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    ¦ . June 27, 1857.] THE LEADER, 603

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    Imperial Parliament. —>»——Mo&Da*/, June ...

    Tuesday ^ June 23 rd . CENTRAL AUSTRALIA . The Dula of Newcastle asked for information from the Government respecting the results of the exploring expedition to Central Australia under the direction of Mr . Gregory . Ha desired to know whether the Government / would lay the information they had obtained on the table , or adopt other measures to give it publicity .- — Earl Granvulle intimated that , with , the exception of the interior ,, the results of the exploration were satisfactory .. A great deal of fertile land had been discovered on the banks of the Victoria and in the vicinity of the gulf of Carpentaria . The Colonial Office would take care that every information at their disposal should be communicated to the public .

    DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL CAUSES BILL . On the third reading of this bill , Lord Kedesdale proposed , as an amendment , the omission of the words , " and divorce" from the title of the bill , with a view- to depriving the new court created by the bill of the power to grant divorces a vinculo . —This was opposed by Lord Campbell , and supported by the Earl of Malmesbury , who condemned those provisions of the measure which attach penal consequences to a conviction for adultery . He argued that adultery is not a public crime , but a private wrong , which ought not to be treated as a matter of police , like theft or murder . Surely no man would like to see his wife imprisoned as a criminal , however she might have dishonoured him . The woman is

    sufficiently punished by society turning its back on her . What the public requires is , not to be revenged on a woman for what she has done , but to remove her from the general eye . The bill , he thought , did not effect that object , nor did it give proper facilities for divorce , as the poorer classes would be shut out from that privilege by reason of its expense . —Lord Wickxow lamented the evil consequences which he felt sure would flow from making marriage dissoluble ; but Lord Brougham reminded him . by way of ' administering relief' to his mind , that marriages have always been dissoluble in this country . He recommended their Lordsbips to pass ttie bill , with the exception of that clause which entails the punishment of the adulterers . ¦ . — Lord Wen 3 LEYD * . lb denied that divorce had ever been

    the law of the laud , a special act of the Legislature being required on each occasion . He had had considerable doubt as to the propriety of substituting a regularly constituted j udicial body ; but , considering that the bill had been twice sanctioned by their Lordships , and once previously by a commission consisting of many learned men , he did not feel justified in supporting- the amendment of Lord Rsdesdale . —The Earl of Carnarvon- supported tho amendment , though approving of the bill generally . —The Bishop of Oxford said tho question was whether- those of their Lordships who believed the words of our Lord perfectly plain , and who were prepared to vote against the amendment , were not about to determine that the- law of England should be in contradiction to the law of Christ . —Lord Lyndhurst : " No such tiling . " - —The Bishop of Oxford said he would make the matter plainer . If this bill passed without the amendment , an adulterous woman would be entitled to marry again in tlie lifetime of her husband . By votiug against the amendment without voting also against tho bill , they would make the law of England contradict tho law of Christ . The Loud Chancellor , before the question was put from the woolsack , desired to remove some erroneous impressions -which the view expressed by the last speaker was calculated to create out of doors . The right rev . prelate said that many of their Lordships disapproved of that portion of the bill which enabled the adulterer to marry tho adulteress . —The Bishop of Oxford : " The , adulterous woman to marry . " - —The Lord Chancellor : " That is the aanio " tf * % g , "—The Bishop of Oxford : " To marry ( luring the lifetime of her husband ?"—Tho Lord Chancellor : " Of course . But . this amendment wa 9 not directed to remedy that state of thteg ^ except as it would ' reject tho bill nltogothor . He thougU'fr . ta « course taken by his noblo friend in proposing this amendment an inconvenient course , and olther went too far or did not go fur enough . Tho amendment would be idle and useless if it ended in the result that the wow court should bo called , not a Court of Divorce , but a Court of Marritigo . He denied an assertion of Lord Redesdale ' s , that tho country had boon taken by surprise . The question was ripo for discussion and for legislation . The bill was not likuly to introduce an undue laxity , nor would the tlivorca court bo an expensive o » o . —Tho Bishop of Bjuugjor having briefly supported the olaueo us it stood , tho House divided , whan there ap . pen . rod—For the omondinojit , 84 ; aguhiufc it , 91 ,: majority , 57 .

    Tho Earl of Donquuhm . ok . 15 moved that the word " incostuoua" bo omitted from the bill , tho o / fcot of which would bo to pravont a divorce < V vinoulo matri * monii being granted in some cases . Tho amendment Jio proposed wn » in accordanco with tho law of God ,, the Church of Scotland , and tho law of ull Protestant countries . Tho only authority against him was tho Church of Homo , —Lord Campiiell opposed this amendment , which waa negatived without a division . —Lord Lynuhurst proposed an amendment , to the elFeot that , if » woman ooulcl show that her husband had donertcd her for five youra without reasonable cause , she should lie entitled to a divorce . ; but this also was nogatived without a division . '

    The Lord Chancellor , on . behalf of Lord St . Leo nards , moved that the words " imprisonment and fine " be struck out . of the 31 st clause . If the-former word ¦ were retained , the husband would choose to forego obtaining a divorce rather than subject the wife to imprisonment , aad to impose a . fine upon a married , woman -would he simply ridiculous ; therefore , it would be imr prison men t or nothing to her . — -The Bishop of CIxfobi * thought that , if they struck out those words ,, they , -would remove from the bill everything which surrounds the purity of . life among the lower orders of society . — -On a division , the amendment was carried by 49 to 29 .

    Another amendment , moved by Lord Nelson , and supported by the Bishop of Oxford , providing that the re-marriage , of divorced persons should be only a civil marriage , performed at the office of the registrar , or in any building under the Marriage Registration Act , was also defeated , principally , upon the suggestion of Lord Campbell , by a majority of 28 , the numbers being 47 to 19 . —The Bishop of Exeter then moved to add a proviso to the end of the 54 th clause , enacting that , in case the adulterer sought to marry the adulteress , fJie clergy should not be compelled to perform the ceremony ,, but tha t a civil declaration of the parties before a , judge of tlie new court of divorce should have th & force aad power of a legal marriage . This was defeated by 3 $ to 24 . —On the motion that the bill , as amended , do pass , the Bishop of Oxford again protested against it as irreligious and immoral , and said he was determined to divide the House on the final issue , in order that the names of those who opposed the measure might stand on record for posterity .- ^ -Viscount DuNGANNpar having spoken to the same effect , their Lordships divided ,, when there appeared—Contents ... ... ... ... ... 46 Non-contents ... ... ... ... 25 Majority in favour of the . bill ... —21 The bill then passed . ROMAN CATHOLIC CHARITIES BILL . The Lord Chancellor moved the second reading , and explained the objects of this bill . A doubt had been raised without foundation as to whether the act of William IV . had a retrospective effect on Roman Catholic charities , and it was declared by this-bill that it was retrospective . It provided that if a portion of a Roman Catholic trust was considered lawful , and that another part had been created for superstitious purposes , the Court of Chancery should have the power to decide what was lawful and what was not so . Where a doubt existed respecting a charity , a usage of twenty-five years should be held to be conclusive on the subject . — The bill was read a second time ; the Smoke Nuisances ( Scotland ) Abatement Bile -was read a third time , and passed ; and their Lordships adjourned a little after ten .

    KLNSBUBY PARK ( nq . 2 ) BILL . On tho motion for the second reading of this bill , Mr . Williams objected to the measure on th « ground of ita partiality ,, no scheme having- been suggested for a park for his constituents , though they were- asked to contribute to the park for ITinsbury . . In the- bill originally introduced on this subject there was to bo a payment of 50 , 0001 towards the object out of the public taxes , and he wished to know whether tii & m wjm » any such provision in the present bill . There was a park in Lambeth made by subscription , and he held that the public purse should not be taxed for local purposes . — The amendment was seconded by Sir John Shelley . — Mr . Cox supported the bill , stating , as an argument for the

    a park in Finsbury , that in his . recollection popular turn had increased from 120 , 000 to 350 , 000 . — -The bill was supported by Mr . Clay , Lord Robert Grosvenor , Mr . Duncombb , Sir Georgk Grey ( who said that those who voted for the bill would not necessarily be pledged to fiupport a grant for the park ) , Sir Charlbs Wood and'Sh Benjamin Hall , who hoped this , ? the first offspring of tua Metropolitan Board of Works , would not bo ttonaglecl at it * birth . ' It was opposed by Mr . Spoowbb , Mr . iNjawwHaATSB ( who objected to * this aping tlie Imperial system of France' ) , Mr . HiiNnuv , tho MEarquis of Blaseditord , Mr . Djmiwyn , WEi \ Avrton , Mr . Kicabi » o ( who thought , howevor , that it might be desirablo to voto money for parks ail over tb . e kingdom ) , aud Mr . SYalpolb .

    Lord PALainiRstroN said it had boon represented to the Government that it would bo impossible fop th » locality to rtiiao all tho money requisite to form * this park , so accessary fur tho health , and recreation of tho inbabitanls ; anil tho Government , feeling it desirable that it should bo eutnbliahed , agreed to recommend a voto of 60 , 000 / . in aid of tho local contributions , As fo » the objectlou that , tho advantage being looaly so should' be tho payinflut ,- » -h < 8 submitted that that w » s » narrow view , striking at tho roofe of all groat improvements , and unworthy a gronb nation . Besides , tbe iinflwove * - monts wore by no means , local . —On the motion of Mr . AEujM , too debate wa » adjourned to Thursday , the Ilouaa dividing on the . proposition , which wft * carried by 214 to 128 .

    BtA . IOIt-aiWOOR . AL BICAT 8 ON . On tho motion of Colonel French , all address was ugcood to for a roluro of tho oxponaos of tlio Court of Inquiry in tho case of Major-Gcncral Roataou ,, including the cost of procuring evWAJnoo , the travelling oxnensqa ,

    of officers summoned as witnesses , and the employment of Government steamers for such purposes .. ARMY HALF-PAY . Major-GeneralWYNOHAM asked whether it was the intention of Government , on reinstating officers in their former regiments , who had been , compelled to go on half-pay , to put : them back into the position they would have held in the regiment bad they never been , placed , on [ fcalf-pay . Also , if the officers who had- been compelled to go on half-pay for the convenience of the country should be put into regiments in which they had not previously served , did the . Government intend letting them take , regimental rank according to the dates , of their commissions previous to being placed on half-pay .. —Sir John Ramsoien replied to the first question in the negative . The Government , however , was making every exertion to remedy the hardship that would result from the rapid reduction in the army .

    THE MUTINOUS REGIMENTS IK INDIA . Mr . Vernon Smith , in answer to Mr . Bbstogss Willyams , stated that the 19 tb Native Regiment , bad been disbanded in India , in consequence of its mutinous disposition ; but that there is no intention to disband any other regiment , unless the like disposition , should unhappily appear .

    IMSH FISCAL AFFAIRS .. Sir Denhajh Nqrrets asked leave , to bring in a . bill to provide , for the management of fiscal affairs of counties in Ireland by electoral boards .- ~ ColoneJ French maintained that no case bad been made out for a change in the existing system . —Mr . Henry Herbert , on . the part of the Government , also urged objections , and advised the withdrawal of the motion . —After a long discussion , la the course of which Mr . Bagwell , Mr . M'Mahon , Mr . Cogan , Mr . Maguire , Mr . Grebe , and Mr . Bowxbe , represented the necessity of the . proposed bill , and condemned the grand jury system in Ireland , Sir Denham Norrets -withdrew his motion .

    INDIA . Mr . John B-Enjamib Smith moved , that , " in the opinion of this House , it is expedient that Parliament shall direct its immediate attention to the best mode of removing the obstacles , which impede the application , of British capital and skill to the improvement of the productive powers of India . " The obstacles to be removed , he remarked , are the evils of bad government , the absence of- security to person and property , the waat of roads and bridges , the use of torture in the collection of re v enue , and the state of land tenure—« vils for whieh the East India House is accountable . All these circumstances , operate against Englishmen emigrating to India , and developing its resources , particularly as regards

    the growth of cotton . Rain falls periodically in India , and in as great a quantity as in America . ! but * for want of being preserved , vegetation suffers . Were proper measnres adopted , the means of irrigating the soil ¦ would exist in abundance . To show the augmentation of value of land arising from roads , MY . Smith referred to the work of Captain Gordon , of Illinois . Land , which for thirty years was unsaleable at a dollar an acre , after being traversed by a railway , was soldi at thirteen dollars an acre . In the little island of Ceylon , which rejoiced in not being under the rale of the East India Company , thp . r 9 « r « 3000 milea of road , as great a . length as in the whole of India ; and the result is

    that rice has augmented in value from 6 d . to 3 s , ; flsb , which could not be obtained before , has become plen tiful , ; rents are well paid ; and the jialf-naked cultivators are converted into well-clothed and comfortable residents * In England , the supply of American cotton is short , and many of the . mills are working short time . The present is therefore the right moment for removing the obstacles which exist to the cultivation of cotton in our Hastern Empire . —Mr . Turner seconded the motion . From long experience , Jie gavo it as his conviction that America could not compete with India as regarded the cultivation of cotton ,, provided reasonable encouragement were given .

    Mr , Mangles defended the East India Company from the aspersions of Mr . Smith , whom ho accused of making incorrect statements . Preraising that- the Comnany is paying interest on 80 , 000 , 000 ^ . for the pu rpose of con - structing railways and cross-roads , running right and loft trom the station ' , that already a pound of cotton , is conveyed six hundred and fifty miles ( or one farthing ; and that tho works of irrigation in India , ore larger than in any other part of the world , —ho came to tho cotton supply . There was no continuous demand for cotton in India . Manchester looks to America ; and only about o . nce in five years , when there was a l cotton famine' in in tho West , did they look to the East , and say , * Where

    is our ootton ? ' India cultivates cotton for her homo consumption ; she would not cultivate an extra quantity for the chance of a domand once in four , five , ox ftix years . Tho Company ia expediting tho construction of railways to tho utmost ; bufc operations arc somewhat retarded by tho want of means , of transport . Lord Stanlbv contended that there would 1 bo a demand fox Indian , cotton ia . bUis , country i £ tho coCtow gnNYing distvioto iriUDc , ea opea to tho seaboard that ; it would be poasibta to bring it from the interior aheap enough to oompeto witbiAmejeican cotton . Wltlv . BMjpoot to tho public works wo had executed itt Iftdift » ho was greatly mietakou if Uw native , dynaetlw Uftd .. not ,, m proportion to thQls resources ,, provKM tottttor fQK mutorjUil

    ¦ . June 27, 1857.] The Leader, 603

    ¦ . June 27 , 1857 . ] THE LEADER , 603

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), June 27, 1857, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_27061857/page/3/