THE COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1508, 2 August 1912, Page 6

THE COUNCIL

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT, The Council sat at 2.30 p.m. Several committees wore set up. Before the ordeii; of the day were called on. The Hon. H. D. BELL (Minister for Internal Affairs) made tho following statement:—"For a period beyond the memory of any but one or two members of tho Council, tho present position ha? not occurred. There has been no Speech from the Throne, advised by tho Government, which has the duty of introducing the Government measures to both Houses of Parliament. It is impossible for mysoli or my colleagues in the other branch. of the Legislature to propose Government measures before tho Government Statement has been made. I have, therefore, no business on behalf of the Government to offer for- the consideration of honourable gentlemen until after the Statement has been made of tho policy of the Gctcrnmeht, as it is proposed to bo made in the other branch of the Legislature on Tuesday next." He would move, therefore, that the Council at its rising should adjourn until Wednesday neit at 2.3(1 p.m. / • MARRIAGE ACT AMENDMENT. The Hon. Sir WILLIAM- STEWARD moved the second reading of tho Marriage Act Amendment Bill. He explained that the object of the Bill was to make it legal for a. man to marry, his deceased wife's niece, or for a woman to marry her deceased husband's nephew. It was provided, however, that no man could marry his oivn niece, and that no woman could marry her own nephew. He argued that there was no objection to such marriages 011 tho ground of consanguinity, and he urged in support of the Bill that there were people whom he knew who were anxiously waiting the passago of this law to contract such marriages. Ho thought tho unjustifiable embargo pi need on these marriages by the law ought to bo removed. The Hon. C. 11. MILLS supported the Bill. Tho Hon. 11. I). BELL (Minister for Internal Affairs) said (here should net bo frequent variations of the marriage laws of (his country which would bring them out of conformity with the marriage law of other parts of the Empire. He would accept as a hypothesis that the locality of a marriage with a deceased wife's sister was justifiable, but there was all the difference between the marriage with a deceased wife's sister and the marriage with a deceased wife's sister's child. The relationship in such a ease might conceivably be that of parent and child, au4 it was intolerable that sueh a relationship should be allowed to grow iuto a sexual relationship. Re regretted that he must Oppose the Bill, ;md ho would not have spoken ngainst i,t lmd ho not felt as iltoilgly on this question as 110 felt 011 anv social question. The HOll. W. 0. F. CARXCKOSS Mid the objection to the Bill was b.i.-ed 011 sentiment rather than on reason. If it were legal to marry r. deceased's wife's sister. Mirejy if was right to permit the marriis? of people between whom the reIntionship more remote. He would surnort the Bill. The Hon. .1; B. CALLAX said he would oppose the Bill. If it were, carried, it would create di'scord in ftmiili<s=. It jwant in tffsct that & man, could marrj

tho first cousin of his own daughter. The relationship was so close that such a inai-riago was unnatural ancl abhorrent. If tho Hill wero passed, it would not bo long before there would l>o an agitation, that it should bo. made legal for a man to marry his own niece. Tho second reading was defeated by 1G voles to 12. .Following was the division list:— Ayes (I'J;. —Itigg, Paul, liarr, Jones, C'arneross, Steward, lialdey, Ormond, Ansley, Louisson, Mills, Duncan. Noes '10).—Bell, Callan, Luke, Baillie, George, Jcnkinson, Beelian, Smith, Collins, Louglinan, M'Cardle, Kelly, Harris, Thompson, Wigram, Samuel. The Council adjourned at 3.55 p.m. until Wednesday at 2.!!0 p.m.