§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, its object was to amend the Act of 1882, in which Sections 12 and 16, in reference to criminal proceedings, and the making of husband or wife a witness in a case against either, were contradictory. The Bill would remove the ambiguity, and would make it competent to a husband to give evidence against his wife.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a."—(The Marquess of Salisbury.)
§ LORD BRAMWELLsuggested that the Bill should not merely make a husband capable of giving evidence against his wife, but for her, as there might be a prosecution against her, and the husband, capable of giving material evidence in her favour, might keep himself out of the witness-box. He would point out that a witness did not give evidence for or against one side or the other, but in the case, and this Bill should make both husband and wife competent to give evidence in the case.
THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid, that no doubt the noble Marquess would pay attention to the suggestion of the noble and learned Lord. He would ask that the Committee on the Bill should not be appointed for an early day, as he was not at all sure that it might not be expedient to take advantage of this Bill to introduce one or two other Amendments of the existing Act.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYasked the noble and learned Lord opposite (Lord Bramwell) to put his clause on the Paper, and said he would fix the Committee for that day fortnight.
§ Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Tuesday the 13th of May next.