The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-07-25 00:00:00

CLERICAL INTELLIGENCE.

It is said, that amongst other changes contemplated in
the church, is the formation of a diocese of Canterbury, to
which a bishop will be appointed. This change will re-
lieve the Archbishop of the duties of a subordinate dioce-
san, and afford him uninterrupted time tasuperintend the
many bishoprics of his extensive district. The proposed
new bishop is to be resident at Canterbury ; and it is said
that the site of the old archepiscopal place, adjoining the
Cathedral, and late in the occupation of Sir Robt. Barlow,
will be purchased for the bishop's residence.—Kentish
Gavtte.

RAILWAY AFFAIRS.

__* _

The directors of the Nithsdale Railway have determined
upon opening that line from Dumfries to Gretna, on the
Ist of August.
BIRMINGHAM AND OXFORD JUNCTION.—The Com-
mittee of the Lords has granted the Great Western the
broad gauge as well as the narrow on this line, in opposi-
tion to the Report of the Railway Commissioners, but
manifestly for competition.
RAILWAY SPEED.—Mr. Stephenson showed to the
House of Lords, on Thursday, that the express speed of
the South-Western, between London and Southampton,
was 11. miles per hour faster than the Great Western,
between London and Exeter.

A policeman committed suicide at the Ivybridge station
of the South Devon, by sitting on one of the transoms of
the line previous to the approach of the 7 30 a.m up train.
The curve is so short that command of the road cannot be
had beyond a distance of a few chains.
Two meetings of shareholders in London, dissenting
from the proposed raising of £745,180 by 7 per cent. pre-
ference shares, by the directors of the Caledonian, have
been held. They do not appear to have gained their
object, as the proposal of the board was subsequently
carried in Edinburgh, by a large majority.
A splendid service of silver plate was, on Thursday pre-
sented to Matthew Plummer, Esq., having been voted at
the Annual General Meeting of the shareholders of the
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway Company, held in March
last, as a testimonial of their respect and appreciation of
his valuable services to the company during the long period
which he has filled the office of chairman of the Directors.
From official returns it appears that the amount of traf-
fic for the last week, on 3,910 miles of railway, was
£205,998, thus accounted for :—£112,970 for the convey-
ance of passengers only ; £44,850 for the carriage of
goods, and a remainder of £48,178 for passengers and
goods together, not respectively apportioned ; being an
increase of £16,067 over the corresponding week of last
year, when the mileage was 3,100. The average earnings
per mile were £52, whilst in 1847 they were £6l.
LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.—Those
of our readers who study the weekly traffic tables will
have remarked that there has been an apparent falling off
in that of this company for the last six months, to the
extent of some £6,000 or £7,000, as compared with last
year. We are happy to learn, however, that there is a
real increase over last yoar of more than £lO,OOO, the
difference being accounted for by the mode of keeping the
merchandise returns. It is also zumoured that there is
to be a large reduction of expenses during the half-year,
and that the net profit will consequently be much greater
than in any preceding six months.—Railway Record.
THE ABERDEEN RAILWAY.—It is said that an agree-
ment is actually signed between the London and North-
Western Railway and the Aberdeen Railway Companies,
by which the former covenants to take shares at par in
the latter to the extent of £140,000, and undertakes to
enable it to pay off debentures at short. dates and high
rates which shortly become due. What the exact condi-
tions are per contra in favour of the London and North
Western Company have not yet precisely transpired, but,
must shortly be rendered public in course. In taking
shares at par, or say at the £5O paid, when they can be
bought in the market at about £22, or say £2B discount,
countervailing advantages in some shape or other of a pro-
spective nature must necessarily be stipulated for or con-
templated.

July 25, ISA

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

BUNN v. LlND.—Three tnousand five hundred 011,
was paid into court on Tuesday in this celebrated action'
B
RkEinAdCHwaOsFtriPedßOalttl
IfiSeErI7OF dM on Monday.RrAoE. MARRIAGE.—An
The
the daughter of a farmer, was of the age of 35 ; the
action
fendant, a cattle dealer, numbered 48 years. A crin;l
it
connection was proved, a child having been born, a at
defence of the defendant, when the plaintiff's fam"lp,
manded that he should marry her, was, that "his m°4o
would not let him !" The promise was not denied,
rAß—apcitai
this tt,
the jury gave £lOO damages.
THE LAW OF MARRIAGE.—The Commissioners.
ar
pointed " to inquire into the state and operation of
law of marriage, as related to the prohibited degree
t,
affinity, and to marriages solemnised abroad or in
British colonies," have made their report. The gent
,
men to whom this most responsible duty was entrust;'
were the Bishop of Lichfield, Mr. Stuart Wortley, V.
judge advocate), Dr. Lushington, Mr. Blake, Mr.ll°lti
Williams, and Mr. Rutherford, the present lord advoesk,
The whole question, or at least material questiotve`,,
elucidation, arose out of the indictment, at tile Litligt
pool assizes, of a person named Chadwick, living in 'tpi
chester, for bigamy, he having married the sister 0' 0,
deceased wife, and whilst she was yet living- having het
ried again. Mr. Justice Wightman, upon the trial, d
that the marriage with the sister of the deceased„
was within the prohibited degrees intended by ,
Lyndhurst's act. This marriage was consequently dcl'av,
invalid, and the man was acquitted. The main que-
then, to which the commissioners directed theirattentio c
was whether marriage with a deceased wife's sister ro•
within the prohibited degrees of affinity ; and in COns-0
tion with that subject, they endeavoured to ascertoill
far as practicable, the effect of Lord Lyndhurst's °col
1835. On the first of these topics, the commissioneild.
there is a great diversity of opinion; that the Prevads,
feeling amongst the witnesses is against such mallet:
' but that, judging from the evidence, they cannot en
tain a reasonable doubt that families of a religiou'
et.
moral character have, in instances where such coullai
tions have taken place among themselves or their friely
been perfectly satisfied, upon a review of the whole '
ject, that they are not objectionable either on religions
moral grounds. With regard to the act of 18350,4
commissioners state it was a wise amendment of"
former law, in so far as it abolished the distinction bet,r
void and voidable marriage ; they then state that in l
a limited inquiry was instituted, at the instigation
expense of some private individuals, to ascertain to
extent to warrant an application to Parliament f°r
alteration in the law. The inquiry was short, and lima
to a small portion of England alone ; but it was
covered that 1384 marriages within the prohibited deg'7,ll
had been contracted since Lord Lyndhurst's act, obriili
more than nine-tenths were with a deceased s'
sister. Only 88 cases were discovered in which tbe., o
had prevented an intended marriage. On a revere
the whole subject, the conclusion of the commiss'°ge,
is, that the act of 1835 has failed in its object ; and 106
express a doubt whether any measure of a prohilAo
character would be effectual. Such marriages, 'r
say, will take place, when a concurrence of circemstndeot
give ri,e to mutual attachment. They are not depend
upon legislation ; and it is added that such attacl94
and marriages are not likely to be extensively inere,li•
in number, because it is not the state of the law, I'o4
bitory or permissive, which ever will effectually g°,o•
them. Among the witnesses examined before the r
mittee were the Rev. J. Garbett (examining chapisly
the Bishop of Manchester), the Hon. and Rev. Mr• ;01
cival, Dr. Pusey, Dr. Wiseman, Dr. Cox (the bso
minister), the Rev. R. C. Jenkins, Archdeacon SiecDtt
Archdeacon Hale, the Archbishop of Dublin, the c,'4
rabbi (Dr. Adler), Dr. Bunting, M. Bunsen, Mr. CO'
&c., &c.

COURT AND FASHION.

On Wednesday, the Queen and Prince Albert 13
noti
noured with their presence a fete at Fulham in suP,l;ret
of the baths and washhouses. Afterwards, at .0,
.o'clock, her Majesty held a court at Rockingham P;or
Lady Caroline Grosvenor, fourth daughter of the
quis and Marchioness of Westminster, is about
conducted to the hymeneal altar by the Hon. Mr. bbet
eldest son of Lord and Lady Leigh, of Stoneleigh Aor
The Hon. Joseph Denman, Captain R.N., µ'lio 01
ceeds Sir Edward Codrington as Groom in Waiting ,
Queen, is the son of the Lord Chief Justice, 0"010
greatly distinguished by the destruction of the barrac tioo
on the coast of Africa, which led to the celebrated acbbeic
against him by the slave dealers for alleged loss of 1,.,t%
property, which, however, he proved he had ordered 1."
destroyed in discharge of his public duty.