SWEARING.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1832, 16 November 1874, Page 2

SWEARING.

It is quite probable tliat the Divine injunction " Swear rot at all" will soon be carried out literally in the Coiirfcs 'of'thd Colony of Victoria. The following Bill is to be introduced into the Assembly byMr.J.H.Beid:- ' * J

" Whereas it is found that the present practice of administering the oathin courts of law, and other institutions . under the control of the Government!,is contrary to the religious belief of many, and is lightly regarded by the non religious portion of the community, and has consequently to a great extent lost the .solemnity* with which it was supposed to be regarded at the time of its introduction :: Be it therefore enacted—

" 1. That in all courts of law, boards of inquiry, Royal Commissions, arid other tribunals under the control of theGroyernment, the present administration. of tho oath shall be abolished. '

"2. That any witness giving evidence before such court of Jaw,"'board of inquiry,' liojal Commissions, or other tribunals under the control of the Government shall render himself liable, in tha event of his giving false evidence, to all the paina and xienalties at present, attached to the per-" •jury.

" 3. That before proceeding to give evidence, the witness shall have read to him by an officer connected with the aforesaid institution the caution "as contained in schedule A, and the said witness shall acknowledge having received the said caution. 7 - ■ „ " Schedule A.—You (A3.) are hereby cautioned that if the evidence you give in. this court of law, board of inquiry, or other,tribunal under government control, as the case may be is not found to be, the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the "truth, you render yourself liable to the pains and penalties at.present attacked to wilful and corrupt p Qrjury, as specified in the stetue book." ; :

We look upon this as a step in advance! There, is very little to be said m favour of tho old form of oath, which is lightly, take n and as ] igh tly broken by a largo ' class of witnesses, and, as is justly remarked by a contemporary, often amounts to a desecration of the Holy Scriptures. An untruthful witness is. more likely, t0... be influenced by the- fear of human . than of divine; and the excessive cum- *. brbusness of the law relating to "perjury renders a recourse to it rare, except in the most glaring cases. One point, however, appears^to present a difficulty. We doubt whether evidencej taken; under: the : plan proposed by Mr Eeid would be accepted in any English or colonial court where ti&t old traditions were, sijill ,in force.—;H B. Times. '" ;! 'J ■ :i': "