cold and sulky
approbation, evincing how little the loudest advocates for
reforms of this nature really care about them. The 'Morning
Chronicle' seemed to regret that Peel's Bill should give
satisfaction more than it rejoiced that the Dissenters were to
obtain it. Marriage is made a civil contract for the Dissenters,
and a slight civil form is substituted for the religious ceremony
of the Church of England. This relieves them from all their
grievance; but it is now said that they lie under a degradation,
because it is not also made a civil contract for everybody else,
and that the law ought to be changed universally. I think it
would be better if it was a civil contract, but nothing can be
more captious than such an objection, or more impertinent, and I
do not desire to see the law changed, because I believe the
majority of members of the Church of England are content that it
should remain as it is, and that their feelings or prejudices
would be shocked by the alteration.

The King is in great indignation at the proceedings in the House
of Commons about Londonderry. The Duke sent Londonderry's letter
of resignation to him, and his Majesty returned it with a letter
in which he expressed his approbation of Londonderry's conduct,
and added, that 'he was more than ever satisfied of the
correctness of his determination in November last, to refuse his
consent to his Government being led by Lord John Russell in the
House of Commons, since he had witnessed his conduct upon the
occasion, and the support he had given to the unconstitutional
attack that had been made upon this appointment.' He made no
allusion to Stanley, whose conduct must have galled him still
more.

[Page Head: SIR EDWARD AND LADY SUGDEN.]

Sir E. Sugden has resigned the Chancellorship of Ireland because
his wife is not received at Court. He might have ascertained very
easily beforehand what would happen, or have contrived to keep her
away from Dublin. It was understood when he took the Great Seal
that he declined being made a peer, on account of the illegitimacy
of his eldest son. Half the world had never heard of Lady Sugden,
or knew anything of her history; and as she is an excellent woman,
charitable and kind-hearted, I fancy she has moved without
obstruction in his natural circle of society. He went to Ireland
before any Lord-Lieutenant was named, and Lady Sugden was received
as a matter of course. When Lady Haddington was apprised of her
origin and