MARRIED WOMEN'S PROPERTY BILL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3608, 3 February 1883, Page 4

MARRIED WOMEN'S PROPERTY BILL.

Mr. ShaAV-Lefe\-re, M.T., in presiding lately at the final meeting of the Married AVomen's Property committee, held at Willis's Rooms, said the fact of the Married AVomen's Property Bill having ultimately passed through both Houses of Parliament Avith scarcely any discussion, rendered it desirable that the important change effected in the law should be publicly explained to those Avhom it Avas likely to atfect. Until the Act should come into operation on January 1, 18S3, the law of England relating to the property of married Avomen Avas the most severe and harsh to such Avomen of any law in Europe. Marriage operated as a "gift of all the personal property that the Avife had before marriage to her husband, and all the income from her real property Avent equally to her husband. Further, she was rendered incapable by the common law of making a contract or of suing or being sued. True, restrictions and exceptions had been gradually engrafted upon this kiw, whereby she might protect herself by agreement, against harsh treatment, but still iv the background there -was this principle to ■which he referred, and Avhieh Avas seldom enforced Avithout inflicting injustice and Avrong. By the iicav Act, however, man-ied -women would have all the rights in respect of property that their husbands or unmarried women possessed. They Avould have the power of holding, acquiring, or alienating property of all kinds, and also the power of contracting and of suing and being ■mod iv the courts of law. Marriage would not hereafter operate as a gift of the Avife's property to the husband, but the Avife, unless .she"chose ou marriage to surrender her property, Avould remain in full possession of it, and no lawyers' aid would be needed to give her protection. AVomen already married Avould retain of their own all property which hereafter might come to them by bequests, or gift, or inheritance, in the same absolute manner, aud free from the control of their husbands. This Avas a very great aud, as he believed a very just aud salutory change. It Avas first mooted twenty-five years ago. He traced the course of the movement since; then, and commended the exertions of the committees* Avhose final meeting Avas then being held. It was reserved to the present Lord Chancellor, supported by Earl Cairns, in the House of Lords, and to Air Osborne Morgan in the House of Commons, to secure thc_ passing, almost Avithout explanation or discussion, of a measure of reform which was one of the greatest and most far-reaching of any thathad been carried.