The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-03-20 00:00:00

and that I have lived in the parish for 39 many days; that I am
so many years old, a bachelor or widower, (as the ease might
be,) and that I know of no other impediment, kindred, or alli-
ance which is an obstacle to this engagement."
Dr. Loshington, Mr. P. Howard, Mr. Baines, Mr. C. Fer-
guson, Mr. P. 'Thomson, Mr. I). W. Harvey, Mr. Stuart Wort-
ley, and Mr. Leonard expressed their satisfaction, and thanked
the right hon. baronet for the liberal spirit which pervaded the
bill.

Mr. Ewairr complimented the right hon. baronet for the'dis-
tinguished clearness and order with which the measure had been
introduced. lie contended for marriage being performed ac-
cording to the old laws of England, as tt was in the time of the
Commonwealth, and as it continued up to 1754. He trusted
that the time was coming when the number of distinctions be-
tween churchmen and dissenters would be decreased, and he
hoped it was not far distant when the most subtle would fade
away. He trusted that the time was coining when personal
rights and the rights of property would be secured by a general
registration of births, marriages and deaths. The principle of
the bill was one that would-redound eternallv"to the honour of
the right hon. baronet for having developed It.
Lord SAN DON thought that from the tune of some part of the
observations of hon. members, one fact had been lost sight of—
that they were not legislating for a certain sect but furthe great
mass of the people, whose feelings attached them to the esta-
blished churca. The wisest thing a legislature could do was to
apply itself, not to theoretical wrongs, but to acknowledged
grievances. He approved of the non-interference of the esta-
blished church in the matter of registration.
Mr. ROEBUCK said that the state should never view the cere-
mony of marriage in any other light than as a civil contract.
He thought the time of a parish priest could be employed to
no more useful purpose than acting as a civil officer of the state.
For the peat principle propounded he returned the right hon.
bert. opposite his most sincere thanks. They were now to be
governed on philosophical principles so offensive to the noble
lord opposite.
Lord SAN DON was desirous of knowing, from some remarks
that bad fallen front the bun. member who had just sat down,
is hen the hon, member for Bath had been constituted lecturer
on arrogance and acrimany to the house?
Mr. SIIEIL thought there was much good in the bill mixed up
with much that was objectionable. lie objected to giving cler-
gymen ss. for doing nothing, while the magistrates who would
have to do all the work would only receive 2s.
The ATTORNEY-GENERA L, Sir JOHN CAMPBELL, Mr. WAR-
BURTON, and Mr. M'Ca NCI: approved of the bill.
Mr. KENNEDY was quite sure that the measure of the right
hon, baronet would be even more unpalatable to the dissenters
-than its predecessor, that of the noble member for Devonshire.
(Laughter, and cries of Oh !) They objected to the latter for
some of its details. They would object to the former for its
principle. (Cries of Oh! and laughter.) It degraded the dis-
senting clergyman below the clergyman of the Church of Eng-
land. It drew a line of demarcation between sects, and it created
two kinds of marriages. The consequence of all which would
be to displease the dissenters to the last degree, and make them
more violent than before. (Cries of Oh! oh ! and Question.)
Sir ROBERT PEEL replied at some length, after which leave
was given to bring in the bill.

OSINIBUSSES AND HACKNEY COACHES.
Mr. Alderman WOOD moved for a bill for the better regula-
tion of these vehicles.—Leave given.

ENLISTMENT AND REGISTRATION OF SEAMEN.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM moved for leave to bring in two bills
for " the encourageineut of the voluntary enlistment of sea-
men," and to make better regulation for effectually manning
his majesty's navy; and also to amend and consolidate the laws
relating to merchant seamen, and for forming and maintaining
a register of all men engaged in that service. In explaining
the objects he bad in view, he said that his first was to consoli-
date the existing laws, and to establish a system of registration
in substance the same as the bill of last session, which had
proceeded through two stages. It was for interest of the
country and the public service that the merchant-seamen should
be protected, for if not, their numbers wou d gradually be re-
duced, and consequently the source from which the navy was
supplied must in the end became exhaused. The first measure
he should propose then would go to protect those sailors who
were living on board merchant-ships. It was well ascertained
that vast numbers of those men suffered severely from the
absence of prOper written agreements with their masters. He
should therefore propose that all merchant-seamen should in
future serve under written engagements, so that they should he
secure in the nature and duration of their service, and not be
subject to the caprice or interested motives of the masters. In
the measures be was about to introduce be shonld next propose
to protect the master against the breach of his engagements
by the sailor, and there would also be a provision against har-
bouring deserters from merchant-ships. Ile intended that the
number of apprentices on board those ships should be limited ;
send in order to ascertain that the proper number was not ex-
ceeded he should provide that all foreign ships on their return
home should be visited by an officer, who would have all the
apprentices mustered, to see that the proper number was not
exceeded on board. The bill also went to prevent the practice,
which he feared too much prevailed, of leaving seamen in
foreign countries without payment of their wages or without
any absolute necessity for parting with them. Many com-
plaints had been received from our consuls abroad of the
prevalence of this practice by toasters of merchants-ships who
violated their contract with the men in order to get rid of large
arrears of wages due to them, and to get their ships navigated
home on cheaper terms by other seamen. He also proposed to
establish a registration of all seamen in the merchant service.
He had endeavoured to meet as far as possible the objections of
the shipowners upon this subject, and had adopted into his bills
the suggestions they offered, and had availed himself of some
parts of the bill which Mr. Lyall, who was then member for the
city, introduced in the last session. Instead of the mode of
registry proposed last year, he should propose that the regis-
tration should be made from the returns taken on board mer-
chant ships on their arrival hoine at the Custom House. These
returns he thought would form the best materials loran effective
registration. He was disposed at first to substitute the system
1 of ballot for impressment; but on reflection he felt convinced
that that system would fail altogether to attain the desired end.
or else that it must after all-ue only a system of impressment
under another name. The practice of ballot in the land serNike
was widely different in its effect from that which it would have
in the naval service. The land force was provided from an in-
exhaustible source; but the very contrary was the case with the
sea service ; for here the source was extremely limited, while the
demand, particularly in time of war, was unlimited. He pro-
posed that the crown should have the same right to call for
the service of the laud force; but lie would limit this compulsory
' service to five years, and that this length of compulsory service
should be a protection for life against any further claim for
compulsory service. He considered that it would be highly ad-
vantageous to hold out every inducement to voluntary service
before compulsory service should be resorted to. and to this end he
proposed that after the proclamation should be issued t here should
be a cei min period of grace before it came into operation, during
which the men might boycott opportunity oftenduring their volun-
tary service, and thaton so tendering themselves they should be en-
titled to double bounty—that is £lO instead of £5, the
.present
bounty ; and he proposed that one year's voluntary service (lur-
ing war should go as far as two years in peace, or by compulsion,
towards entitling a man to his pensiou, and that if the war lasted
beyond five years he should be entitled to a second bounty on
consenting to serve again. He proposed, too, that twenty
years' service should entitle the sailor to draw his pension as
well as his wages, which was not the case at present. With all
these inducements, however, it was his intention to hold still
the power of impressment, although he did not think there
would be much occasion to have to recourse to it. Ile had now
stated the heads and wain objects of the two bills which he asked
permission to introduce, and, having done so, he should leave
the house to deal with them as it thought fit. He should be
happy on any future occasion, in other stages of the bills, to
afford any explanations that might be deemed necessary -on
going into the details.
Mr. Young, Mr. Buckingham. Mr. Baring, Capt. Berkeley,
Capt. Gordon, Mr. Chapman, Mr. Alderman Thompson, Admi-
ral Adam, and Sir P. Durham, exiSressed themselves favour-
ably disposed to the bill.—Leave given.
On the motion of Mr. GILLON various returns were ordered
connected with the revenue and expenditure of the years 1834
and 1835, and also returns of the amount of compensation given
to clergymen in Scotland for 1831,1832, 1833, in lieu of tithe
on fish.