THE EARL OF WICKLOWpresented a Petition from Inhabitants of Dublin praying that the Law relating to Divorce may be so Amended as to allow Irish Suitors to sue for a Divorce in the English Courts. He wished to know whether it was the intention of the Government to introduce any measure on this important subject.
THE MARQUESS OF CLANRICARDEpresented a Petition to the same effect from Rowan Francis Cashel, of Demarara, County Tipperary. The petitioner stated that he did not possess the means of prosecuting a Divorce Bill in their Lordships' House.
THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid, that "justice to Ireland" required that the prayer of these petitions should be granted, although the larger portion of the population being Roman Catholics believed in the indissolubility of marriage, and so could not resort to the divorce clauses of the Act. But they might avail themselves of judicial separation, and the Protestant portion of the people were entitled to the full benefit of the new jurisdiction. He had himself introduced into the Bill of last year a clause enabling persons in Ireland to avail themselves of the provisions of that measure. That proposition had received very general support from the Irish Peers, but in the other House of Parliament it had raised a storm of opposition which rendered it impossible to carry such a proposition. He would support any Bill to extend the Act to Ireland, but could not undertake to re-open the subject on the part of the Government, and bring in a Bill for that purpose.