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    WAR WITH PERSIA . « fr Bailey inquired when the Persian war papers would be laid on the table . —Lord Palmerston exnected that the ratification of the treaty of peace would take place at an early period ; and immediately afterwordsTthe Government would lay on the table such pipers as would enable the House to form an opinion of the war . { Laughter . ) A CRIMEAN SKIRMISH .

    Colonel North drew attention to a passage in one of the election speeches of Mr . Williams , member for Lambet !) wherein it was said that the officers of our Crimean armv- had shown themselves incapable of doing their dutr thoug h at the head of men remarkable for bravery and discipline . The Colonel contended—and quoted figures to uphold his words—that the officers had distinguished themselves most signally and honourably , and he complained that they should have been vilified to render the

    by one who is constantly endeavouring army inefficient and to produce ill feeling between officers and men . —Mr . Williams replied that he had never questioned the courage of the officers ; but he certainly thought those of the highest rank were not free from blame . He had not endeavoured to sow ill feeling between officers and men , nor to dimmish the efficiency of the army ; but he had opposed the taking of money out of the pockets of the people when it is not needed , except for the purposes of reckless extravagance .

    GENERAL ASHBURNIIAM . General Codrington then called attention to an anonymous attack on General Ashburnham by a writer in the Times , who signed himself a ' Staff Officer , ' who impugned the General ' s judgment and courage at the Sutlej . The letter bore mendacity on the face of it , and le ( General Codrington ) would read a letter from an eye-witness of General Ashburnham ' s conduct at the writer of the General

    battle of Sobraon . The spoke heading his men up to the fortifications , attempting to leap his horse through an embrasure , and , when he failed , turning his horse , riding along in front of the works , and finally entering at another embrasure , at the very muzzles of the enemy ' s guns . ( Cheers . ') How he escaped , added the writer , was a miracle . General Codrington then read another letter , to precisely the same effect , from Lieutenant-Colonel Short , of the 62 nd

    Kegirrient . SUPPLY . The House having gone into Committee of Supply on the Bavy Estimates ( Mr . Fitzroy in the chair ) , Sir Charles Wood explained that these estimates were the game as those he had submitted to the late Parliament . He had only taken for the money votes sums on account , amounting to 3 , 390 , 000 / . ; and , to complete the estimates for the year , votes remained amounting to 9 , 074 , 232 / . It would not be necessary to ask for any additional vote on account of the war with China ; the only farther demand would be in regard to the transport of troops . He concluded by moving that 53 , 700 men—seamen , marines , and coastguard—be granted for the remaining eight months . —The vote was agreed to ,

    after a discussion of some length , ( . luring which Mr . Williams , while protesting that no one was more anxious than he to maintain an efficient navy , condemned the extravagance of the estimates then submitted to the House , which exceeded those of 1852-3 by 2 , 175 , 000 / . — Admiral Walcott urged the necessity of keeping twelve sail of the lino in constant commission , and fully equipped , and of maintaining a squadron oi evolution . —Sir Charles Napier would not consent to reduce the estimates . On the contrary , he thought that , in many respects , the effective force ought to be increased . He was no alarmist , but ho wished it to be distinctly understood , both within and without the House , that it was his conviction that our naval forco is not sufficient for the right protection of the country in the event of a war suddenly breaking out .

    The following votes , to complete tho Estimates , were likewise agreed to , after discussion : —1 , 349 , 383 / . for wagoa of the men ; 533 , 922 / . for their victuals ; 84 , 217 / . for th « Admiralty-office ; 118 , 150 / . for salaries of the Coastguard and Volunteers ; 33 , 091 / . for tho scientific branch ; 92 , 22-1 / . for establishments nt homo ; 15 , 423 / . for establishments abroad ; 684 , iJ 90 / . for wages of artificers nt homo ; iiiJ , 383 / . for tho same abroad ; 895 , 450 / . for naval stores und steam umohiuery ; 878 ,-115 / . for now works ; 20 , 000 / . for medicines . —Tho Chaiiuma . waa then ordered to report progress . Tlio Bankruptc y and Insolvency ( Ireland ) Bill was read a second time ; and the Huuao wont into committee upon I ho salaries , pons ' ions , &a , under tho bill , which tfnvo rino to n short diHouM . sion .

    Soino fonual business having been disposed of , the House luljournod at twenty minulo . i nftor ono o ' clock . ' 1 ' iiasddj / , . iila ;/ 10 tit . PERSONAL Ji . Vl'I . ANATIO . N ' . S . In tlinllourtic ov Loitu . s , tho Mar ^ tUM of 'Wis . st . miiiatil , with hoiuo warmth , ropudintod certain iicousutioud againcd . him wliioh luul boon miulo in tho ( ilobr . nownpupcr , foumlod on n pamphlet which , said his ' Lordship , had boon gtiiny llio round of tho nowripnp liut of oomo of ( ho clubhouniL-i Cor tho purposo of vilifying his oharactur . Tho pamphlet and tho iwwBpnpor nvticlo hiul roforonco to tho disagreement

    between his Lordship and * the lady who does him the honour to bear his name , 'but who left him thirty-eight years ago , and ' who does not yet appear to be content to leave her husband in peace . Against the newspaper he intended to take legal measures ; and , for the vindication of his personal honour , he would meet all the statements made against him by a denial supported by proof , when the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Bill should come before committee . The accusations had been originally made in private in the Ecclesiastical Court . Had they been publicly made—which they would have been in any other court—they would have been completely answered at once : and he therefore trusted that their

    Lordships would annihilate the Ecclesiastical Court in the bill now before them . —Another personal explanation was made shortly afterwards by Lord Lyndhurst , who said that , owing to some miscarriage in the return to Lady Bulwer Lytton of a narrative of her case which she had sent to him from Llangollen , he had been accused by that lady of discourtesy , and she had even petitioned the House to investigate the case , so that she might have her property restored to her . All he could say was , that he had ordered the delivery of the document to her messenger , and knew no more of it ; and that nothing could be further from his intention than to be discourteous to her Ladvship or to any other lady .

    TROOPS FOB INDIA . In answer to the Earl of Ellenborough , Lord Pansiure said the accounts received from India were not such as to excite great alarm respecting the state of affairs in that country . The regiments originally destined for India were ordered to China , but by the second week in June four regiments would proceed from this country to India . If unfortunately it should turn out to be necessary to retain more than the usual number of Queen ' s troops in India , the regiments to be relieved would not conie home . —The Earl of Ellenborough desired to know the number of recruits who are to join their regiments in India this year . —Lord Panmure stated that the number is 4000 .

    CIVIL SERVICE SUPERANNUATION . Several petitions were presented from civil servants of the Crown , complaining of the present system of superannuation . Similar petitions have been presented to the Lower House .

    CONTINUOUS SERVICE SEAMEN . Earl Talbot said that a rumour had got abroad that the continuous service seamen enrolled during the war were about to be discharged , thereby involving a breach of faith on the part of the Government towards those men . He begged , therefore , to ask if there was any intention to discharge those men , and on what grounds ? —Earl Granville declared that there was no breach of faitli on the part of the Government towards the men . According to their agreement , they could not leave the service without paying 12 / ., and all that was done was to enable the men who wished to leave the service to do so without paying any money whatsoever . DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL CAUSES BILL .

    The Loud Chancellor , on moving the second reading of this bill , briefly explained the state of the law of marriage in this country before and after the Reformation . In 1850 , a commission was appointed to inquire into the whole subject , and it was on the recommendations contained in the report of that commission that the present bill was founded . He proposed to create a new tribunal , consisting of the Lord Chancellor , ono of the Chief Justices , and an ecclesiastical judge . According to the present practice , before a divorce a vinculo matrimonii could be obtained , proceedings must bo taken in tho Ecclesiastical Court , a verdict must be obtained against the adulterer , and the facts must be established at the bar of their Lordships' House . His proposal was to substitute one tribunal to investigate the matter once for all , and that tho proceedings should take place by

    vivd voce evidence . Whatever interpretations might be put upon texts of Scripture , ho believed it would bo most unwine to attempt to extend divoTce to anything short of adultery . Tho bill would give the wife a right to apply for a divorco in the case of incestuous adultery , bigamy , and unjustifiable desertion . He had not retained the clauflo which prohibited tho adulterer marrying the adulteress . Ho boliovod it calculated to do more harm than good . By tho standing orders , tho action of crim . con . was a necessary preliminary to a divorce ; but he proposed that hereafter tho action should bo founded on u divorco that had beon obtained . This in tho prosont law of Scotland . Tho jurisdiction in casos of divorco ii mensA tit thoro would remain , an now , with tho cccletimfltical court . After a divorce so obtained by tho wifo , hor status would in all respects bo that of nn unmnrriou

    woman . Tho Archbishop of Canterbury said ho would not oppose tho second reading of tho bill , but in committee ho should endeavour to strilco out , that clause which pormitH tho persons committing udnltery to mrirry ono anothor after tho divorco has been olrtamed . Lord LvNimuitHT supported tho hill . The present state of thingH , ho observed , fa most demoralising , nnd to inuroano tho facilities for Hovering tho marriago L'io would ( . libel , great good . TJio law on that subject nhould equally ombraeo rich nnd poor , though at present divorce can only bo obtained by tho formor . But tho bill did not go i ' ar onough . Women aro not fairly doalt with in it . They ought to Imvo tho fullest power to divorco bad

    husbands ; and he believed they would seldom or neve resort to that alternative except in desperate and hope less cases . According to this bill , no extent of-adultery on the part of the husband would entitle the wife to < i divorce . " The only argument he had ever heard ii support of such a state of the law was this : that ont mischief resulting from the adultery of the woman did not happen in the case of the man—the introduction of a spurious offspring into the house of the husband . But did it follow , on account of this one point of difference , that the rest of the case was not such as to require the interposition of the law ? A married man lived in open , flagrant , notorious adultery , without disguise , without limitation as to time—perhaps bringing his paramour

    home to his own house , insulting his wife by her presence—using her with great harshness and cruelty ; and yet , he was ashamed to say , such a case was left without remedy . Ought not conduct like that to entitle a woman to a divorce ? Could any man deny that justice called for it ? Nay , the husband might be guilty of every species of infamy connected with adultery , and still there was no remedy . He could remind their Lordships of some notorious cases which had come before that House . Ought not the . tribunal to interfere in cases of that description ? It was said that , if the husband could be proceeded against , the courts would be filled with cases of that description . He denied it . The proceedings could only be instituted by the wife , and

    that man had formed a very superficial notion of the character of Englishwomen who supposed that they wou ! 3 be prompt to institute such proceedings . " Wilful desertion of a wife ought to be ground for a divorce , the very purposes of marriage being violated by a man leaving his wife . He disagreed with the principle of postponing the action for crim ,. con . till after the divorce , because in many cases' the injured party would be unable to obtain a divorce by reason of the expense , and he would thus have no remedy . The law of divorce had worked admirably in Scotland ; but it was a monStrotts anomaly that a man or a woman could obtain a divorce in . one part of the United Kingdom , and , if marrying again , be prosecuted for bigamy in another part .

    Lord Wensleydale thought there was much that ib good in the bill , and he would therefore not oppose it ; but he believed it would require many amendtnents .- ^ - The Earl of Mauiesburt would propose a clause la committee to prevent adulterers intermarrying . —The Duke of Norfolk would oppose the bill at every stage , because , according to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church , marriage cannot be dissolved . —Lord CawfbeXX observed that such is not the doctrine of the Protestant Church , and that it is mere quibbling to put any other interpretation on the words of Christ . Was the bill to apply to Ireland ?—The Marquig of Westmeath : here caused some laughter by saying that he was going to ask that question . —Lord Dungannon remarked that he

    viewed the bill with such horror and dismay that he should move that it be read a second time that day six months . —The bill was further opposed by Lord Retdesdale , the Bishop of Salisbury ( who urged their Lordships to sweep away the privilegia which they -were in the habit of granting , and to put themselves in this respect on the same level with the poor man ) , the Bisliop of Bangor , the Bishop of Lincoln , and the Bishop or Oxford , the last of whom denied , in warm terms , the imputation of quibbling on this question , and contended at great length that , according to Scriptural authority divorce a vinculo matrimonii , whereby the parties would be allowed to re-marry , was not recognised . He objected to tho bill as a whole , and not merely to its

    details , because it dealt with a grave subject in an imperfect way , and pretended to give equal rights to rich and poor without really doing so , for the expense of divorce in any case would bo so great that the poor man would not have tho same resort as the rich . He agreed that the present law is a disgrace to the sttttute-boOlt , as making tho woman a slave to the man ; but none the less wonld he oppose this bill . Ho concluded by calling on the House to remember that if thoy sanctioned the measure thoy would with ono swoop change the condition of evory married person in tho land , and so end « nger tho bond of marriage that it might too broken at convenience . ( Cheers . ")—Tho Bishop of Lom > cw argued against these opinions , remarking that the reasons

    deduced from Scripture by tho Bishop of Oxfotd were very apocious , and that , as to tho Fathers , a chain of evidence could bo derived from them cm either stdo of tho quostion . Tho Protestant Church holds no such doctrino as that marriage is indissoluble . If it did , what were they to think of those private Acts of Parliament which disaolvo marriage ? Ho warmly fiupportod tho bill . —Tho lncRsuro was likewise approved of by tho Bishop of Durham , while tho Bishop of Li / AxroAiW inthnatod that there woro portions which ho should object to in committco , though not opposing tho bill as a whole . —Tho Dnko of Argyll spolco in favour of , and tfho Bishop of Lincoln against , tho measure , and , on a division , tho second reading was aflirmod by 47 to 18 : majority , 29 . Their Lordships than adjourned at a quarter past ten

    o clock . cirrcLSTCA inupaE . In tho IlWflrc of Commons , in anHWor to Sir Jonvt Stiki . licy , Sir Bknjamin Hall announcod thnt tho now bridge at Chol « oa would bo opened next August , l no Act of Parliament declared that , U should ha a toll «>™ fe c » and tho proccoda of tho toll would go In the first pluco lo

    Untitled Article

    Mat 23 . 1857 . 1 THE LEADER . * S 8

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), May 23, 1857, page 483, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2194/page/3/