THE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 898, 18 August 1910, Page 6

THE COUNCIL.

CRIMES AMENDMENT BILL. The legislative Council continued the debate on 'the second reading of the Crimes Amendment Bill.

Tie Hon. J. BIGG (Wellington) welcomed the measure generally, but took exceptions to many of the details, which he' trusted might be altered. He did not consider the-provisions tor separate institutions were satisfactory. . The Bill took no : cognisance of inebriates' homes like the' Army Home , at Pakatoa.' Ho thought it was improper that any State offender should be placed under the control of a sectarian institution. "Under the indeterminate principle there was, said Mr. Rigg, really no incentive to a man to reform until the expiration of his sentence. In his opinion, dt would be |-better to adopt the maximum sentence principle with reduction, according to circumstances. It would never do .to allow the dictates of humanity to blind the'sense of justice in the board which it was proposed to .set up to, safeguard the interests of the criminals. For instance, as to the employment of prisoners, if they wore allowed to enter into competition with free labour the scheme could not receive the sympathy and support from the public which it should have. He.was averse to any proposal to teach prisoners,a skilled trade, as it would injure those |Who had of necessity learned ' a'. trade in the legitimate manner. ,' Trades unionism was,' sufficiently strong in New Zealand,' however, to prevent any such attempt being made, and the bulk of the people would givo their support to ■ the unions. ■ The Hon'. J. R. SINCLAIR (Otago) said the leading principle of the Bill was reformative, ,:and punishment in order to be effective, mustreform.. The superiority of -the indeterminate sentence .-. over the fixed sentence,.was so clearly recognised now by; experts, and was so supported by experience in countries where it had been tried, that this matter was now beyond the dctatable stage."• The Bill proposed to extend this treatment to' all cases, in which- the conviction was imprisonment.: The wisdom of this extension „ was the principle they had to consider." This was just one of those reform's'! which it seemed, to him it, could bo demonstrated could not work injury. In practice it could only, bo applied to two classes of criminals; ;to those who were prepared to reform if encouraged, and to thoso who would not reform whether they got encouragement or not. It. was an admirable Act if well carried out. If well administered it would be a distinct reforms-it badly' administered it would surely break down.

At 4.15 p.m. the debate was adjourned on the motion of the Hon. R. : A'. Loughnan. \.