MARRIAGE LAW.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 242, 12 October 1929, Page 15

MARRIAGE LAW.

AMENDMENT PASSED. PRIVATE M.JP.'S ACHIEVEMENT SOME OBJECTORS IN COUNCIL. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. ■ The unusual honour of a private member of Parliament getting a bill of his own through the Legislature to-day fell to the, lot of Mr. H. G. E. Mason, M.P. for' Auckland Suburbs, whose Marriage Amendment Bill, validating marriage with a deceased wife's niece or a deceased husband's nephew was passed by the Legislative Council, with minor amendments, of which the House has yet to approve. Sir Francis Bell entered an emphatic protest against the passage of the measure, on the. ground that it would have the effect of creating person who would be illegitimate in other parts of the Empire. He maintained that marriage laws should be identical throughout the Empire and the bill made a new departure. "Is there any earthly reason for a man to marry his wife's niece or for a woman to marry her husband's nephew 1" lie asked, amidst laughter. "I mean her deceased's husband's nephew," he said, correcting himself. "Soon we will have a bill introduced to enable a man to marry his grandmother's wife." (Loud laughter.) This time Sir Francis, did not seem to realise his mistake. The Hon. T.. Shailer Weston seconded the protest./ It was scarcely decent, he said, for an old man to marry a young girl and he could not see why a man should ever require to fall back on his deceased wife's niece. The Hon. J. Ban- said if we found a •wrong in our law it was no argument to say it should not be altered until it was altered in the Old Country. Moving an amendment that the third reading be taken three months hence, the Hon. W. Earnshaw expressed the belief that it was undesirable that such marriages should-take place. There should be some' general movement throughout the Empire before such a big change was made; ■-■-•■■ The Hon. L. M. Isitt said he could see 310 objection to legalising the marriages proposed. Why should they prevent such marriages and permit cousins to marry? Replying to Mr. Barr, Sir Francis Bell, said .we had a right to legalise independently, but it was a recognised principle throughout the Empire that at least there should be uniformity in regard to legitimacy. The amendment was lost by 13 votes to 22, and the bill was then passed with an amendment made by the Statutes Revision Committee.