Punch (34.1858)

WHAT PAM HOPES TO BE ABLE TO DO AFTER SIX LESSONS FROM RAREY.

NO JUSTICE FOR WIDOWERS !

" Punch,

" I must tell you how highly gratified I am by the opposition
which the clerical party and their representatives are offering to the
Bill for LegaliziDg Marriage with a Deceased Wife's Sister.

"Many or most of the opponents of the Bill protested, with an
eagerness which much amused me, that they did not mean to ' treat
the question as a theological one,' and begged to 'deprecate theo-
logical discussion.' Aware of the antipathy entertained by the
honourable gents who represent the railway and commercial interests

oppose the bill on theological grounds, they do not depart quite so
widely from the truth as I like to see people in general go. Their
opposition is in a great measure simply party-spirited. If their canons
had prohibited marriage with a deceased wife's mantuamaker, they
would equally strive to maintain the prohibition. Every concession is,
with them, the loss of so much power. Therefore they strove to
defeat the Divorce Bill, denouncing its sinfulness; notwithstanding
which, no benefices that 1 know of have been resigned by those who
remain subject to its provisions. Such resistance and such submission
I contemplate with extreme debght, as calculated to bring the ecclesi-
astical body and their teaching into hatred and contempt.

to the very name of ' theology,' they availed themselves of that | " One particular reason which has been advanced against the bill I
characteristic of the pecuniary mind, to secure their own theological I consider beautiful. It is that the persons who are aggrieved by the
objections to the Bill from exposure and refutation. This is dishonest, I existing law, and want it altered, are very few. What signifies the
and just what I like. j oppression of a small number of people ? This is an argument which

" Everybody, however, knows that the proposed Bill is regarded as | evinces a deficiency in the sense of justice uncommon out of Newgate,
a theological question, turning on a certain verse in a certain chapter or places which correspond to Newgate, inclusive of those regions
of a certain book. Hence arises a supposition that the said book is

ambiguous in its language on a point of morality; that is, in an essen-
tial matter; a supposition 1 should wish to be generally adopted. The
alternative conclusion is, that very many clergymen and serious laymen
are enormous fools; an opinion of which the dissemination would
please me much; though not so highly as that of the other.

"As to the 'theological question,' it might be disposed of so
summarily that its discussion would hardly tire even the members for
the Manchester school and the deputies of my friend Mammon . The
question is one of certain Hebrew words. Parliament has only to
allow Rothschild to take his seat in the House of Commons, and
refer the controversy to the Levitical Member for London. But this
would be acting with justice as well as wisdom; and 1 hate both.

" Although the question is, in fact, a theological one, properly it
ought not to be. It is essentially a physiological question; and of
course what is physiologically right is theologically right also. Par-
liament is not, and ought not to be, a theological assembly; but it
ought to legislate on the foundation of the natural laws. I am
rejoiced to fiud that it does not do what it ought; and the natural
Jaws, as well as all other mandates emanating from the same authority,
will always meet with my warmest opposition.

"Certainly when parsons and their spokesmen pretend not to

over which the honour of presiding has been assigned to your cele-
brated Ancient

; Parliament Place, March, 1858.'

Nicholas.

Memorable Feat.

The Vmvers (who is certainly a living exemplification of the old
suspicious saying, that the " world has gone mad,") raves about France
having " wounded England." If there be a wound, and England
thrives wonderfully well in spite of it, it must be very much in the
same way that the Jackass wounded the sick Lion. The British Lion
must have been poorly at the time, and so the Jackass chose the
memorable opportunity to dance playfully round him, a la Francaise,
and kick him ! The asinine beast was so far right,—for the chance may

not occur again.

Awful!

A New Work is advertised under the ominous title A Woman's

Thoughts about Women. How could any publisher have undertaken

anything so uncharitable !