PARLIAMENT SITS ALL NIGHT.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 September 1928, Page 5

PARLIAMENT SITS ALL NIGHT.

OPPOSITION STONEWALL MENTAL DEFECTIVES BILL. STERILIZATION OBJECTED - TO. TWO HOURS’ ADJOURNMENT AT ■ ‘ 7 A.M. CBy Telegraph —Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. After the Telegraph Office closed the opposition to Mental Defectives Bill continued, Labour speakers being answered by Messrs Samuel, Kyle, Forsyth, and the Hon. R. A. Wright. OBJECTION TO STERILIZATION. Shortly before 4 a.m., Mr Holland made an. appeal to the Minister in charge of the Bill to make a declaration as to what course he proposed to take with regard to the contentious clauses, especially.clause. 25, providing for sterilization,, hiscontention being that if <the Minister would do this the situation would be cleared. The noucontentious clauses might be proceeded with. The Minister, however, did not make any statement and at 4 o’clock a divistion was taken on the first clause, which was agreed to by 38 to 11. NEW DEPARTMENT SET UP. The second (clause establishing a Department of Mental Hospitals ami consequential officers was strongly objected to by Mr Lysnar, who maintained that the present law gave all the necessary power and this proposal was not going to do any good. Mr Veiteh feared that this new department was going to swell the ranks of the civil service and increase irresponsible expenditure which was now going on. . ~ The Minister replied that it would not increase the appropriation in the least. The position now was that the law said certain things were to be done, but it did not say who was to do them, and this clause made good this defect. The clause passed. ANTI-SOCIAL CONDUCT. All went well until Clause 7 defining a “mentally defective person” aiul “anti-social conduct” was reached, whereupon the Minister was asked for-explanations The Minister said this was one ot the fundamental clauses of the Bill, which he could not sacrifice. He, however, was prepared to receive helptul and constructive suggestions and consider them The clause was the result of expert opinion and the public was safeguarded by the fact that the. clause would, not operate unless there was both mental . deficiency and guilt ot anti-social conduct Mr Eraser pressed for more precise definitions and particular cases that might be affected by the cl ause MOST MEMBERS ASLEEP Mr Lysnar attacked the clause declaring it was a radical departure fiom English law and was dangerous in the extreme It was a most improper thing that the House should be asked to discuss such a vital question at five o’clock in the morning when only two Ministers were present and most members asleep Mr Sullivan thought the clause was dangerously wide and under it almost anyone might be netted in if be were original enough to have departed nom the conventional path . Mr Field contended that the Mmiser ought to be much more certain ot the meaning of the clause than be amteared to be before he passed it. Somebody had to interpret -it, but nobody seemed to know what it meant and" injustice might be done. The Minister declared he was quite satisfied in his own mind what the clause -meant. In his opinion antisocial” meant criminal. _ THE CLAUSE PASSED. On these lines the discussion proceeded for two hours, and at b 'a.m., Mr Lysnar called for a division on the clause as he said “It would bring members from their slumbers. The division resulted in the clans. being passed by 30 to 10. “WORST CLAUSE IN BILL. The Leader of the Opposition too* strong exception to Clause 8 providing for the reception of patients into mental hospitals.- This method he described as unthinkable. - , The Minister said it was icauv strengthening the present point under which one medical officer could commit. This clause required two medical men to commit. He was prepared to withdraw paragraph b ot the clause land this was done, but that did not satisfy Mr Lysnar, who said the clause was the worst in the-Bill. It was an insult to the people ot the Dominion. It was too easy to put people into mental institutions and ha would not facilitate the passing ot the Bill by one fraction of a minute. At this point, Mr Lysnar was rungdown and the clause was passed before he could call fo1 ’ TAINT OF CRIMINALITY. At Clause 11, Mr Mason (Eden), obiected to the Controller-General of Piisons being on the, Board. Mental defectives were not being sent to puson and it would be well to keep the idea of criminality out of the question as far as possible. The Clause passed,. The Opposition next took exception to Clause 15 providing for the compilation of a register of mentally deficient persons. , Children who vyere: meiely “backward” should not be included, but should be kept in the school Minister agreed to amend the clause accordingly and it was passed. At 7 o’clock the Chairman of Committees announced that out of consideration for members he would leave the chair and resume it again at 9 The Prime Minister intimated that-, on the passing of the 3rd reading the House would adjourn till 7.30 p.m. AFTER BREAKFAST. STERILIZATION CLAUSE WITHDRAWN. (By Telegraph —Press Association). WELLINGTON, This Day. When the Committee resumed at 9 o’clock, Mr Sullivan asked what provision was made for assisting poor parents to appeal against the registration of their children under Clause 17. The Minister, in reply, said it would be his duty to frame regulations governing these proceedings. It was his

idea, that such eases be heard by a judge in Chambers. Counsel would not be encouraged to go there as advocates because it would be entirely a matter of arriving at the facts. It was his intention that parents should not have to bear any part of the expense of such appeals. The clause passed. The Minister announced that he proposed to withdraw Clause 21 prohibiting the marriage of persons registered under the foregoing provisions of the Act and this was agreed to preliminary to the withdrawal of clause 25, dealing with sterilization. ‘ Clause 25 was subsequently withdrawn. “BUSY BODIES” EXCLUDED. Discussing the final clause the Minister said the class of society which the Government proposed to recognise was that known as “afteV care” societies, but nothing definite was decided vet. The societies selected would be high-class social service societies. Several members urged the. exclusion of the “busy body” from interference with those who came under, the Act. (Mr Lysnar moved a new clause to facilitate the discharge of patients from mental hospitals, which the Minister would not accept. This completed the eonjmittee stage. BILL iTHROUGH COMMITTEE. SIB JOSEPH WARD PROTESTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Speaker resumed the chair at 10.50 a.m. On the third reading Mr Holland said the long debate was due entirely to the refusal cf the Minister to indicate what clauses he was prepared to compromise upon. The Bill was now vastly unproved and was due entirely to the attitude of the Opposition. There still, however, remained. Clause 7, to which the LabourParty strenuously objected. He moved to recommit the Bill. This was seconded by Sir Joseph Ward, who adversely commented upon the methods employed to put the Bill through the house. THIRD READING CARRIED. TWENTY-THREE HOURS'’ SITTING (By Telegraph—Press Association). WELLINGTON, This Day. On a division being taken Mr Hol’nud’s amendment to recommit the Bill was defeated by 38 to 15 and the Bill was read a third time, and passed after the Prime Minister had intimated that the clauses which had been Avithdrawn Avpuld be reconsidered vvlien they were hotter understood by the country. The third reading was agreed to on the voices and the House rose at - 1.35, after sitting 23 hours, the longest during the present Parliament, The House resumes gt 7.30 p.m.