THE LORD CHANCELLORpresented (by command) Copy of a Letter from the Lord Chief Justice of England, to the Lord High Chancellor: (being the same which his Lordship read to the House yesterday).
§ Amendments reported (according to order).
LORD REDE SCALEproposed the insertion of the two following Clauses: —
The Court shall not be bound to pronounce a Decree declaring a marriage to be dissolved in any case in which the wife shall be found to have been unchaste before marriage, and the husband shall not satisfy the Court that he was ignorant of her having been so at the time when he married her.If a woman shall have married, being at the Time of such Marriage with Child by another Man, the Man she has married may petition the Court for a Sentence of Nullity of such Marriage; provided such Petition shall be presented before or within two Two Months after the Birth or Miscarriage of any such Child; and if the Court shall he satisfied on the Evidence that the Petitioner was not the Father of such Child, and that he did not know that the Woman was with Child at the Time when he married her, the Court shall decree the Nullity of such Marriage, and no such Child shall be held to be the Child of the Petitioner although such child may have been born before the Decree of Nullity shall have been pronounced.
THE LORD CHANCELLORobjected to the proposed clauses. The object of the Bill before the House was not to change the law, but to improve the procedure of the Divorce Court.
§ Clauses negatived.
§ Amendment moved; and (by leave of the House) withdrawn; Bill to be read 3a on Monday next.
§ House adjourned at a Quarter before Eight o'clock, to Monday next, Eleven o'clock.