"OUT OF ORDER."

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17321, 6 December 1921, Page 7

"OUT OF ORDER."

♦ CITY COUNCIL INCIDENT. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. "That the Christcliurch City Council approach the Government urging them to bring down legislation abolishing, capital punishment," was the text of a motion moved by O. H. T. Armstrong at last night's meeting of the City Council. Cr Armstrong said that he had given notice of the motion some two months ago after the remarks of Cr. Martin in rsgard In the newspaper reports of an execution. He thought that if a request were made that executions should not be reported, it should be backed up bv one that there should not he capital punishment at all. Capital punishment was immoral and un-Christ-ian. Cr. Armstrong read out a list of the cnintries which had abolished it and said that in those countries murder had not increased but decreased. Personally he thought that if they were going to try to reform the criminal they should p.ide.irotir to reform society generally. He quite understood that soeictv mi st be protected against men of th e 'r> Rahu type, hut that unforunate man was proved by a Roman Catholic priest to li.v.-e had'little chance to become a decent inemhor of society. Most murrlerern had a "kink" and to hang one was just like going out to the asylum and hanging one of the inmntes. Hanging was he thdnght one of the last relicts of barbarism in New Zealand. Cr. K. H. Andrews asked if the. matter container! in tibc motion was the Council'., business. The T><?r.ut?-Maynr ruled that it wasnot, and the discussion dropped. ASSAULTS UPON WOMEN AND CHILDBEN. Directly after the motion regarding capital punishment had been ruled out of order. Cr. R. D. Martin moved as follows: "(a) That this Council views with alarm the number of assaults upon women and children, and urges the Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey to enact legislation this session to amend the Crimes Act by increasing the term of imprisonment for such assaults, and that persons convicted bo placed in special fcegregatiin camps and bo medical'y treated; fl>) that hi 3 Worshin the Mayor, Dr. H. T. J. Thncker, M.P., and Cr. D. G. Sullivan, M.P., be deputed to personally convey the above resolution to the Right Hon. W. F. Massey and the Hon. R P. Lee, Minister for Justice; (c) that the Town Clerk be instructed to refer the Council's resolution to all other Councils in the Dominion, and respectfully request their co-operation." Cr A. "MoKeUar smilingly rose to question whether the matter was Council business, and Cr, Martin remarked that if the Council were so indifferent to the welfare of the women and children, he would not go against the chairman's ruling. The Deputy-Mayor (Cr. J. A. Flesher) ruled the motion out of order Cr. Martin: 1 accept ydi.tr ruling, Sir, and quite appreciate the deep sincerity of the gentlemen on the other side. ~ Cr. P. ft. Cooke rose to dissent from the chairman's ruling, arid was proceeding to commence upon an address, when he was pulled up by the DeputyMayor, who said that he thought he was right in holding that the motion must be mtt without any reason- -r it being given, and without discu Cr Cooke's motion .was lost by 8 votes to 5, and the Council proceeded to the next business.