THE DECEASED WIFE'S SISTER BILL.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IX, Issue 909, 10 July 1880, Page 3

THE DECEASED WIFE'S SISTER BILL.

A. long and somewhat amusing discussion took place an the Legislative' Council on the second reading of the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill, which wds moved by Mr Mantell. He urged that the reform would conduce to domestic happiness and., morality. Captain Fraser', who supported the bill, .drew an affecting picture of-two poor children entering the. Houseand standing at the Bar crying '•Do notbrand us with the stignia,of illegitimacy." They would have hearts like the netherrunillstone to refuse such an appeal. A little scene then occurred, owing to Col. Whitmore.assectihg,that one or two "convict colonies" and New South iWales, and. Western Australia, and theoffshoots of Victoria and Queensland, had passed Wife's' Sister Bills, but that was no argument in favour of New Zealaud doing likewise. Captain Fraser and Mr P. Buckley indignantly rose; to* order at the expression the> latter-espe-cially defending Victoria and • Queensland from s.uch £«. The ; Speaker said he f ;regretfcQd!XujJh. s a.n...expression, had. been used, but he could not rule it out of order. The gallant Colonel then resumed his" remarks, urgiiig that we should follow in-the footsteps of England, and .not in* those of the other colonies. y"To*'c"ar'ry'this bill would cunduce-- to immorality. that' where- the-, passions -were -concerned- reason was nowhere. Fraser somewhat rashly irJ^6o&&s4Oh, oh,"' upon! which Colonel that, his a time of'Kfe when the made would not apply. (Great then asserted. that perhaps not more than a dozen persons, in the colonyJW.o;ad Miaflpcted by the bill. Nine_by r riine o£rtho_ ; w_pmen,put.of*every hundred abp.minated i!,, j;£ (Laughter.). If there . waft one ._wqma.ii., in T the j whole _ world ■&. wife. ,w:o^,no^_wi3h.her l husband to!_marry, it was her -sjster^.,\(|tfud\,-Laughter.), , Honorable* mernbera let ,them enquire among .the', and? his' words would be borne out. '^auwhter!)*'The religious argu- \ ment for. the'bill appeared to be that the ! Bible somewhere said .that men must marry their-dead brothers 1 Widows. But they did. hot propose do that; Gh, no! (Laughter.) Wivo's sisters would no.longer be-able to live on an amicable footing with their brothers-in-law if the bill passed, and it therefore-cut at the,root of the present satisfactory state Of affairs.- (Laughter.). The gallant Colonel also urged that if the measure passed it would deprive, step-children of the natural refuge

they had at present iv their grandparents, when they could not get along with their step-mother. Of course* grandparents would not take the part of step-children when the step-mother was their own daughter, and therefore the children Avould be compelled to lfvo iv misery. The bill would conduce to immorality' and infelicity, and he would oppose lit till he found it was adopted in England. . Mr Peter, amid loud laughter, gave notice to introduce a Deceased Husband's Brother Marriage Bill.