LORD HOUGHTONrose to put a Question to the noble Earl the Secretary of State for the Colonies, respecting the relation between the Colonies and the Imperial Legislature as to the legality of marriage with a deceased wife's sister. Their Lordships would recollect that last year when the matter was brought before them, Ceylon was the only one of our dependencies where such marriages had been made legal, all the rest of our numerous Colonies being governed by the law of this country. Colonial Legislatures had frequently chafed against this restriction; and great inconvenience had frequently arisen, and great complaints made of the difficulties in which this state of things had placed them; and he would ask whether, during the Recess, the noble Earl had received any communications from such bodies on the subject, what answer he had given to them, and whether he would lay the Papers on the Table? Their Lordships would see the important bearing of this on a question which had come before them last Session, and probably might again come before them.
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYsaid, that the only communication which had been received by Her Majesty's Government during the Recess was from the Colony of South Australia. The Legislature of South Australia had passed a Bill legalizing marriage with a deceased wife's sister. When the Bill came over to this country he confessed he felt some doubt as to the course he should take with respect to it; but he finally felt himself bound to pursue the same course as was taken by his predecessors on three former occasions, when similar Bills were passed by the Legislature of South Australia, and to advise Her Majesty to disallow the Bill. He should have no objection to produce the letter of the Governor of South Australia, and his answer to it.
§ House adjourned at a quarter past Five o'clock, to Thursday next, half past Ten o'clock.