Star.
London, England, 1823-02-25 00:00:00

bfARItTAGE ACT.

The Archbishop of CANTER BURY brought up a Report
from the Committee appointed to inquire into the State of the
I.aws respecting Alatriages, the object of which was, that the
Committee might be allowed to report from time to time. Nis
Grace then presented the Reporr, in which the Committee
stated, that a considerable time mi;ht elapse before they should
be able to come to a complete consideration of the several
points on which they were pursuing their examination ; and
they submitted to the House whatht•r it would not, in the mean.
time, be advisable to introduce a Bill to legalize marriages that
may hereafter he contracted, with the exception of tit; nullity
clause. His Grace further stated, that the Committee were
anxious at once to remove several of the objections that had
been made to the Act of last Session, so far as regarded the
prospective ertuse:, at:d were likely to affect the morals cf
c•.untry, and that they had drawit up a short Act fur that pur-
pose. Ile then presented the Bill.
Lord EI.LE :C BO RUGG H said, the effect of the Bill would
place the country in the same situation in which it was between
the 213th of July and the 2d of September. Ills Lordship con-
sidered it advisable to bring in this Bill, but it was his opinion
that the law introduced should not he permanent ; on the con-
trary, the Committee would no doubt proceed with all dispatch
in framing an efficient Act; and his hope was, that at no great
distance a Bill, consistent in its principles, would be introduced.
The Bill was then read the first iini). .

The Earl of SH AFT ES BURY presented a Petition from
the Clergy of Bristol, for a repeal of the Marriage Act; alto
one from Carinaz then.—They were read and laid on the table.

MARRIAGE LICENSES.

The Archbishop of CANTERBURY moved the second
reading of his Bill to legalise certain Marriage Licensee.—The
Bill was read the second time and committed fur to-morrow.

FOREIGN RELATIONS.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN rose, pursuant to
intimation, and wished to know from the Noble Earl
opposite (Liverpool), if there existed any ground for
a general discussion of the state of our external rela-
tions, after the concurrent opinion of both Houses
of Parliament, which was also that of the nation,
had been so unequivocally expressed with regard to
the circumstances of France and Spain ? He must
confess that he was anxious to know whether any
ground of dispute existed at present, in-order that, in
the event, he might throw all responsibility on his
Majesty's Ministers, upon whom alone such respon-
sibility ought to rest. When he considered the fer-
nieut of the public mind upon-this point---when he,
considered, too, that three weeks bad passed away
since the opening of this Session—and when he con-
sidered the opportunity that had been afforded by the
circumstance of a Special Deputation, for commu-
nicating; with the Government of Spain, he trusted
their Lordships would not consider it premature to re-
quest some explanation from the Noble Earl. When
it was considered, in addition to all this, that France
herself had hurled the very threat of defiance, which,
by endangering the peace of Europe, might embroil
us in another most calamiti,us war, he apprehended
that he had some reason, not to say tight, to ask
whether the hope of peace, whatever its value might
have been at the commencement of the Session, held
out by his Majesty's Government, was such in effect
as to secure the prospect of tranquillity to western
Europe?—whether, in fact, the persuasion that peace
would be preserved to us, continued to exist in the
minds of his Majesty's Minister)? What were the
nature of those expectations, which led the King's
Government to believe, and act upon such belief, that
a conflict could, at all events, be avoided by us? It
would depend on the answer he hoped to receive
from the Noble Earl opposite, to consider how far it
behoved him to proceed. But he trusted that duty
would not induce the Noble Fail to withhold that
satisfaction which, in courtesy, he believed him dis-
posed to grant.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that perhaps their
Lordships would recollect, 'at the Opening of the
Session, in answer to a question from the Noble Mar-
quis, he had taken the liberty of explaining the re-
sults of our relations with foreign Powers, so far.
as he felt it consistent with his duty. On that occa-
sion he stated, that the door was not actually closed
against our interposition ; and upon thii pound he
had deprecated any sort of discus ton that should do
away the benefit to be derived from our good office.
Having now stated thus much, he had no difficulty
in saying, that the very same desire to preserve the
peace still predominated in his Majesty's Govern-
meat : and, therefore, that whatever might be out:
differences of opinion on particular points, he hoped
there remained but one amons,st Noble Lords, in the
wi,hes entertained by his Majesty's Government for
the preservation of general peace. Nothing haJ
oc-
curred to alter the hope entertained that peace was
probable. With this explanati in, he was enabled to
add further, that, in addition to general consider*.
Lions, there were also some special circumstances
which had lately occurred, and which should iticloce
their Lordships more than ever to deprecate any disc
cussion, at all tending to interfere with the relations
of France and Spain, or the communications with the;
.Goverttments of .either-State. Having said this, he
ans.t deprecate all further d ecitssions on the subjects
a id, indeed, he had also to indininn, that the for•;-
nem ance of l'ailisment, up to the present time, had
been a material advantage in our negotiations with