PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1749, 13 September 1905, Page 20

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

DIVORCE. The Statutes Revision Committee of the Legislative Council has had the Divorce Act Amendment Bill before it within the past few days. There has been a deal of alteration made to the measure since it left the Lower House. .An alteration to the clause dealing with divorce on the ground of lunacy has been made, to make provision for divorce on the ground that the respondent is a lunatic within the meaning of the act of 1882, and has during the ten years immediately preceding the presentation of the petition been detained as such for not less than seven years of the time, and upon the Coufijb being satisfied that respondent is likely to die a lunatic. A provision is made that no decree shall be granted if it appears to the Court that respondents lunacy is in any way attributable to, or that 'recovery” therefrom has in any way been prejudiced by, the misconduct of petitioner. The Lower House agreed to a clause extending the time of desertion as ground for divorce from five years to seven years, but the Statutes Committee of the Upper House has struck out the clause, and

adhered to the five years’ limit. Ai new clause has been added providing that no decree for restitution of eoiijugal rights shall be made if it appear* to the Court that the petitioner or respondent is of unsound mind. But the" most important alteration deal* with clause 11 of the principal act—the clause that has been the open door for so many divorces. The committee has attached a clause to the bill t 6 prevent a suit for divorce being commenced forthwith if a respondent shall fail to comply with a decree of the Court for restitution of conjugal rights. The new clause inserted says that failure to comply with the decree shall be deemed desertion without just cause a* from the expiry of the time for compliance limited hy the decree —practically the same as ordinary desertion (a five years’ wait). Whether the Council, and afterwards the House, will agree to the proposed amendments is another matter. “GREASING THE LEGAL HOG.” Although .the Hon Mr Mahuta agrees with the provisions of the Marriage With the Deceased Wife’s Sister Act, he does not believe in the Marriages Validation Bill (to make valid marriages with deceased wife’s niece or deceased husband’s nephew). In* addition to thinking that it will mix things up too much, he considers that any more marriage laws will merely be the means of “greasing the legal hog.” So he said yesterday in the Legislative Council. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. The leader of the Opposition, like most other members, is anxious for the appearance of jfche Public Works Statement, which" has left -the printer’s hands, and is ready for presentation. On Friday afternoon he reminded the Premier of his promise early last month, that he- would bring down the Statement three weeks from that date. That period had now expired, and the House, he maintained, should have been in possession of the document some days ago. Did he understand that they were not to have the Statement the report of the Lands Commission and his amendment in connection therewith had been disposed of? The Premier replied that the leader of the Opposition had stated the position correctly. He had hoped that the debate on the lands question would have been finished on Wednesday last. He hoped, however, to conclude the debate on Tuesday next, and immediately afterwards the Statement would be brought down. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. During the discussion of the Mines Estimates, members expressed appreciation of the efforts of the Government in the direction of having a complete geological survey made of the whole colony. The Minister of Mines said they were building up gradually a geological staff. This, he considered, they should have had years ago. There was no intention to interfere with the method adopted by Dr Bell, Chief Geologist, in bis survey. A mere visit to a district and a report was of no use. Their aim was to have a survey made that would be of service for all time. ARBITRATION COURT. Last night, £u repTy to a protest against the delays that had taken place in the work of the Arbitration Court, Mr Seddon said that the President of the Court had assured him. that an endeavour would be made to bring the work up-to-date, and keep it so. He admitted that there had been delays, and that there had been consequent loss and inconvenience to employers and employees, and the question was whether another Arbitration Court Judge should be appointed, or whether the President of the Court should he relieved from Appeal Court duties. He thought the Arbitration Court"work should receive first attention from the President, and he intended to communicate with the Chief Justice on the subject. He desired that disputes coming before the Court should be dealt with as soon as possible. A LIST OF EVILS. Various references to the virtues of tbe Auckland district brought Mr Laurenson to his feet last night with a list of the evils of Auckland. J He commenced by saying that Auckland had been tbe home of the codlin moth, it had given us anthrax, it had been the starting place of the bubonic plague—and it had given us Mr Massey, and every hide-bound Tory in the House.