The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-04-22
Ancient Law Causes
Much Discussion

London, April 14.-Discovery of an
ancient Saxon law, technically known
Us the doctrine of coercion" under
which wife is virtually the prop
erty of her husband, has precipitated
storm in both houses of the British
parliament.
Lady Astor has formally introduced
bill in the house of commons to
amend the offending statute and Wis
count Ullswater strongly pressed for
a similar measure in the house of
lords.
Parliament took note of the act
when member of the commons point
ed out that it had been resurrected to
secure the acquittal recently of the
wealthy Mrs. Peel, who was concerned
with her husband in betting frauds,
while the husband himself was sent to
prison.
The old law, Viscount Ullswater ex-
planned to the lords, was founded on
the assumption that a wife would not
dare to contradict her husband, "but
II we want to maintain respect for
the law" he said sit must be strictly
in accordance with our lives and our
social relations. Whatever the legal
presumption may have been in the old
en- times, there can be no such pre-
sumption today"
1T cOnnotes an inferior and degrad-
ing status which women of the present
day will never accept. The whole
tendency of modern thought has been
in the other direction-to elevate the
status of women and put them on the
same footing as men"
The ViScount raised laughter when
he continued: 81 appeal to the ripe
experience, of any of your lordships.
Bachelors with no experience of wo-
men are the only people who take an
opposite view," and he pointed out
that the doctrine did not prevail in
Scotland, presumably because of
Lady Macbeth" he said.
Lord Buckmaster, former Lord
High Chancellor, defended the exist
ing law. He said it was his firm con
vlction that the bulk of women today
acted under the direction of their huS-
bands, and this, he held, was assur"ily
true among the lower ranks of society.
81 am not prepared to destroy what
had been established by the wisdom of
our ancestors, who knew as riuch
about men and women as we do to-
day." he declared. women have got
the vote but they are just the same
as before"
Here the present chancellor, Lord
B rkenhead, spoke up. GAS to hus-
bands controlling their wives" he
said, "every man has his own expert
enCe in these matters and | am not
bold enough tC make any such claim"
Lord Aberdeen, former lord lieu
tenant of Ireland and ex-governor
general of Canada, refectively OBJ
sci we'd that one of his ancestors, when
chancellor cf Scotland, resigned Of
flee rather than carry out an act
which proposed to make husbands re-
sponsible for their wives non-attend
ance at church.
Lady Frances Balfour, president
of the National Council of Women of
Great Britain and Ireland, writing in
The Times, calls attention to the fact
that the doctrine of coercion" is not
the only survival of ancient English
laws affecting married women. She
cites the claw of coverture," according
to which a man and his wife are one
person and the husband is that per-
son. The wife's illegal existence IS
incorporated and consolidated into
that of her husband"
Lady Frances pointed out that it is
no more than 80 years since the house
Cf lords negatived claim that hus
band had the right to imprison his
wife, which was based on this doc
trine, which has, however, never been
abolished in it's entirety.
At the same time, she proceeds, a
wifes position as her husbands prop
erty is still in practice, as, for exam
pie, when she is not allowed To decide
for herself, like other adults, whether
or not she shall submit to a surgical
operation. Her husband must first
give his consent.
These doctrines, which belong to an
age of sc"vitude and serfdom, should
be expli lily annulled by legislation,
Lady Frances declared.