YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 10 August 1928, Page 2

YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (By Telegraph) (From "Tho Mail's" Parliamentary Reportor). WELLINGTON, 9th August. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. The. Right Hon. Sir Robert Stout gave notice of his intention to introduce the New Zealand Citizens' Bill. ' The Hon. Sir James Allen asked whether the Government had received a copy of a document from the League of Nations, "First Codificatiou Conference," dated Geneva, I.sth February, 1928, being "Schedules of Points drawn up by tho Preparatory Committee for Submission to the Governments'," and endorsed "Distributed . t.o the Council, the Members of the League, and other Governments''; (2) if the document had been received, had the Government replied to the request "to furnish information, as precise as possible, from the three following points of view"; and further, tho points upon which information is desired—namely, nationality, territorial waters, and responsibility of. States for damage caused in their territory to the persons or property of foreigners. ' "'V The Leader of."the Council (the Right Hon. Sir Francis Bell) replied that the document referred to was received on the 25th June, 1928, under cover of a communication from the Secretary-Gen-eral of the League of Nations dated Ist •March, 1928. It was at present under consideration, and it was .lioped to furnish a reply-before the date requested, by the Secretary-General, namely, the ; 31st October;'l,92B: % ' ','' y .

A HOSPITAL CASE Tho Hon. E. Clark asked whether the Government would institute' an inquiry into ..the . circunistanoes ;,.; and ."flic .'the. blame on the person or' persons' who Were responsible for the discharge of a man' recently severely injured (in that ho had several ribs broken and his lung punctured), and who, after being X-rayed and examined by, two doctors at tlie Wellington Public Hospital, was reported to be not seriously injured, and discharged from the hospital as fit, and who subsequently died? ■ Sir Francis Bell replied that the case referred to had been inquired into, and it was ascertained that the man was.not discharged from the hospital as fit, but left on his own initiative and against the .advice of the medical officer, who hdd no power to restrain' him when he insisted on leaving. The whole of the facts relating to the admission and discharge of this man were gone into fully at the Coroner's inquest, and no comment thereon was made by the Coroner. As the man left hospital against the wish of the hospital authorities, who thereafter had no connection with his case, there did not appear to be any grounds for an inquiry into the circumstances of his treatment at the Wel'lington Public Hospital. • ■ ,

BILLS PASSED The Captive Birds Shooting Prohibition Bill was put through its final stages and passed without amendment. Tho British Nationality and Status of Aliens (in New Zealand) Bill was reported by the Statutes .Revision Committee . without amendment. The Bill was put through its final stages and passed. . . The Hanmer Crown Leases Bill was reported bv the Lands Committee ■ without amendments. ■ The Bill was put through its final stages and passed without'amendment.

The Council adjourned at 3.7 p.m until Tuesday, 21st August.