§ Clause 155 (Regulations as to evidence).
§ MR. PARNELLmoved the omission of the words "purporting to be," in page 85, line 17. The question of proving the signatures of soldiers to their attestation papers had been frequently raised during the passage through Committee of the Mutiny Acts. He objected to the reception of these papers as evidence, without proof of handwriting.
§ MAJOR NOLANpointed out that there would be great difficulty in verifying the handwriting by comparing the attestation papers with the known writing of the soldier. The writing of a man was very frequently changed by the instruction he received in the schools.
§ MR. HOPWOODthought the hon. Member for Meath would see that the legal meaning of the words was that, primâ facie, the attestation paper produced by the proper person should be proof that it was signed by the man on his trial. But he apprehended that, according to every idea of fairness, if a man protested that the paper was not signed by him, the authorities would look for confirmatory evidence.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
§ Clause agreed to.
§ Clause 156 (Evidence of civil conviction or acquittal) agreed to.
§ Clause 157 (Evidence of conviction by court martial) agreed to.