NEW BILLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12317, 8 July 1903, Page 6

NEW BILLS.

[BY TEMOHArH.—SFECIAI, CORRESPONDENT.] r ' Wellington, Tuesday. '; LICENSING LAND AGENTS.

The Land Agents Bill, which has been introduced by the Government in the- Legislative .Council, provides for tho licensing of land agents. : A land agent for the purposes of the Act is defined as a "person who sells or attempts'to sell, or offers for sale, land on commission otherwise than by auction," and after January 1, ISO*, such persons must not carry on business without being licensed. Applications for licenses .must be made to tho local authority,: whi'.-h may refuse any such application by a two-thirds majority on the ground that the applicant -is not a fit and proper person to receive a license. The license will give tho holder authority to act as a land agent in any part of New Zealand, ami the fact of the license having been granted must be advertised by the local authority. Tho licenses may .'appoint a substitute under certain conditions, and on tho death or bankruptcy of the holder tho license may be transferred to any . person approved by:the local authority on payment of 10s. the Bill also provides that all moneys received by a land agent in respect of the sale of land must bo applied; (1) in payment of tho ex-'. penses incidental to the sale, (2) in payment of any moneys owing to the land agent by the person on whose behalf the land was sold, and (3) in payment of the balance (if any) to such person or as he may direct, and until such payment the balance must be paid into a bank to a general or separate trust account. Any land agent who commits a:breach of this section is liable to a fine not exceeding £50. Accounts of sales must bo rendered within 14 days, and the balance paid over. For wrongful conversion or the rendering of false accounts, a land agent-is liable on indictment to two years' hard labour. Conviction for a breach of tho section providing; for the application of . trust moneys cancels the license. For carrying on the business of a land agent without a license a fine of £50 may bo imposed. License fees are to be paid to the local ' authority, '• LEGITIMATION BILL. The Legitimation Aot Amendment Bill, initiated in. the Legislative Council by the At-torney-General, . proposes to amend. tho Aot of 1894 by providing " that it shall not bo a legal impediment to the marriage of the parents that at tho time of tho birth of such child the father was the brother of the mother's deceased husband, or the mother was the sister of the father's deceased wife." This provision is to bo deemed to have had effect as from the passing of tho Legitimation Act, 1894. > ; : - v _ FIRST OFFENDERS' PROBATION. . Some important amendments in the law relating to first offenders are proposed in the First Offenders' Probation Amendment. Bill, which the Attorney-General has charge of in the Legislative Council. The definition of " first offender" is altered to ( read: ,;.." Any person convicted by the Court of an offence whoso previous character has been' good, and against whom a conviction has not been previously recorded, nor *a ■ warrant of arrest previously issued, in respect of any offence. Tho duty of the probation officer is- also widened, and lie is, when required by the Court, to inquire carefully into the character and: antecedents of every person convicted of an offence and to report fully to the Court in writing as to whether the person is a first offender, as to his previous character and antecedents, airy, other matters on which the Court may require information, and to keep a ' full report of the results of his investigations. ; The period of probation is limited to :. three ; years. ■ A ; copy of the probation officer's report may, if the person so requires, bo given .him before being acted ,on by the Court, and he may tender evidence upon it.

LAW PRACTITIONERS BILL. The Law Practitioners Bill, which the Government baa introduced in the Legislative Council, is the outcome of representations made by the Law Society of New Zealand through tho Premier to the Colonial Office. It provides' for tho admission :of ' English practitioners to practice in New Zealand without further examination, ainj for ; the reciprocal admission of barristers and solicitors, from other part? of the British Empire where . they; will admit c New Zealand '•■ practitioners on like, terms. INTESTATE ESTATES. A Bill dealing with the subject of the estates of intestates has been introduced m the Legislative ' Council by.; the Attorney* General. ' It provides that" the estate of every man who dies intestate, leaving - a widow and no - children, shall, .where; the value is not over £500, belong to the widow absolutely ■ Where the value of the estate 13 over £500 tho widow shall be entitled to £500, and shall have a charge on the estate for that sum, with interest at the: rate of .4; per cent, per annum, besides being entitled to her share in the residue of the estate, as if the residue had been the whole of the estate. The Act will not apply in " any case where ..the" widow and the intestate .were living apart pursuant to a docrce, order or; deed of separation, or where the widow, prior to the death of the intestate, had been guilty of conduct that would, but for such death, have entitled the intestate to a divorce or judicial separation. ELECTIVE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Mr. EH has given me an outline of hi* Bill, which has been drafted with a view to. obtaining an elective Legislative Council. He proposes that the term of the elective. Council shall bo six years, or double the period of the elected House of Representatives.. The division of tho colony into electorates is left to the Boundary Commissioners, with the proviso th at two of the present Lower House electorates shall form one electorate for the Upper House Should triple electorates continue in the cities, Mr. Ell proposes that one adjoining electorate shall be; tacked on to each city, and tho Upper House electorate so formed shall ;re turn _ two mem-: bers to the Council. -The Maori race is to bo represented by two members, one for; the Northern Maori electorate and ouc for the Southern Maori electorate. • The franchise is to bo the same as that which how obtains in ; connection with the election of members of the House of Representatives. The question of payment of .members cannot, of course,. be introduced in a Bill by a private member- can only be dealt with on the motion of the Government of the day. The Bill, of course, has absolutely no .chance of becoming law at present, for it is certain to be opposed by the Premier. The Upper. House, as at present constituted, is also certain to oppose such a measure as Mr. Ell, proposes. " The member for Christehureh is, however, sanguine of the Bill passing its second reading in the Lower House, though he doubts if it will have a chance of getting | through committee. " : -