and judicial manner. He would not then go into the question of the treatment of the paupers, or the character of the House, or other particulars, although he might be allowed to say, that part of the noble Lord's citation of evidence, which went to show that everything about the room in which these persons were confined was in a proper state, had been contradicted; indeed, it was chiefly owing to these contradictions, which had been made so confidently, that he had not quoted any part of the evidence but the medical evidence. When the noble Lord said that no experiment had been made to ascertain the state of the atmosphere in the room, he had not made a correct statement. There had been an experiment made, and that by Mr. Tucker, who said, "I am now trying an experiment on it," That was the stove in this room, "I introduced a thermometer into the room about one o'clock in the day; which then stood at sixty-six degrees Fahrenheit; and at four o'clock it was raised to seventy-four degrees Fahrenheit." ["Lord Wharncliffe, hear."] The noble Lord cried "hear," but he (the Bishop of Exeter) begged the noble Lord to hear him to the end. Mr. Tucker went on to say that, "During the interval between one and four o'clock, the stove had been made red hot; however, the alteration of the atmosphere was not in fact attributable to this, as at the Exeter Institution, where there was no fire, the ther genuity the noble Lord had shown in de- Petition to lie on the Table. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Thursday, February 24, 1842. MINUTES.] BILLS. Public-1. Marriages (Ireland). Private.-1 Gt. North of England Railway; Westonsuper-Mare Improvement; Duke of Bedford's Estate; St. Pancras Improvement; Boston Harbour. 2o. Severn Navigation. PETITIONS PRESENTED. By Sir R. Bateson, from Keady, and Strabane, Mr. Ffolliot, from Sligo, Lord Acheson, from Moira, and Lord Claude Hamilton, from Temple Patrick, for Legalizing Marriages by Dissenters. -By Mr. Brotherton, from Salford, Mr. Busfeild, from Bradford, Mr. Duncan, from Dundee, Mr. Oswald, from Glasgow, and several other hon. Members, from various places, for the Repeal of the Corn-laws.-By Mr. Divett, from Exeter, against the Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill.-By Sir R. Inglis, from Societies at Glasgow, for Assistance to Emigrate.-By Mr. Borth. wick, from Pimlico, and Mr. Broadwood, from StGeorge's, Hanover-square, and other Districts of the Metropolis, for the Redemption of the Tolls on the Metropolitan Bridges.-By Mr. Greenall, from Wigan, for Extending the Provisions of the Metropolitan Police Act to the Rural Districts.-From Lord Mayor, &c. of London, complaining of Smoke from Factories.--From James Haughton, against raising Revenue from Spirits.-From Carlisle, for Enquiry into Distress there. OC RIOT IN JAMAICA.] Mr. O'Connell would take that opportunity to ask a question of the noble Lord opposite on the subject to which he had yesterday mometer, at the same time stood at seventy-It appeared that an unfortunate evening called the noble Lord's attention. eight degrees." That was only seven miles from Cre-had taken place in Jamaica on Christmascurrence, in which several lives were lost, diton; he thought the noble Lord was presuming too much when he attributed eve, or on the night of Christmas day last. the increased heat of the atmosphere from noble Lord, whether he had received from He begged, therefore, to know from the sixty-six to seventy-four degrees to the operation of this stove. Jamaica the particulars of that occurrence, But it was positively sworn to, in the course of the evi-and, it he had, whether he had any obdence, that no fire was in the stove during jection to lay the information so obtained the day when these poor wretches died. That evidence stood, if not uncontradicted yet unshaken. Every charge of disingenuousness against Mr. Tanner, sank into nothing before the monstrous disingenuousness of the board of guardians at Crediton, in concealing from the public the opinion of the Poor-law commissioners on the various charges against them. He felt himself bound to defend Mr. Tanner in bringing this case before their Lordships; but if their Lordships were of opinion that Mr. Tanner had misconducted himself, that imputation rested on him. The more in on the Table. Lord Stanley said, it was proper that the House that he should state to information had been received by her Majesty's Government on the subject referred to, and he would explain to the House what the nature of that information was. It was quite true, that during the Christmas holydays, the event alluded to had occurred in Kingston, and unfortunately some lives were lost. The House were aware that the common practice had been for the negroes to have a sort of saturnalia at Christmas, in all the great towns in the extent. Mr. O'Connell under those circumstances would not, of course, press the noble Lord. He had understood the noble Lord to say, that the governor had been adverse on both occasions to the proceedings which took place; and he understood him also to say, that the persons conducting the inquiry had been appointed by the governor. West Indies. The planters approved of better than their conduct. Indeed, the these amusements, and liked to see the military of all colours had acted with the negroes thus employed, because, while greatest zeal and readiness, and at the they were occupied in this manner, they same time with the greatest forbearance. were not likely to combine for improper Not a single shot was fired nor a single purposes. These celebrations were, how life lost after the first unfortunate firing ever, very noisy, and some of the in- took place. He had that morning seen habitants therefore objected to them. He Sir W. Gomm, who had stated to him here spoke of a period when slavery that the governor Sir C. Metcalfe, in existed. Since slavery had ceased, order to allay the excitement, had ordered however, it had been the earnest desire that there should be an investigation before of the white inhabitants, and of the three magistrates, which investigation had more respectable negroes themselves, to commenced before Sir W. Gomm left, put a stop gradually to these noisy and and further, that tranquillity had since troublesome demonstrations. In the year been entirely restored. He hoped by the before last the mayor of Kingston, exer- next packet to receive a full account of cising his own discretion, without the the inquiry that took place at that public consent of the rest of the corporation, and investigation, and until he received that contrary to the advice of the Government, report he thought it would be much better took strong measures to put an end to for him not to lay any papers of a partial these proceedings. A disturbance broke nature before the House. When he reout at last, and the rioters having over-ceived the report he should be prepared powered the authorities, the district was to communicate its contents to the fullest kept in a state of disturbance for the space of three weeks. In the course of last year the mayor of Kingston, in spite of the remonstrances of the Government availing himself of a clause in an Act of Parliament (the construction of which was doubtful), determined under the authority which he supposed that clause conferred on him, to put down those proceedings at Kingston by main force. The consequence was that a riot took place, the police were resisted in endeavouring to carry into effect those orders which they were bound to obey, and much confusion and alarm ensued. The mayor was struck on the face with a stone, he was knocked down and treated with very great violence. The riot at length reached so great a height, that the police, feeling themselves to be in the most imminent danger, fired on the people. Two individuals were killed on the spot, two had died since, and a considerable number were wounded. It then became necessary to call out the troops, of whom a considerable body occupied the town during several days. Considerable excitement prevailed, the guards were doubled, and every precaution adopted necessary to the preservation of the peace. He was happy to be able to add that nothing could be better or more moderate and forbearing than had been the conduct of every description of troops. It was a circumstance worthy of remark that the few troops engaged were exclusively blacks, and that nothing could be Lord Stanley said, that the imprudence and indiscretion of the mayor had been disapproved of by the governor, and that the question of his independence of the authority of the governor had been, or was about to be, brought under the consideration of the legislature of the island. Subject at an end. EXCHEQUER-BILLS.] The Chancellor of the Exchequer rose to move for certain papers relative to Exchequer-bills. The right hon. Gentleman said that as the returns he moved for contained an account of the number of Exchequer-bills signed by the Comptroller-general and his assistant, they would no doubt render unnecessary the motion of which the hon. Member for Lincoln had given notice. Colonel Sibthorp said, until he knew what the papers were he could not withdraw his notice, which he thought was a necessary one, in order that they might get at the truth; for it appeared by the report of the commissioners, that the Exchequer-bills had, contrary to the provi sions of the act of Parliament, been signed in places other than the Exchequer-bill office. They had a right to inquire into the truth of this statement, and to have so important a matter brought fully before the public, because it might happen that condemnation would fall upon really guilty persons, who had now escaped. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that in laying the papers on the Table of the House, he must express his opinion that they would contain all the information the hon. and gallant Gentleman wished. He believed that those papers would contain everything essential to the consideration of the subject. He had not the least wish to withhold anything from the House in this matter, and if the hon. and gallant Member's motion had come on, and he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had thought it his duty to resist it, he should have been acting in direct opposition to the wish of the Comptrollergeneral himself. He hoped the hon. and gallant Colonel would first look at the papers, when laid on the Table, and, when he had seen them, if he did not feel satisfied, he could give notice of a motion on a future day. Lord J. Russell said, the hon. Member had made a statement to which consider able importance would attach, had it been made in a shape demanding attention. Undoubtedly, if it could be proved that Exchequer-bills had been signed in places other than the Exchequer-office, a direct violation of the act of Parliament would be shown to have been committed; but he (Lord J. Russell) did not think the hon. Gentleman would be able in any way to prove his statement. Colonel Sibthorp had made the statement on the authority of the Comptrollergeneral of the Exchequer himself. the importation system. Also, he was anxious to know if the Government had received a memorial from the West India body in London, praying to have an inquiry by committee into the present depressed state of colonial property, and if the memorial to which he referred included British Guiana as well as the West India colonies? Lord Stanley said, that the Government had received no information of the nature referred to by the hon. Gentleman. The latest accounts from Demerara were dated the 5th January, and had been received the 16th of the present month. They contained no accounts of the nature referred to. With respect to the second question the Government had received the memorial to which the hon. Gentleman referred, and it did include the colony of Demerara. He had not had an opportunity of seeing the gentleman from whom it came, but hoped to be able to do so in a day or two. CORN AVERAGES.] Mr. W. S. O'Brien wished to know whether the right hon. Baronet at the head of the Government had any objection to state, for the information of the corn trade, whether, on the passing of his bill, the averages of the six weeks immediately preceding would be made use of, or whether the operation of the bill was to be deferred until averages had been taken in the new manner for six weeks. Sir R. Peel begged to postpone answering the question until the details of his bill were before the House. DISSENTERS' MARRIAGES (IRELAND).] Lord Eliot rose to move for leave to bring in a bill to confirm certain marriages in Ireland, and he apprehended that it would not be necessary for him to use much argument to induce the House to consent WEST INDIES.] Mr. Grantley Berke- to a measure to relieve a large number ley rose to put questions to the noble Lord of her Majesty's subjects who had conthe Secretary for the Colonies; first, if tracted matrimonial engagements in perfect the Government had received despatches good faith, and according to what they containing the news of a general strike in believed to be the law of the land. For Demerara of the negroes, because the pro- the last two centuries it had been usual prietors had endeavoured to substitute a for Presbyterian ministers to solemnize fair average of wages, in place of the pre- marriages where the one party was a sent exorbitant demand? He begged the Presbyterian and the other a member of the noble Lord to observe that he confined his Church of England; and he need not question to the strike of the negroes, be- describe the dismay of those persons who cause he had been informed that the Portu- were so situated when they found, from guese emigrants remained steady and con- circumstances that had recently happened, tented-a fact speaking highly in favour of that their marriages were illegal. A short statement of these circumstances might assist those hon. Members not already acquainted with them in deciding upon the measure he was about to propose. At the last summer assizes at Armagh, a person named Smith was indicted for bigamy. It appeared that in the year 1830, being then a member of the Church of England, he had been married to a Presbyterian by a Presbyterian minister. They lived together as man and wife nine years, and in 1839 he remarried according to the rites of the Church of England, in a parish church in Dublin, a member of the Established Church. He was tried for bigamy, and his counsel contended that his client was entitled to an acquittal, he being a member of the Established Church, and the marriage having been celebrated by a Presbyterian minister. Counsel for the Crown contended that the marriage was valid, and that it was not necessary that the person celebrating it should be in holy orders, neither counsel contending that within the meaning of the act a Presbyterian minister was a person in holy orders. The objection of the prisoner's counsel was overruled, but the learned judge reserved the point of Jaw for the consideration of the judges. On the first day of Hilary Term there was a meeting of the judges, before whom the case was elaborately argued, and the decision come to by a majority of eight to two, there being ten judges present, was, that the conviction was bad, as the former marriage was invalid. It would be presumptuous in him to offer any opinion on the subject, but this he might be permitted to say, that until the opinion of the judges was overruled by the decision of the supreme tribunal, before which there was no means of bringing it, it being a criminal case, they were bound to regard the decision of the judges as the law of the land. There was no doubt that the law of marriages in Ireland rested upon a bad and unsatisfactory footing. Marriages by Presbyterian ministers between persons of their own communion were done in a very irregular manner. There were none of those checks which distinguish marriages between members of the Church of England; no notice was required; neither a particular time nor place was necessary; there was no limit as to the persons; and the ceremony was not unfrequently celebrated by degraded ministers. It was, therefore, absolutely necessary that the whole subject should undergo consideration. The course proposed by her Majesty's Government seemed to be the only one open to them to pursue, namely, to bring in a measure such as he was about to lay upon the Table, for the purpose of giving relief to those parties who were affected by the decision of the judges, and subsequently, in the present Session, to give to the whole subject the most serious consideration with the view to some final and satisfactory settlement. The noble Lord moved for leave to bring in a "Bill to legalize Marriages which have been solemnized in Ireland by Presbyterian Ministers between Presbyterians and members of the Church of England." Mr. Litton had received numerous communications from the Presbyterians of Ireland, since the intention of Government to bring in this bill had been announced, expressive of their anxiety on the subject, and their gratitude to the Government for so earnest a consideration of a question of such importance to their interests. They also felt especially grateful for the promise which had been given of a retrospective measure. In the north of Ireland, in particular, such a measure would prove most useful and satisfactory. Mr. O'Connell said, there could be no doubt that the class of persons to be affected by the bill of the noble Lord had the strongest possible claim for relief. They married with the full conviction that the marriage was legal, and so far from its having been suspected not to have been so previous to the recent decision, that he would not have hesitated giving it as his opinion that they were perfectly valid. He said this to show that those parties were exculpated from any intention to violate the law by contracting those marriages. He hoped the noble Lord would endeavour to have this bill passed as speedily as possible, because until it was passed it would be open to any of those for whose benefit it was intended to contract, if they were so inclined, a second marriage, and thus morally, though not legally, be guilty of bigamy. He was sure, therefore, that no obstacle whatever would be thrown in the way of the noble Lord's proceeding as speedily as possible with this measure. While on the subject, he must caution the noble Lord against interfering with the law of marriage in Ireland beyond what was absolutely necessary. In England the Marriage-law was exceedingly strict; in Ireland it was partially strict and partially not so; in ScotJand there was great latitude; and the House having already, on a former occasion, discussed the question as regarded another class of her Majesty's subjects in Ireland, he hoped the noble Lord would approach the subject with great caution. Colonel Rawdon stated, that on the 26th of last January a woman, with four children, applied for admission into the workhouse of Armagh, alleging that her husband, who had lived with her for fourteen years, had deserted her in consequence of the decision of the judges alluded to by the noble Lord, and that having married a female in another quarter, her children had since then been designated bastards. This circumstance having taken place on the 26th of January, he could not join with the hon. Member for Coleraine in expressions of gratitude to the Government, for he conceived that they had been very tardy in taking that course which common sense as well as humanity dictated. He thought it was the duty of her Majesty's Government to have laid this bill on the Table of the House the very first day of the Session. STRANGERS IN THE GALLERY.] Mr. Muntz moved, "That at future divisions of this House, neither the strangers in the Gallery nor the reporters shall be required to withdraw, except by special motion for for that purpose." The Speaker, before putting the question, begged to observe to the hon. Member, that he could hardly put the motion without the standing order relative to strangers being rescinded. If the hon. Member wished, he might move that the standing order be rescinded before putting the motion. Mr. Muntz stated, that he would avail himself of the suggestion of the Speaker. The standing orders were then read by the Clerk as follows: "Ordered, that the Sergeant-at-arms attending this House do, from time to time, take into his custody any stranger or strangers that he shall see, or be informed of, to be in the House or Gallery, while the House, or any committee of the whole House, is sitting; and that no of custody without the special order of the person so taken into custody be discharged out House. “Ordered, That no Member of this House do presume to bring any stranger or strangers into the House or gallery thereof, while the House is sitting." Mr. Muntz moved that these orders be rescinded. Mr. Serjeant Jackson said, the Government had introduced this measure upon the very first opportunity, consistently with a due consideration of the subject. It was Sir R. Peel stated that his vote on this but a short time since the Parliament had occasion would be determined by a sense assembled, and some little time was re- of the public convenience. They ought quired for deliberation. The very fact not, in his opinion, to vary lightly that mentioned by the hon. and gallant Colonel which was an old practice and established proved and showed the necessity of having usage of the House. There ought to be the present measure one only of a retro- some strong case of public inconvenience spective nature; for, if it were made pro- established to induce them to depart from spective, the man who he said had aban- that which had been established. Of late doned his wife, and married again, would years there was even less reason than fornecessarily be made guilty of bigamy. merly for strangers remaining in the galMr F. Maule thought that the Govern-lery; for now, whatever were the votes ment had been remiss in not bringing this question forward at the opening of the Session. The time since might be short, but nevertheless many such instances as that mentioned by the hon. and gallant Officer might, in that short period, have taken place. As connected with the Presbyterians of Scotland, he was glad the Government had taken up the question; and while he regretted they had not done so sooner, he hoped they would lose no time with the present bill, but proceed with it de die in diem. Leave given.-Bill brought in and read a first time. given by the Members, the surest plan had been adopted by the House of notifying them to the public. By the publication of the name of each Member, and how he had voted, the fact material to the public to know was ascertained. If they were to lay down a rule on this subject, it ought to be an uniform one, and declare that strangers had a right to be there during the debates as well as during the divisions. If they did do so, great inconvenience might be occasioned to the House, for it frequently happened that the places allotted to strangers were required for the Members themselves, and he believed that if the pro |