PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1239, 22 September 1911, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

THE COUNCIL. IMPREST SUPPLY BILL. MENTAL DEFECTIVES. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 yesterday afternoon. Imprest Supply Bill No. 3 was received irom tho House of Representatives, and was put through n.ll stages and passed. EMPLOYERS AND LABOUR UNIONS. The S ATTORNEY-GENERAL intimated that tho Government was now preparing a return showing the number of unions of employers, with the' total membership, and the number of unions of.workers, with, total membership, in each year, since the "passing of the Industrial Con-, cilintion and' Arbitration Act to tho dato of tho last return, also the number of trade unions registered under tho Trade Unions Act at the date of the passing of the Industrial Conciliation anil Arbitration Act, and tho number registered tinder the Trades Unions Act at December 31, 1910. This .return was asked for by the Hon. J. Barr somo time ago. LAND SETTLEMENT. The Hon. J. D. OKMONI) (Hawko's Bay) pave notice of his intention to move that the Council desires to express satisfaction with tho land settlement proposals outlined in the Financial Statement, especially that in addition to tho firesent system {or tho disposal of Crown amis settlement .by. associations, of intending settlors is to bo encouraged, in conjunction with the construction of future works. DEGREES IN DIVINITY. The Hon. Sir Maurice O'KORKE (Auckland) gave notice of his intention to ask the Attorney-General whether it is the intention of the Government to comply with the request of the Senate of the I*ow Zealand University by submitting to Parliament a Bill to enable the Senate to praat Degrees in Divinity as well as in pther subjects recently authorised. MENTAL DEFECTIVES. The Han. J. T. PAUL (Otago), speaking on the motion to go into Committee on the Mental Defectives Bill, said ho considered that the leading features of the Bill wore on sound lines, but tho Bill did not go anything like far enough. Hβ thought the Bill should be> referred to a Committee, and tho leading principles thoroughly discussed and inquired into there. They should discuss with experts the results attempted to be achieved. Most of the misery and degeneracy, he added, had its root deep down in .poverty. Referring to the education system tc-day, Mr. Paul gavo it as his opinion that there was a great deal of flummery and useless things that could V> eliminated with advantage. (Hear, hear.) The speaker proceeded to urge the necessity for taking steps to eliminate the multiplication oi the unfit. Tho Hon. J. E. JENKINSON (Wellington) thought the suggestion to send the Bill to a Select Committee was aa excellent one.

Several other speakers dealt briefly with the matter. '

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said ho hcid looked into the question raised by the Hon. Mr.. Paul, as to referring tho'Bill to a Select Committee, and had cometo the conclusion that, sseing the lateness of tho session, it would be better to proceed in the usual way. The questions raised by Mr. Paul were, outside the Tango of the Bill, and were very difficult to deal with. To cover all the points Taised,, a committee would require not three weeks, but three months. He thought it would bo belter to deal with tho Bill as it stood, and further action coiild be considered next session. , He thought ..the Bill was an. immense advance oa the existing law. The Council then went into Committee on tho Bill. " " *

Considerable discussion took place in regard to the olauso providing that reception orders shall lapse tfnless renewed during December in each' year. Tho clanse. provided that every such order shall cease to be in force on December 31 each, year. after that in .which it,was made, unless'on that date the InspectorGeneral is in receipt of a certificate by tho. medical officer of the institution in which the patient is detained, or the medical practitioner appointed to attend a single patient signed by that officer during December, Jo the • effect that he has considered the case of the patient to ■whom the order refers, and is of opinion that his further \dctentiori is for his own good or in tho public interest. Tho Hon.- 0. SAMUEL (Taranaki) moved an amendment that the certificate be issued,by an inspector (an independent man whose bread and : butter does not depend on the- report), after consultation with the.medical officer of the institution or the medical practitioner appointed to attend a. single patient. It was urged that the amendment would ■not press on the. public institutions, but would be a safeguard over private institutions. ■ '

On a division, the amendment was lo3t by'l2 to 5.

Prop-ess was reported at Clause 21, and the Council rose at 10 p.m.