THE MARRIAGE LAWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19748, 22 September 1927, Page 13

THE MARRIAGE LAWS.

POWERS OF SMALL BODIES. AMENDING MEASURE OPPOSED. FEARS OF ABUSE OF CEREMONY. [BX TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REFORTER. ] WELLINGTON, Wednesday. "I have not a bigot s bone in my bodv," said the Hon. L. M. Isitt in the Legislative Council to-day when the Council was in Committee on the Marriage Amendment Bill. Although he was advised" by the Leader of the Council, Sir Francis Bell, that, there would be full opportunity tor i'urthei debating the bill when it came up for its third reading, Mr. Isitt said he could not let the Committee stage pass without refuting the accusation which had been made that his opposition to the measure was actuated by a desire to conserve the right to celebrate marriages to the churches already on the list. "We are opening the way to all sorts of abuses if we allow any mushroom organisation of ten members to nominate one of their number as a celebrant of marriages," said Mr. Isitt. "It is not because I may not agree with their tenets that I object, but because we must exercise caution in giving powers which carry serious legal consequences.'" Mr. Isitt said he had received protests against the bill from a number of religious bodies. He had been informed the bill had been put through the House of Representatives when the members were very tired, and when, in the words of his informant, anything would have been passed. The only speaker had been a lawyer who was not a strong church man, but he had seen the dangers in the bill. "We have got to be very careful we do not give this power to scallywags," added Mr. Isitt. "It is true there are scallywags in the churches, but the organised ecclesiastical bodies have control over their members and can restrain their activities. We might find a few queer evangelists will gather round a corner and when they have a dozen or 13 members they can appoint one of their number to be a celebrant of marriages. In three months the group may be dissolved, but the officiating minister remains in office for a further nine months." The Hon. W. Earnshaw said if the bill was designed to meet the case of the .Plymouth Brethren, as he had been informed was the case, they should be specifically mentioned in the bill. He would move an amendment to that effect. Sir Francis Bell: Do not discuss the biil now. The Hon. G. J. Garland evinced a desire to debate the measure, and when Sir Francis Bell again interrupted there were calls of "Get it over and done with." Sir Francis Bell: 1 move that we report progress; The only contentious point is the principle of the measure, not its details, and we can thrash that out on the third reading. The Council then passed the short title and reported progress. The Committee stage is to be continued to-morrow. DAIRY PRODUCE BOARD. LEVY AND THE EXPENSES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. A suggestion that the levy orr dairy produce imposed by the Dairy Produce Board should be reduced was made in a question in the House to-day. Replying, the Minister of Agriculture. Hon. O. J. Hawken, said the board had reduced the levy by half, and the expenses of the board under the present policy should be very much less than those incurred last year. The Government did not propose to interfere in the direction of reducing the levy made by the board to meet expenses.