em. Their exertions, indeed, had been matter of
frequent allusion during this session; and while the few applauded them
as enlightened and devoted patriots, the many denounced them as factious
demagogues. Their petition was presented on the 2nd of April by Mr.
Buncombe; but it was suffered to lie on the table until the recovery
of Sir George Saville, who had undertaken to move for referring the
petition to a committee. Sir George made this motion on the 8th of May;
but the contents of the petition, and the unconstitutional character of
the delegates, were severely reprobated; and the motion was lost by a
majority of two hundred and twelve against one hundred and thirty-five.

THE MARRIAGE ACT CORRECTED.

It had been found, by a late decision in the court of king's bench, that
a clause in the Marriage Act of 1751 rendered all marriages unlawful
whereof the banns had been published in churches or chapels erected
since the passing of the act. This decision would have dissolved
thousands of marriages hitherto supposed to be valid, and would also
have rendered their offspring illegitimate, had not the legislature
interfered. A bill was brought in by Lord Beauchamp, which had a
retrospective operation, in order to render such marriages valid
and their issue legitimate. This bill was adopted by both houses
unanimously; and it received the royal assent early in June. After it
had passed, Fox, who inherited his father's dislike to the whole of the
marriage Act, brought in a bill for amending or rather repealing it _in
toto_. Fox's motion, which was rejected without a division, excited much
notice from the circumstance that it brought him into collision for the
first time with Burke, his bosom friend. Burke as strenuously supported
the original act, as Fox opposed it; considering that "it hit the just
mean between a mischievous restraint and that laxity which formerly
occasioned so much disorder." Each supported their own views with their
known abilities.

MOTION OF FOX RESPECTING THE AMERICAN WAR.

On the 30th of May, Colonel Hartley moved for leave to bring in a bill
vesting the crown with sufficient powers to treat, consult, and finally
agree upon the means of restoring peace with the provinces of North
America. This motion was rejected by a large majority, but a few days
afterwards intelligence arrived of reverses in North Carolina, which
emboldened the opposition to recur to the subject. On the 12th of June,