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    the case , that-it did not even provide for the religious scruples of all -classes of Unitarians . The Honourable and Learned Gentleman had said that some of the Unitariansobjected to marriage by a Priest at all . This Bill afforded no relief to the

    scruples of such persons ; as to the reasonableness of such a scruple , it was not a question for that House to decide , though he feared , that if every man was permitted to select the person by whom he should be married as he pleased , the marriage vow would not be regarded with

    the same sanctity as at present . The Jews and Quakers were exempted from the performance of the Marriage Ceremony , according to the Church of England y but this Bill did not place the Unitarians on the same footing with them . It required that the publication

    of banns and the registration of Marriages should take place as usual in the Church of England , so that they would still keep all the advantages of marriage in Church , while they excluded the ceremony itself . Besides , anxious as he was

    to afford relief to such as really entertained conscientious scruples , he feared that the pretext might be made use of to avoid the regulations intended to prevent clandestine marriages . In Jews and Qua * kers there were certain external

    demonstrations , appearances , quod nequco rnonstrari 9 which prevented imposition if it should be attempted . But the same was not the case with the Unitarians . He was persuaded that the House would feel the possibility of religious scruples occurring on the part of the Established Clergy ,

    when they were called Upon to register the marriages of persons who did not cousider marriage a religious ceremony , and who denied the divinity of our Saviour . Why not at once determine that the Church of England should have nothing to do with the registration any

    more than with the ceremony ? Why not call upon the Unitarian Clergyman to forward the registry of the marriage directly to the proper oflice , without requiring any other interference ? He respected the scruples of the Hon . Gentleman who opposed the motion ( Mr .

    Robertson ) , but he did not apprehend the same danger to the Church of England . ( A laugh . ) But he would not oppose the second reading of the Bill , as he wished it to go into a Committee , in order that they might understand the full extent of the principle which they were called upon to legislate .

    Lord G . Cavhndish agreed that it would be right to adopt some means of guarding against clandestine marriages , after which the measure was such as that House , in these enlightened times , ought to protect , So far from weakening the

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    boml of marriage , it would strengthen it both in a religious point of view , and a * a civil contract . .

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    508 Intelligences—Parliamentary i Conduct of Dissenters .

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    Thursday , April 21 . Conduct of Dhsenters with regard to Catholic Claims . The Earl of Liverfool presented a petition against the Catholic Claims from certain Dissenters ( as we understo od ) ot Margate .

    Lord King thought it somewhat strange that the Dissenters should stand forward as they had done , again&t the Catholics , and in support of an Establishment that had never evinced any very kindly feeling towards them . He remembered a great ornament of the Right Reverend

    liench saying , that the Catholics were far nearer and dearer to them than the Dissenters . He read aii extract from a placard which his Lordship alleged to have been posted up in Nottingham , for the purpose of inflaming the minds of the people against the Catholics . In one part of the placard were these words :

    " What do these Papists want ? Does any one prevent them from worshiping their Gods and Godesses , and all their Saints , and all their Devils ?"—This , observed the Noble Lord , shewed the efforts that were now making to excite the public mind upon a question of the highest importance , though it was alleged that no such efforts were made .

    Lord Holland presented a petition from the Protestants of the town and neighbourhood of . Lewes , in favour ot farther concessions to the Roman Catholics . He could not say under what particular denomination of Protestants the

    petitioners came . He certainly agreed with his Noble Friend in the surprise he had expressed at Nonconformists coming forward to petition against the Catholic Claims ; and considered it very unfair on such petitions being presented , to consider an opinion expressed by a few individuals as that of a whole sect .

    There were several sects called Dissenters , which were not included in any of the divisions of the three great denominations of Dissenters , from whom he had not heard that any petition had yet been received . He had formerly had the honour , and he did think it a very pjreat honour , to present a petition from the three denominations in favour of the

    Catholic Claims . They might change their mind , but it was too much to infer the opinion of whole bodies from petitions signed by a small number of individuals . The Bishop of Chisstjsii - held in nifc

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    HOUSE OF LORDS .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1825, page 508, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2539/page/50/