§ MR. PERKS (Lincolnshire, Louth)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can state when the case, submitted to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, affecting the rights of Her Majesty's subjects in Malta, in the matter of their marriages, and especially as to the validity of mixed marriages celebrated otherwise than in accordance with the decrees of the Council of Trent, is likely to be heard; and whether Her Majesty's Government will direct the Governor of Malta to resume, until such time as the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council may decide that such a course is illegal, the ancient practice of issuing licences empowering Protestant clergy in Malta to solemnise marriages?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE, Edinburgh, Midlothian)The answer to the first part of the question is that the case will be disposed of, as I understand, at the next November sittings of the Judicial Committee. With respect to that part of the question which relates to the state of things in Malta, there has 976 not been time to obtain information in regard to it.