This page has been validated.
8
men, and also of those in the deepest poverty; being in the habit for years past of daily teaching many of the children of the very poor, and also being gratuitously occupied, and counting it a great privilege, in reading … every Sunday to upwards of 200 men of the labouring class, I know from my own observation and conversations I have had with many on the subject of the proposed Bill that the marriage with the deceased wife's sister is not approved and is very rarely to be met with among them.
My noble and learned friend (Lord Hatherley), having taken great pains to ascertain the facts among the poor of Westminster, has borne the same testimony. If we were to bring together all the aberrations of our law in matters relating to the connection of the sexes we should no doubt have a very alarming and very lamentable catalogue of evils. But does any one suppose that by adapting our law to such a state of things we should not produce a greater amount of mischief? For these reasons, my Lords, I earnestly entreat you not to agree to the second reading of this Bill.
Westminster: Printed by J. B. Nichols and Sons, 25, Parliament Street.
