LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Feilding Star, Volume II, Issue 351, 23 August 1907, Page 3

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

The Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Costley Training Instituti.i. Act Amendment Bill was committed, ond a _iew clause added by the Attor-ney-General, validating acts don© by any trustee notwithstanding any do feet in his appointment. The Bill was reported as amended The Attorney-General moved the second reading of the Tbhuiiga. Suppression Bill to check the practice of tbhungaism among tlio Maoris. * The Minister spoke strongly of the necessity as far as possible to put ar. enl to the practice ot charlatanism among the natives whose minds were uisettled by it, to their great detriment. The Hon. Wi Pere said there we*e some tohungas who did their best for the amelioration of suffering, but others often had an ulterior object, and that was to get hold of a very nhe m ife. He then went into a _>isqui* - tion on ancient Maori mythology, fcl 3 desired the Bill be passed into law. The Hon. Scotland considered tne Bill too lukewarm, too milk and wsi*;ery, to achieve its object. He would like to see the Bill more comprehensive, and apply to thought read. -re end faith healers, who were nothing but tohungas. The Hon. Rigg pointed out that tlio power of suggestion might be uael with beneficial results, and it was a question whether they should include in the term tohungai.oi that phase ol healing which might be due to hypnotism or suggestion . He did not think they should too hurriedly condeTiii that which they did not understand He would vote for the Bill, as it was permissive, seeing that action could r.ot be taken without the permission of the Minister, but at the same time it would have been better if wo had started to put our own house tn order in this respect first. . The Hon. T. Kelly urged that the question should be dealt with in a sympathetic manner. Nothing hi*, education would remove the traditions surrounding tohungas The Hon. Dr. Collins supported iho Bill from a medical and prhctical point of view, but thought educatioi ., and the help of the. more enlightened members of the race, necessary U> achieve a complete remedy ot the evil. The Hon. George, while not oppcing the Bill, p<inted out that it contained no explanatoin of what "to hungaism" really is Education might help, but would not entirely eradicate tohongaisu). He cited the lecent rain-making expei ments i Oamaru, as showing how tohungaism letained a hold on the people. The Hon. McCardle supported -he Bill, which he thought would do much towards suppressing tohungaiara and the ills arising from it. The Hon. Samuel thought the Leg»slature should be extremely careful huw it discriminated between one portion of the people of the colony and another. He thought the Bill should «. c made temparary in operation. It would be undesirable to make perma.ient an arbitrary law to deal with a question which a year or two wou.l dispose of. He indicated certain am endmenta he considered necessary to be made. , " , „ The Hon. Joies resented the Hon. George's remarks about tohur.gawni and rain-making at Oamaru, and said the experiments had proved higbly satisfactory. The Hon. Feldwick generally supported the' Bill. ~ The Hon. G. Smith was prepared tv jiccept the statements of experts that the Bill was necessary, but the 'ia* bate had not demonstrated that it was so. , . i The Hon. Louisson also supported the BUI. . Tho debate v. as adjourned on the* motion of the Hon. Tucker, and the Council rose at 5 o'clock.