Lords Sitting of 24 July 1877

MINUTES.
Sat First in Parliament—The Lord Erskine, after the death of his Brother.
PUBLIC BILLS—First Reading—Saint Catherine's Harbour, Jersey* (158).
Second Reading—Married Women's Property (Scotland) (154); Telegraphs (Money) * (152).
Third Reading—Factors Acts Amendment * (140); Registered Writs Execution (Scotland) * (157); Local Government Board's Provisional Orders Confirmation (Atherton, &c.) * (86)—(Caistor Union, &c.)* (94).

MARRIED WOMEN'S PROPERTY (SCOTLAND) BILL.—(No. 154.)
(The Marl of Rosebery.)
MARRIED WOMEN'S PROPERTY (SCOTLAND) BILL.—(No. 154.)

  SECOND READING.
  Order of the Day for the Second Beading, read.
  THE EARL OF ROSEBERY, in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, the measure was a reproduction

  1737
  of one introduced in the other House of Parliament with the view of protecting the property of married women. Originally its provisions were somewhat more extensive than they were at present; but on the advice and with the consent of Her Majesty's Government they had been reduced to two clauses. The first protected the right of a married woman to the wages she earned herself. The second protected the husband, in return, from debts contracted by the wife before marriage except to the extent of any property which she might have brought him in marriage. These were the only two clauses of the Bill, and corresponded with the 1st and 12th clauses in the Married Women's Property Act, 1870, which was now the law in England and Wales.
  Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next.

  ARMY (PROMOTION)—PAPER PRESENTED.—NOTICE.
  EARL CADOGANsaid, he had to-day laid on the Table a Memorandum containing and explaining the provisions which it was proposed to embody in a Royal Warrant consequent on the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Promotion and Retirement in the Army. It was hoped that the Paper would be in the hands of their Lordships on Thursday morning, and he proposed to call attention to the subject on Monday in order to afford an opportunity, which he understood was desired, for discussion of the whole question.
  House adjourned at half-past Five o'clock, to Thursday next, Eleven o'clock.