Mr.O'Connellsaid, he was greatly surprised at a decision which had lately taken place in Ireland, relative to the validity of marriages solemnised by Dissenting ministers, between Dissenters and members of the Established Church. That decision had an evident tendency to unhinge society, and to produce effects of the most immoral character. It was calculated to induce individuals who came within the scope of that decision to believe that they had a right to leave their wives and families, and to marry again. He wished, therefore, to know whether it were the intention of Her Majesty's Government to introduce a bill for the purpose of legalizing such marriages as had already taken place, and for the purpose of settling this question in future.
§ Sir R. Peelwished to state, in answer to the question of the right hon. the Lord Mayor of Dublin, that the subject to which he referred had been under the consideration of Her Majesty's Government for some time, and that it was their intention 70 to introduce a bill for the purpose of establishing the validity of such marriages without delay, so as to meet those cases which he so much regretted to have occurred, where persons who for years had considered themselves in the full exercise of legitimate rights suddenly found that they were liable to be deprived of them in consequence of a decision of the courts of law. He thought it necessary that something should be done for the settlement of the general question. It was, however, a very important subject, and the nature of the remedy that ought to be applied to it required the most serious consideration. At as early a period as possible a bill would be brought in for the purpose of regulating the whole subject. The attention of the Government had been of late absorbed by many other important questions, and all that they now proposed to do was to supply a remedy to the immediate evil, and to take time to consider what would be the best means of dealing hereafter with the whole question.