§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEYsaid, that the Marriages Legalization Bill was an excellent and a comprehensive Bill, as it would probably have obviated the necessity for those Acts to legalize marriages which were passed almost every Session, and of which two—for Stopsley, Bedfordshire, and Wood Green Church—had been passed last year. This Bill had been sent down to the other House on the 23rd May, and had been withdrawn on the 24th July. How was it that it had not passed in 1083 those two months? Complaints had been made by the Government whenever they had boon asked to initiate legislation in this House of the difficulty of passing their Bills; but it seemed there was something wrong in the other House, or in the management of it by the Government, for the year before, also, a Government Bill—the Indian Marine Bill—the principle of which had been unopposed, had failed to pass the House of Commons, and had come up again last Session. He would ask the noble and learned Earl on the Woolsack whether he intended to reintroduce it?
THE LORD CHANCELLOR, in reply, said, that the reason why the Bill had not become law was because the House of Commons had not passed it. Their Lordships were aware of the circumstances under which the last Session terminated. No Bills except those which were absolutely uncontested were passed. Some hon. Members of the House of Commons thought that this particular measure had not been skilfully prepared, and the hon. and learned Attorney General (Sir Henry James) found he would not have an opportunity of passing it. In these circumstances, the Bill, like many other measures, fell to the ground. He hoped that he should be able to reintroduce it next Session, and that the objections to it would then disappear. He certainly intended to persevere with it.
§ House adjourned at half past Seven o'clock, till To-morrow, half past Ten o'clock.