Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY. APRIL 29, 1899. Swearing.

Manawatu Herald, 29 April 1899, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY. APRIL 29, 1899. Swearing.

Great economy in small things is exhibited by our Government. In all our courts of law the bibles in U3e

must be those, from their appearance, and dirty and delapidated state, which were originally purchased at the institution of each court, they aro a dis-

grace to the country and a menace to the health of all who are compelled to Use them. Meed this be ? a very small sum would and new bibles fdr o-.r courts, until the happy day arrives when swearing shall Have become a superstition of the pash There are many torms which the law provides *■?• '.vl; \t v.'« -tvy l °rr^, \A l .s.i ihi person into a proper frame of mind prior to his giving evidence. T.iere is the old familiar form " The evidence you shall give in this dase no\v before the Court shall be the truthj the whole timth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God," with the" sharp admonition to " kiss the book," meaning the bible. In the year 1890 it was ordered that every person shall be erititled as of right to rtlake his solemn affirmation instead of taking an oath, in the man* ncr following : " I — , A.8., do solemnly sincerely, and truly declare and affirm the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth ;" and anything falsely affirmed will be treated as perjury. In 1894 a further alteration was permitted and the oath is" administered in this manner. The officer or person tender-, ing the oath holds ujp; his .hand, and ; says to the witness': "Witness, hold up your hand ffpdVepeat after me-" 1 1 swear by Almighty God, as I shall answer to GQd at the great day of judgment, that I Will speak the truth, the whole troth t aiid. nothing but the truth.'" And finaUy.it hasj" been directed that infants under the age of twelve years may be examined without oath, the witness prior to examination merely declaring " I promise to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." Surely this is the simplest and best form for all. and if adopted would be much nure satisfactory to Court officers and witnesses.

We emphasize our attempts to get the objectionable habit of kissing the cover or the leaves of a dirty bible by persons who are compelled by the strong arm of the law to appear as witnesses, and thus to xun the danger of contracting a deadly disease, by.the following extract from a contemporary: — " Behind the -determination of Magistrate Pool, in New York, to allow no more witnesses to kiss the Bible in taking oaths, is the pathetic story of a death of a young girl, who contracted a fatal malady, the magistrate believes, in his court by following the common form of oath-taking. The girl had been subpoenaed as a witness in a case in the Essex Market Police Court, and when called to the stand pressed her lips to the Bible, which had in its term of service been handled and kissed by innumerable persons. The witness' lips had been chapped with the cold, and were bleeding slightly while she was in court. She gave her testimony and went her way, carrying with her, however, the germs of a dread blood disease. She was a healthy young girl, but soon developed the symptoms of the malady, and died in great suffering. The magistrate said that the cover of the Bible in the Essex Market Court was filthy bsyond description, and that it had literally beon worn out by the lips of the witnesses and prisoners. He has received letters of congratulation from persons for the stand which he has taken on the side of cleanlinesss and hygiene.