PARLIAMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 August 1929, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILLS.

(Special to ‘‘Star.’)

WELLINGTON, August 1. An amendment to the Police Offences Act was introduced into the House to-day by Mr. Black, who explained that its object was to give the House an opportunity of reviewing that section of the Act passed in 1926,

which permits the arrest, without wairant, of a person deemed to have no lawful or visible means of support. “A bookmaker’s bill,” commented a Reform member, as Mr. Black was explaining the effect of the bill. A brief discussion took place on the education law, following Mr. Fletcher’s introduction of an Education Amendment Bill, which he said sought to do away with the making of regulations which overrode the Statute law and the authority of Parliament. Labour members twitted the United Party with adopting electioneering tactics, by taking up a bill which they had advocated in former years. They suggested that the Government, if it was serious, should take the bill in hand itself.

Mr. Wright said the question was one of expediency. The Education Act was in such a hopeless muddle that no lawyer could unravel it, and regulation was necessary on that score. The regulation had never been abused under his regime. Mr. Atmore said th© Act would be overhauled as soon as possible. The matter of its consolidation had not been overlooked. CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS. A long discussion on the conscientious objectors question took place in the House, this afternoon, on the second reading of Mr. Mason’s Defence Amendment Bill, which, according to the mover, sought to make the law clear, and do away with the worry of interpretations so far as conscientious objectors were concerned. The Bill actually made no change in the law in regard to hon-military service. It was proposed that this should be outside the Defence Act altogether. He did not see why Divinity students should be singled out for special treatment. It should be a matter of conscience only, and the church to which applicant belonged should not enter into the question.

The Bill was generally supported by the Labour Party members, but was variously regarded by other members, some of whom took the view that it was aimed at the destruction of the whole system of compulsory military service. The Bill was talked out. x MARRIAGE AMENDMENT. In th© House to-day, Mr Mason moved, the second reading of the Marriage Amendment Bill, which seeks to legalise marriage with a deceased’s wife’s niece, or deceased husband’s nephew. He explained that such marriages had been made legal up to 1905, but it came as a surprise to many people who stood in that relationship, and who had married since 1907, to learn that they had transgressed the law. Very few people were affected, but it would result in great tragedy to them if their unions wor© not made legal. When marriage with a deceased wife’s sister was validated, it must have been an oversight tliat marriage with a deceased wife’s niece was overlooked. The second reading was agreed to without debate.