Authou, St. Georges Lieurey, and the neighbour.
ing communes.
An eagle was killed last week at La Chapelle-sur-
Erdre, near Nantes. It measured 7 feet 11 inches from
tip to tip of its wings. No bird of the kind had been
seen in that commune for the last twenty years.
A lady and gentleman were one day last week going
from Chaumont to Blois, in a light carriage with one
horse, when the jolting upset a chaufie-pied, which the
lady had under her feet to keep them warm, and scat-
tered the lighted charcoal among the straw at the bot-
tom, setting it almost immediately in a blaze. They
both got out unhurt, and took the horse out of the shafts,
but found it impossible to save a single article of the bag-
gage, which with the carriage, made of wicker work be-
hind, was entirely consumed.
The report of M. Ducos, in the name of the Special
Committee of the Council of Commerce, recommended
the suppression of the beetroot-sugar manufactories with
an indemnity, but, on its being put to the vote on Tues-
day, this conclusion was rejected by a majority of 24 to
23. The immediate placing of the duties on home made
and colonial sugars upon an equality, was then discussed
and carried by a majority of 36' to 11.
Advices from Constantinople, of 22d ult., in the Aus-
trian Observer, state that Baron de Bourqueney had
visited the Grand Vizir and other high functionaries the
day before. Mustapha Pacha had sailed for Syria with
1,500 choice troops. Muchta Bey had accompanied
him. Another letter, in tho Augsburg Gazette, says that
the new Grand Vizir has dismissed Rifaat Pacha from
his post in the Divan, and has replaced him by Sarim
Effendi, who is known to be opposed to the late reforms.
The National says:—" The 2d light infantry, and the
11th and 59th of the line, between which regiments and
other corps a sanguinary quarrel took place at the be-
ginning of the month, had a dinner of reconciliation on
Tuesday at the Salon Francais; near the Barrier° de
l'Ecole-Militaire, which was attended by numerous de-
putations from each corps. During the repast, the
bands of each of the above-mentioned regiments played
in concert, and among the toasts, the following was
drunk with the warmest cordiality:—` A l'union ajamais
inseparable entre tons les corps, tant d'infanterie que de
cavalerio "—The Commerce says that arrests of the
men concerned in this quarrel are still going on.
The St. Petersburgh Correspondent of the Journal de
Frankfort says---" The treaty with Khiva is beginning
to produce good fruit. Caravans now pass in perfect
security over the Steppes. In July last, one composed
of 29 camels left Bouckara. for the fortress of Orskaia,
being the first which has ever ventured upon this jour-
ney, from fear of being pillaged by the Kirghis."
A violent affray occurred the day before yesterday at
Vanvres, south of Paris beyond Vaugirard, between
some journeymen carpenters and ,some men engaged in
the washing establishments of that place. The cause
was a drunken quarrel in a public-house, ending in a
fight, in the course of which knives were drawn, and
one man was dangerously wounded. The local autho-
rities intervened just as the disturbance was assuming
a serious character, and arrested several of t he most riotous.
The Journal de Bourbonnais has just been seized for an
article considered seditious.
The Bordeaux papers state that, on the 9th inst.,
from 1,200 to 1,500 young men of that city went to the
Abbe Lacordaire, in pursuance of resolutions adopted at
the public meeting mentioned by us the other day, to
congratulate him on the result of his Advent sermons. A
respectful address was delivered on the occasion; to which
the Abbe replied by an animated speech, which showed
that he was much moved at this public testimonial of
respect.