Star.
London, England, 1823-02-08 00:00:00

the first clause of the.present. st2nirprrArl.ii
should repeat the whole of OfePii`wee:kive clitarmr-7
It would then remain-With...their L6Mildpftio et-*c't
sods prams Dfithe rept altod:ekitaies *ibeY >rnigllidiem
ellpecilSs43u4l -to iliandt fae litlittosov Imes dray s dhest
think proper: The Houseekad agreed last -.year
I'mpoitantf points--that 4 mApi..3fea, co ,aoettlPiFrO
ihoiild be good, and that sufficient prOtectindiateald
be provided to -preveottheir utidile- solemnization,
'Plat protection-or security- he should" prose 'to be
given in the shape of oaths on the part of the parties,
with the penalty affixed to perjury, in case it should
he committed. There would, therefore, be a clear
field before their' Lilrdships ; and whatever parts of
, the ancient Act they might wish to retain, as well as
any fresh enactment whiolt they might conterriplate,
might be retained or introduced in the shape of
amendments. In this new Bill he should think it
right to propose vat appeared to him to be suffi-
cient securities. If any other Noble Lord thought
that they were not sufficient, he might suggest any
additions which he might consider necessary. The
securities which he (Lord Ellenborough) should pro-
pose, would be oaths that the parties were of the age
of twenty-one ; and, if above that age, to declare
whether they were widower or widow ; and if under,'
that they had the consent of their parents. These
oaths should be taken before the Minister by whom
the mariiage was solemnized ; and, as they would
be extremely short, the additional delay to the cere-
mony would not exceed two minutes, and yet would
give all the security required. The Minister who
should fail in administering the Oaths, should be
guilty of a misdemeanour, and the usual punishment
should be inflicted in cases of perjury. He was con-
irinced that all their. Lordships would give their best
care and attention to the Bill, as he was sure that
they must feel the great importance of the question
to society in a moral and religious point of view,
Since, he bad entered the House. he had been made
to understand that there was some informality in the
manner in which the new Bill-was drawn out, which
would prevent its being laid on the table for the pre.
sent. He should therefore not submit it to their Lord-
ships till Monday next.

Lord REJESDALE, in a very low tone, made
some observations on the errors of the existing Act.
some of which; he was convinced, were blondes's of
transcription. With respect to the proposal of the
Noble Lord, that the oaths should be administered
by the Minister at- the moment of the solemnization
of the marriage, it would, in cases of marriage by
license, remove the responsibility- from those who
had granted the license to the officiating Minister.
He also thought that the introduction of oaths in the
marriage ceremony would produce much inconve-
nience, especially in those. pariihei.wheie sometimes
twenty or twenty-five marriages were to be solemnized
the same dry.. It was a question too, whether the
Minister should not be satisfied with respect to the
qualifications of the parties, before he allowed the'
banns to be published. ,• • -
The LORD CHANCELLOR declared, that there
was no one alteration that he had proposed in the
Bill of last year, which he would not make again if
the same Bill was before the House. But their Lord-
ships and the Legi-slature having adopted its prin-
ciple, he bowed in kit " submission to their decision.
His Noble Friend had said, that a great deal of.
clamour had been raised with respect to the provi-
sions of, that ; but he did riot believnthat more
Complaints had been uttered* than were- justly due.
He should make no other observation at preient, ex-
cept to request his Noble Frietrirthit he would be
pleased to
give the House sufficient time to consider
the alterations to be made in so important a measure,
that their Lordships might -at last produce such a
Bill as would place the law of matrimony on a safe
and proper footing. He trusted that-all would-assist
in attaining that object; and Pirliament having
sanctioned the principle ofthe-Bill; its details should.
receive from him all the attention and consideration
which he was able to bestow. - •I• j 4 -

Lou! ELLENHOROUGH thought ,that nothing
could be fairer than this declaration on the part of the
Noble and Learned Earl, and felt highly gratified at
being certain of having his full and powerful sup-
port. It was also matter of great satisfaction to him,
that not one grievance under the operation of the re.
trospective clause had come to his knowledge since
the pasting of the Act.—Adjourned till Monday.