LAST NIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1752, 25 September 1875, Page 3

LAST NIGHT.

(Per Press Telegram Agency.)

Last evening's sitting of the House was confined mainly to. business of a private or stmi-private nature.

Bills Passed.

The following Bills passed : —Eailway Bill, Begistration of Birth and Death Bill, Marriage Act Amendment Bill. Anatomy Bill and Criminal Children's Act Amendment Bill ■were read a second time. Protection of Friendly Societies. In moving the second reading of tbe Friendly Societies' Act Amendment Bill, Mr Bouen said that sometime ago, in the South, the tie_surer of one of these Friendly Societies could not be convicted of embezzling ihe funds of the society, because, according to law, he was not a servant of the society in such sense as to make him liable to punishment ' falling upon a servant of any other society. If convicted of embezzlement or laiceny, this bill simply provided that tbe treasurer of a Friendly Society should be deemed to be a servant of the trustees within the meaning of the Larceny Act, 1867. The second reading of the bill agreed to. Admission of Evidence. Mr Bo wen moved the second reading of the Evidence Act Amendment Bill. He said it was clear that by restrictions now imposed by the law of evidence, much useful evidence was shut out of Courts of Law. The law of evidence in England had lately been amended so as to greatly reduce these restrictions. This bill was intended to bring the amendments of the English law into force in the colorry. Parties io actions for breath of promiselof marriage were to be competent to give evidence, and parties, and their husbands, and wives were to be competent to give evidence in suits for adultery. It was also. desirable to prevent that iiidecent hasie which was frequently noticed in lushiDg off to . Court to gain an advantage by getting out first snmmcnses. In these criminal summary proceedings, where the offender was punishable by fine or imprisonment, the persons charged and their husbands or wives should be competent to give evidence, but not compellable unless the person charged has voluntarily been examined or submitted to examination. It was proposed to get rid of the difficulty constantly occuring in the Courts owing to tbe religious scruples of per-sons^-quired as witnesses, by allowing those objecting to take oath to make a declaration and be triable for perjury in case of making a false declaration.