The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-06-04 00:00:00

not mei pot asunder those whim; God bath joined ;" but t..
(Ideation was what was this junction ? Marriages were con-
sidefed• sacred ; but could a marriage -in direct violation ofl
ell law and legitimate authority be considered !tiered? Liv-
ing in society, we are desired in Scripture to marry, but the
f • ems -of inaniege seroJeß tomes. end ell that was seceesary
Was, that those forms hereonsistectwith the laws of God..
He thought Of the two' evils the voldebility7 of marriage,
latoffeesiby the chime, was less ob than the ab-
Nitrate 'lenity.- •••
;Lard REQESDALR 'said that there was no declaration
In Scriptare what eoustitsited a marriage, and it was for
men to propose the regulatiotte. In his eldpion it was •
question of expediercy whether they were to declaim pet-
rel* violating those regulations separate Or iipartbie. In
the COmorlftee it was defined more expedient t 6 make 5U
inerriares voidable. He saw nothing is Scepters tie
vent their Lordships 'laying down those rales -and '
All that they have to look to, was to see whether it
be beorfleia4to morals and society, whether whoa a.tlilar.
tinge was eontrected, it was to be in the power of a Paid
parson to say whether such was or was not a marriage. -II
would be better to make it void as by the former law. lila*
to leave it iternale.
Lord ELLEIBUROUGH said, that it was with, livi:jm.
matter of regret end astdnishment that the most R
Prelate, who introduced the 11111. did not-besto*moreeieen
sideretion on that clause. Having heard from the Noble
Earl (Liverpool) that It would be impossible to rive-veil.
duty to tee clans. while banns were open—while Iteotlind
and qlher countries were open. he was surprised the most
Rev. Prelate still pressed the douse. • .
' The Archbishop of CANTERBURY begged to say. in
explanicien, that he did not obstinately adhere to thee:Wise.
Lord ELLENBOROUGTI resumed. It was still a matter
of astonishment with him, that the clause wee supported br
the most Rev. Prelete; who lime Seesteneleedneed!ii:4o he
repugnant to the Christie* religion. The eleaeiretuditergit,
to np oilier then the case of a minor cootrectieg 4 ateersaley,
which se at the same time desired to melte..lntraliL The
Noble and Learned Lard (Elden) said, that he knew of,
eases in which women were the seducers. Tbeee were
camparatiidy few,. and their Lordships were, to legislate
for the tenjerity. The .most certain consequence of Stitt
tiasse *bold be,sednetion, with the very.tetentletef alma-
donseg the victim.' ,It was for the ceevenlence of ,the main,
a; in no ease alter tip marriage was _completed,. wpeld the.
father of the woman, desire the marrialtn.hd kilned' Voids
It was a clause leading, to fujimorality. 14, agreed wills tie
Right Res.Vielate (Chester) that when the religious partmt
the ceremony was admitted, the patties squid Both. sepa-
rated. The religious 'part of the contract was confirmed,
while the civil part only. was affected by not adhering to the
civil regulattene. He was desirous to know fronntlit.ltightw
Reverend Prelatelwhether there was mot a religioes.cori-
t-act entered into at the marriage ceremetiy: It-there was.
it could not be broken. fie heard much mere than he even
' wished of the 'contract of marriage treiug.* civil coati-ad
only ; but be advised their Lordships to beware of that dug-
trifle. If religion weriseparated- from the marriage contract,
ell other premetions, would be but frail ',wines. -,By re- ,
r:osing the ringlet's einetion, they destroyed the best fowl-
deli atm of virtal. end of mortality. fife irelkentirely opposed
to the claase: . . ~, • . • - •. •
The BleVep 6? I.ONPON sold hi wan desirous to defend
hi:.:self from th'ecberge made in (be Committee which in-
troduced 0% •Bill,, alhd or WhOM*llo was one. They eau-
ii•tered rill the..eXpedielley of the measure. • The Noble
L3fl said t 'at the elapse was contrary to, the principles of
reoreli, to site tasis,Of Goo, and in. express violation of
our SavukinistelunitiOn; that man should not separate
those whom tipo bath jObtedi'.' ' +Bet the +question was,.
what was,thii(ueitin. srhether It was of it civil or a religious
n* tote, oe.nartools of, bath? • The
.Committee who agreed
to the etaosit'wenfed.to dlitinguish betweie 4 lawful mar-
riage and an illelteonettlitnage. His own notion of mar- ,
rage wei, that it wag a enntreet between parties capable of
entering in conformity with the regulations of the country
to which they belonged. If those terms end prescribed
forms were .domplied. with. the milieu was then completed.
11 the marriage wait a religioos ceremony. only. as soon as
Cat was performed the marriage was completed ; but if any
t',ing more. was required fur time fulfilment or the contrast,
Man the religious ceremony did not complete the marriage.
A license or the publication of banns and the soterunization
In a chareh weremiso required. lie admitted that marriage
was the mast solemn contract man could enter into. After
sal he beard. he felt that he wee *Shed in assenting. o the
• „ .
elesrse. • '
Lord snygovrit said he agreed In all the /tegument,
by while the ptiacipleof the clause was justified. Ile had,
on a farmer oeiaslon,.heard the Noble Lord •(EJleaborough.)
condemn in strong.' terms every partmt the Report of the
Committee, but that alaht he objected to me part of the
Bill, butte clause- then under consideration. Ile and the
yther Members. of that Cotemltee were desirous to get rid
of Ll.* neer!, of abso:ute -nullity. He thought their Tactile. •
Roe is legislating on that subject lied suspended marriages
for the last year. and It wits better to come to something de-
cisive. fle was sarprised to hear those Noble Lords now
commiseratit the lot of the unhappy female whose marriage .
was voidable by that clause, although the souls Noble LordS
la,t Session agented to a measure to separate the husband
front the person alto was still his wit:. by transports.
ti on, acrd that -after having lived together one and. two
years. • .....t. e•
Lord STOWELL said the subject wns deeply Interestiog
to the young. r branches of society ; hut the Committee in
'its consider:: :on on the Bill, took not into account theirin-,
tefeits only: hut (bet of their 'parents, and of society iu ge-
neral. The Noble Lord it • a went into on historical detail
of the Mertlagd Laws, but in so lost a tone, that we fouhd
it Impend-1e to hoer his Observations distinctly. With re-
gard to the securing the power of parents, at present there
were four •waye. The effect of the late Bill was such as
nearly to demoralize the whole country—so much so, that
en the ars day of dhe Session its very authors almost
jostled each other in rival Bills. of Repeal. 'But with re-
gard to the• four modes alluded to—the first was, that of
uu:lity ; the second, a limited restraint ; the third, that of
preventive measures; and .the last, of throwing the reins
to youth it a time when the ;tendons were most likely
to act withitut restraint. It was impossible to make • Mar-
riott.) Act Which would not be In some respects-objection-
able: So far 'as his professional experience went, he found
tat sons required proteation more thin daughters, and that
they store frequently entureti into connections which thee*
themselves:into dispute:, and their parents into pirery
and sorrow. Upon the whole, he had • very strong cpn-
siieration in favour of the Bill. It was an experiment
- which was'not. yet tried, while'every one else was, and had
toile 1. (We regret that the Noble Lord" was almost luau-.
Bible below the bar.) . .
Lord POWERSCOURT said a few words, whiclOwere
Irmodible: '
Their Gordiships then divided—For the clause, Contents,
22—Non-fontenta, VS—Mejority against thwelause. O.
Several srher clauses were agreed to. ,
'Phi Biit weed *the Committee. and, was reported'with
amendatentt, enCerdered to be read a third time on Tburs-

dey next. ' • '•
The Hke ad, eiireell at bklf-ptst. ten.
•
• •
• _ 2._ _

. „
• .HOUSE OF COMMONS—Tuasnat.
Sir EF. .YORK presented a petition from the Hon.
Jolla Lindsay; stating himself to he the proprietor of•the
ielaml of 'Heusi, eat that he could deliver gr.(nite stone
from thenee•st 14,9 d. a eishie font. and praying the at-
tention of the Emmuitterfor rebuillims London Brid
,
thereto. • ee. •
Mr. It ftliER•I'S Moved foe a Return of the ntinsher of
vessrVs, Deiansivant ot. their tonnage; fur three yeari,
to the sth-ofalanttarvil. •
tin the.nintlern of Me. SPRING RICR, the Bill fat
allowingseßridgeiett Ise !milt over the river Sh (neon, at
I.:(iserick,-Was reed's iltirdiinte, and passed. - •
Air. I.VIIIVEY Moved for a Return of the account of
the drawback 'of Is. a- bushel ou Msit, allowed t, tire
t- • •
COURTESAY notice that he wad&

• Mr. .f. save .
bring in to.inorroZt, to mtend.the' Bankrnpt Uwe
Mr. liAlt4iAt;lt brottOrt rip the Report of the Sel:tt
I 'ommittiton the Vortl it it 114,1 d. . • •
tln theintotronof•Lovd kl'itOßP the lioneit went
h•i. on.the cotel.riy Cowls ant: :the Bill
r. igte: the lfalrort was blonght'