Star.
London, England, 1830-06-21 00:00:00

HICtSON•S MARRIAGE ANNULLING BILL.

Counsel having been called In to proceed In the examination of
witnesses In this bill,liu Hickson attended at the bar to be ex-
amined, when

Mr. PoLeoce objected to his competency, and a discussion of
some length took place In which the Lord Chancellor, Lord Hol-
land, the Bishop of London, the Earl of Malmesbury, and the Mar.
quis of Londonderry, spoke. Finally, the question as to the admis-
sibility of her evidence was put and carried, and Miss Dickson then
attended at the bar, accompanied by two elderly ladies, (her appear-
ance is rather prepossessing, and her countenance bespeaks more in.
telligence and experience than her friends gave her credit for;) she
is now in her 19th year. Being now examined by Mr. Adam, she
stated that she was the daughter of Mrs. Wait; had been that at
the school of a Miss Edwards, and afterwards at the school of a
Mts. Alma, at Derby, where she became acquainted with Mary
Ann Buxton' for whom she formed a strong attachment. Pre-
vious to the death of old Mr. Buxton, Mr. and Mrs. Wait used
to visit that family. After Mr. Buxton's death, Mrs. Wait once
drank tea at Mrs. Buxton's; but the intercourse between the two
families then broke off, except that between witness and Mary
Ann Buxton. Witness used to see Thomas Buxton occasionally,
but he never paid any particular attention to her until the March
before their marriage, when she received a note front hint, which
she put into the the after she had shown it to her mother. She
did not recollect the contents of the now any further than that
it expressed affection towards her. Her mother told her that she
disapproved of Thomas Buxton. The next time that she saw him
after having received the note, she told him that she had shown
it to her mother and that she had promised her not to speak of
him, as her mother disapproved of him. She used to visit the
house of a farmer named Bedford, who had little children, to whom
she was in the habit of carrying books and flowers. Thomas Buz.
ton met her there very often, and gave her a letter on one occasion,
which letter she had since destroyed ; at the same time he told
her, that if she continued of the sante mind that he should be
the most miserable man on earth. She told him that she should
keep her resolution. He requested of her not to tell her mother
that he had given her that letter, and she promised not to tell, pro.
vided that he should not mention the subject again to her. Ile said
that he was afraid he could not help it. (Laughter.) Ile asked if he
might write to her even if she would have no more to do with him.
She Raid that he might not. The next time that she saw him
he asked her if she had shown the letter to her mother ? She said
that she had not, on account of his promise not to mention the sub.
ject again to her. He said that he hoped she would not continue of
the 16111111 C mind. They then separated. Whenever she rode out, he
used to try to come up to her, in order to speak to her. She always
begged of him to say no more to her on the subject to which the
letters referred. She once heard a conversation between Mr. and
Mrs. Wait respecting the Buxton family. She saw Thomas Buz.
ton the next day, and told him the subject of the conversation, and
that they were very angry because she used to talk to him There
was some person coming up at this time, and he asked her where
she should ride the following day ? She said the Derby road. The
ren...011 why she told him was, because he was so troublesome in
mentioning the subject whenever he saw her. She met him next
day on the Derby road, and told him the conversation which Mr.
esti Mrs. Wait had again respecting him, and begged of him not to
mention the subject to her ever again. He said that he should
certainly be most miserable, and be obliged to leave the country,
he should be so unhappy, If she persevered in her resolution.
She told him that she was determined not to have him. He then
persuaded her to give her consent to marry him, and told her the
plan which he should adopt to have the marriage solemnized in the
old church in Manchester. This was not the first time that he
mentioned the subject of marriage to her ; he had been continually
urging her from the beginning to give her consent to marry him.
After he had told her his plan, she gave her consent : this was on
the 13th of May ; his first proposal was in March ; he told her
that he should go to •ftlend of his in Manchester the Saturday follow.
ing to make the arrangement, and that he was sure that her friends
would forgive her, and that she would be very happy with
hint; he said that his mother would allow him 2001. a-year ;
she asked how she should go to Manchester, he said that she should
get leave to go to Derby for two or three days, and that instead of
going there she should go with him. This was the first time that
she consented to marry him ; all this conversation took place on the
Drrby.road. She saw Mary Ann Buxton the day after, and told
her that her brother had made a proposal to her; Mary Ann said
that site was not at all surprised at that ; witness told her the plan,
and that her brother had gone to Manchester to have the bans pub-
lished. She asked witness if she had any friends in Manchester?
witness mid that she had some who might know the name. She then
asked witness if she had any friends in Coventry ? witness said that
she had not. Mary Ann then said that her brother could not get a
license unites he swine that witness was of age.
Lord HOLLAND moved that counsel and witness should with.
thaw, and that the 20th section of the marriage act, 3 Oro. IV.
should be read, which being read, was in substance that in any,
'question whore the validity of the marriage was the subject at issue,i
'etidenee respecting informality in the publication of the bans weal
suadmiutible.

Lord lita.raan observed that their Lordships were now doing
what the act said they should not do. The whole case rested on'
the informality of the bans. If the construction put on the mar-.
tinge was sound, their lordships must be aware of the evil cense.