§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
§ LORD ABERDARE,in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, its object was to facilitate the proof of transactions, according to bankers'ledgers and account books in legal proceedings. The Bill accordingly provided, first, that entries in such books should be admissible in all legal proceedings as primâ facie evidence, on affidavit by a partner or manager that such entries had been made in the usual course of business; secondly, copies of such en- 1471 tries might be admissible on affidavit by a person who had examined them, that such copies were correct—in which case the originals need not be produced; and thirdly, on application of any of the parties the Court might order that such party be at liberty to inspect and take copies of any such entries relating to the matters in question.
THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid, he had no objection to the principle of the Bill; but before it was finally passed, it would be necessary to have an accurate definition of what was a "banker," within the meaning of the Bill; otherwise the books of private firms might be brought within its operation.
§ Motion agreed to; Bill read a second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Wednesday next.