The Manawatu Standard. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. FRIDAY, OCOBER 26, 1883. DESTITUTE PERSONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 277, 26 October 1883, Page 2

Manawatu Standard. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. FRIDAY, OCOBER 26, 1883. DESTITUTE PERSONS.

A shobt Amendment Act was passed last session on " The Destitute Persons Act, 1877," with the chief provisions of which our readers might desire to become acquainted. The second clause of this measure is intended to reach those who abandon theirjpoor relatives, and m many cases wives and families, and runs as follows :— " Every person who refuses, fails, or neglects to comply with any order made against him under section 17 of The Destitute Persons Act, 1877, and goes to reside or is resident, either permanently or temporarily, m any of the Australasian colonies, shall be deemed to be guilty of a misdemeanour, punishable by imprisonment with hard labour for. a term iof 12 months." We may presume from this'that offenders of this class can beex- - tradited from any of these colonies, their offence being thus constituted a misdemeanour. In the case of wifedeserters it is to be hoped that a large proportion of T the small army will be brought within the operation of the I Act. The next clause provides that such punishment shall not do away with responsibility. The succeeding and final clauses enact that the relatives of destitute persons, whether nearly related or not, may be examined as to their means, and that separate orders may be made on any of them, thus rendering a wide but by no means appreciative circle of relatives responsible for their poor kinsmen's support. The procedure is certainly novel, it remains to be seen how it will work,