PARLIAMENT AT WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1926, Page 13

PARLIAMENT AT WORK.

PRIVATE DIVORCE BILL. TOLJCS STATEMENT .' H .11'4 l'l\i; \ATI\I 11 By Telegraph—Press A-soelation fl Wellington, Last Night. fl The. 110 nee of Representatives met fl at 2.30 p.m. , The committee which considered : > * Mildred Elaine Smyth Divorce Bill ported that the Bill be. allowed to pio-tflH coed. During the debate which arose, Mr. . I J. S. Dickson (Parnell) said he was * ■ not opposed to the Bill but lie thought e fl tho legislation aud right , M given to Mrs?->nriyth by this Biif slmuMmmß also be given’ to some two hii«<fredfl» women who were in a similar namely, married to habitual eriminhSlW but who might not be able to afford”**, to promote X private Bill in ment. He therefore thought the Primo Minister or Attorney-General should J| make a statement to the House as to , what was the policy of the Government • in this important matter. Tho Prime Minister said every pri-,'.’ vate member had a right to introduce* a private Bill into the House and the.-* “ House was master of its own actions as to how it dealt with it. The GoV-“-eminent policy did not come into thequestion at all. If the question of Gov- ' eminent policy was to be obtruded in-, to private Bills, then it would not be much uso private members introducing Bills at all. Mr. H. E. Holland: Generally thatis so. Mr. Coates said he could not remember a case in which the Government had interfered with private Bills, which were carefully guarded by the standing or- ■ ders. As to the future policy of the Government he was free to say he had not given the question any mature sideration. He was not well up in legal 1 matters of this kind. At the same time T he would ask his colleagues to go thor- 1 oiighly into the point raised by the j member for Parnell and they would let ] Mr. Dickson and the country kuow what the Government’s attitude wasp toward# J this phase of divorce. The Bill was then a third time a. passed. V The Prime Minister laid oai the table-B the report of the Royal Commission on .■ the model Maori villages at Ohinemui* I and Whakarerewa. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. H.Afl ,E. Holland) and Mr. Ngata welcomed M life setting up of the commission and M| their recommendations, which would re- V suit in the preservation of many histdric spots and vanishing native cus- t| turns. The Prime Minister, in reply, paid a .] tribute to the generosity of the Arana 1 tribe in entertaining distinguished visitors to Rotorua. Their readiness to co- • operate in this wavc^jjeUed—greatly to . the interest of the thermal uegLuw. -*-1 Tho Swamp Drainage Act, 1915, 4 Amendment Bill was in,tioduqed by GOv- ' ernor-General's message and read a first ‘ time aud referred to the Lands Commit- 11 tee. , , - The House went into committee on the Native Trustee Amendment Bill ] on the Maori Arts and ‘ J Explaining tho former Minister said it closely present law a- it Trustee. With regard measure it was designeil the cultivation of the ing Maori arts ami which it was intended some of our public. The House also went in'^B‘i-; 1,11 the Natite Laud Native Land < la inis Ad j u which ratified the tween the Government and wharetoa Tribe regarding fishing rights at Taupo, under which the bed of Lake' Taupo is to be vested in H.M. the King. This arrangement was attacked by Mr. I A. M. Samuel, who declared that if it satisfied the Tuawharetoa Tribe it was extremely unsatisfactory to the fishermen who patronised the waters of the Taupo. AU three Native Bills were passel through the committee stage. J U In the Native Land Amendment Mr. Samuel moved to fix a fee fqUMfl annual fishing license at Taupo manent residents of New a sum not exceeding £l. On a. division the amendment was M|||||| by 42 to 15. The Gaming Amendment Bill was a second time pro forma and Ihe A to L Committee, the Premier dieating that this was a polite of slaughtering <t. wB The House rose at 1 a.m. till 2.30 pi.®