LEGITIMACY BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19511, 15 December 1926, Page 13

LEGITIMACY BILL.

OLD CONTROVERSY REVIVED. DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 8 p.m.) LONDON. Dec. 13. In the House of Commons a warm debate arose on the Legitimacy Bill on the question whether it is right to legitimatise a person whose father or mother was married to a third person when that illegitimate person was born. The bill as amended refuses to legitimatise such a person. Another amendment was moved, providing for legitirnatising such a person, on the ground that the canon law should not prevail against the will of the House of Commons, and that it is a medieval idea to vis't the sins of the parents upon the children. Mr. A. E. Harney (Lib., South Shields) urged that the sub-section spoiled the bill. It was. he said, a cobweb spun by ecclesiastical brains. Captain D. H. Hacking (Con., Chorley), on behalf of the Government, said the bill would have been on the Statute Book years ago but for this controversy. Nevertheless, not only the interests of the child, but those, of the wife must be considered. The acceptance of the amendment would break up many happy homes and there would be grave risk of losing the bill in the House of Lords. The amendment was rejected bv 208 votes to 101. and the bill was read a third time.