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Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 76, 24 October 1872, Page 2

When the Divorce Act was passed in 1857, the late Lord Justice Rolt, then plain Mr Eolt, supported by Mr Sotheron Estcourt, Mr Gladstone, Mr Henly, Mr Disraeli, and others, opposed the rc-marriage of persons guilty of adultery. They were beaten by Lord Palmerston and Sir R. Bethell by a majority of 110 to 50. Subsequently the Government accepted a compromise, affording legal exemption to the clergy from any compulsion m the re-marrying of the guilty parties, but it was allowed that the service m : ght be performed in the parish church by another clergyman on notice being previously given to the parish Priest. Mr G. Macdonnell, curate c" St Luke's, Norwood, it appears, last spring asked perm' sion of Mr BLeinpe, the well-known rector of St James's, Piccadilly, to perform the marriage ceremony for some friends of his in the church of that parish, under a license, and it was frankly aocarded. Subsequently, however, Mr Eempe found out that the important factj of the case had been concealed from him, and he indignantly denounced the offender to his rector, and his diocesan, the Bishop of Winchester. The Curate of Norwood was at once inhibited for his conduct, and, smarting under the punishment, brought an action for libel against Mr Eempe ; but a jury, at the Guildford assizes last week, under the sound direction of Mr Baron Martin, gave, unhesitatingly, a verdict for the defendant. —G-uardian. Some of our readers, on seeing a string of distinguished men enter the Sheldonian Theatre to receive honorary degrees,, have probably felt that Universities are apt, on such occasians, to bring rather curious diversities together. Such a reflection, may be excited by the news- that the Senate of the University of Edinburgh has conferred the degree of Doctor of Law? on Dr. Dollinger and. Mr William Chambers, and that the Faculty of National Economy at Munich has bestowed a similar honour on Mr Gladstone, the Earl of Shaftesbury, and Dr J. S. Mill.—lbid.