The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-04-22
HUSBAND IN ENGLAND
STILL OWNS HIS WIFE
Lady Astor Has introduced Bill TO
Nulllfy Ancient Saxon Law
of Coercion.

London, April %. Discovery OF an
ancient Saxon law, technically known
as the doctrine OF coercion" under
which a wife IS virtually the property
OF her husband, has precipitated a
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
similar measure In the house Of
lords.
Parliament took note Of the act
when a member OF the commons
pointed out that II had been resurrect-
ed to secure the acquittal recently OF
the wealthy Mrs Peel, who was con.
cerned with her husband in betting
frauds, while the husband himself was
sent to prison.
The old law, Viscount Ullswater ex-
plained to the lords, was. founded on
the assumption that a wife would not
dare to contradict her husband; but
If we want to maintain respect for the
law he said, 1T must be strictly in
accordance with our lives and our so
cial relations Whatever the legal
presumption may have been in the
olden times, there can be no such pre-
sumption today.
1T connotes an inferior and degrad.
Ing status which women of the pres.
ent day vii 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 ised laughter when
he continued: Il appeal to the ripe ex.
perience Of any Of your lordships.
Bachelors with no experience OF won.
en- are the only people who take an op-
posite vlew," and he pointed out that
the doctrine did not prevail in Scot
land, presumably because of Lady
Macbeth" he said.
Lord Buckmaster, former lord
high chancellor defended the existing
law He said It was his firm convic
tion that the bulk of women today act.
cd under the direction of their hus.
bands, and this he held was assured.
ly true among the lower ranks of so
ciety u am not prepared to destroy
what had been established by the wis
dom OF our ancestors, who knew as
much about men and women as We dc
today he declared. Women have
got the vote, but they are just the
same as before"
Here the present chancellor, Lord
Birkenhead, spoke up AS to hus
bands controlling their wives" he
said, every man has his own expert
cnce In these matters, and | am no
bold enough to make any such claim.
Lord Aberdeen, a former lord Ecu
tenant Of Ireland and ok governor gen
eral OF Canada, renectively observed
that one of his ancestors. when chan
cellor Of Scotland, resigned office rath
er than carry out an act which pro
posed to make husbands responsible,
for their wives non attendance a
church
Lady Frances Balfour. president o
the National Council of Women O
Great Britain and Ireland writing il
the Times calls attention to the fac
that the doctrine of coercion" is no
the only survival of ancient Englisl
laws affecting married women. Sh
citca the "law of coverture," accordinj
to which a man and his wife are on,
person and the husband is that person
The wife's legal existence is incorpc
rated and consolidated into that of he
husband
Lady Frances pointed out that II I
no more than thirty years since tn
house Of lords negatived a claim tina
husband had the right to impriso
his wife, which was based on thi
doctrine, which has however, neve
been abolished in its entirety.
+ At the same time she proceeds,
wife's position as her husbands prol
, erty is still in practice. as, for exam
I pie, when she is not allowed to decid
for herself, like other adults. whethe
, or not she shall submit to surgies
operation. 1 GPA~a .ss 4