PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXI, Issue 30, 3 August 1895, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Yesterday's Avteknooy Sitting. i first heading. ' The Reprint of Statutes Bill (the A ttornoy- .; General) was read a first timo, and tho i following Bills were received from the j Lower Houee and read a first time :— Coal . Mines Aot Amendment, tho Howkesbury , Borough Counoil Vesting Endowment, the I Woimato Municipal Reserves, Anokland : Harbour Board and Devonport Land Ex- i ohange, Wellington City and Suburbs Water Supply, Criminal Code Act Amendment No. ; 2, Threshing Maohine Owners Lien, Otago : Dook Aot Amendment, and Counties Act Amendment. „ FINAL STAGES. The Native Townships Bill (the AttorneyGeneral) was read a third time and passed. LAW OP EVIDENCE AMENDMENT. The Hon. J. MacGrepor said that as the provisions of this Bill hod been incorporated in the Government measure, he would withdraw his Bill. This was agreed to. DECEASED HUSBAND'S BROTHER MARRIAGE. The Hon. J. MaoGregor, in moving the second reading of this Bill, s)id it was required to meet a considerable number of cases of great hardship. It wai first intro- i duced by Dr. Pollen in 1893. The rrason for the prohibition of marriage because of consanguinity was totally different from that in respect of affinity. Affinity in this or any degree waa not a proper impediment to marriage. He denied that marriage, as it now existed among us, was a divine institution that should not be interfered with. The Hon. C. C. Bowen could not see what social advantage wonld accrue if the Bill were passed. It would cause a great revolution in those homes where step- brothers and step-sisters lived together as if they were brothers and Bisters. The next thing wonld be that a man could marry his step-daughter. He moved that the Bill be read six months henoe. The Hon. Sir George Whitmore said the present, tendency was towards too great a laxity in the marriage law. He hoped that all Bills of this epeoics would be thrown out by the Counoil. The Hon. W. M'Collough strongly snpported the Bill. There was neither roason nor instinct against such marriages as it proposed. It was very often the brother of the deceased huebind that had to take charge of and provide for the widow and her children. The opposition to the Bill was dne merely to sentiment.' The Hon. J. Kerr said there was no demand for the Bill. Several other hon. members havingspoken, the division was taken, and the Bill killed by 18 votes to 14. The following is the division list : — For the Bill (I*)— Scotland, Bolt, Swanson, Shrimski, Pharazyn, Kelly, Jenkinsou, Itigg, Taiaroa, Feldwick, MacGrogor, M'Lean, Pollen, M'Cullongh. . Against the Bill (18;— Reynolds, Richardson, Baillie, Whitmore, Bonar, Barnicoat, Williams, Kerr, Jennings, A eland, Ormond, Wahawaha, Walker. Bowen, Holmes, Peacook, Montgomery, Buckley. NSTf ZEALAND INBTIITJTE OF JOUANJ LISTS BILL. This Bill waa read a third time, and passed. CRIMINAL CODE ACT AMENDMENT. The Lower House having disagreed with the amendments made by the Council in thi* Bill, the Attorney-General moved that the Counoil do not inßist upon its amendments. The reasons of the Lower House lor objecting to the amendments were : —1. That the raising of the age of oonsent to 16 years is neoesaary for the protection of our yonng women. 2. That in many countries the age of consent has been raised to 18 years of age. 3. That the age of consent has been raised to 16 years in England, and tho result of tho law has been beneficial 4. That two months is not too long a time within which informations for so serious an offence might bo laid. The motion was lost by 22 votes tp. 7, and the Hons. S. Shrimski, Dr_Ps2ien, and G. M'Lean were appointed^ Committee to draw np reasons for Xi}S ffounoil insisting upon its amendmar£sl The O«aicil adjourned at 4.30 p m.