BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1047, 9 February 1911, Page 5

BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

ADDRESS IN REPLY. __ « DEBATE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS. PAPAL DECREE ON MARRIAGE. A WARM DISCUSSION. OjTclccrapli-Prcss Association-Oopyrlßhl. (Rec. February 8, 10.40 p.m.) London, February 8. In the House of Commons tho debate on tho Address-in-Rcply was continued to-day. Mr. Campbell (Dublin University) arraigned Mr. Birfcll, Chief Secretary for' Ireland, for inaction in connection with tho Papal decrco regarding mixed marriages, evon refusing to interveno in the case of Mrs. M'Cann, whoso children were taken nway because sho refused to be remarried in the Roman Catholic Church, when a priest alleged that her offspring were illegitimate. Mr. Birrcll said the M'Cann caso was a distressing one, but the wife's redress was through tho Civil Court. Tho Pres-' byterion ministers, were less interested .in tho woman than iii, using tho case as au example of what would happen when Ireland secured Homo Rule. A vituperative debate followed between Irish Unionists and Nationalists, the latter stating that Mrs. M'Cahn's bad temper was tho cause of her husband hiding the children. The "Catholic Times" of December 9 states: "Tho startling tale of tho wpman who was robbed of home and children is ti> this effect. The daughter of a small farmer in County Antrim, sho married a Catholic. Ho allowed her to take tho first-born boy to tho Presbyterian minister for baptism. But subsequently ho was approached by a priest and ho took tho second child to tho Catholic Church for baptism. Later on he took both children away, and now being unablo to.find him, sho mado a pathetic appeal for help to tho Earl of Aberdeen. If tho story is true, why conceal names and particulars? But even if it were true, it would be' a very poor argument against Home Rule. It would not be difficult at any timo to find in Protestant England a few. wives who have been deserted by their husbands." PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. THE;.SECOND CHAMBER. . ' " ' London, February 8. Twenty amendments proposed to the Address-in-Rcply relato to tho Second Chamber. Others relate to immigration, undesirablo aliens, and women's suffrage. Ono regrets tho absence of proposals to enable the oversea dominions to participate moro actively in tho general management of the Empire in matters of legislation, administration, and defence. , An amendment by Mr. Ramsay Macdonald raises the, unemployment question.