LEGITIMACY BILL

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1926, Page 12

LEGITIMACY BILL

PASSAGE THROUGH COMMONS. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Dec. 13. In the House of Commons, the Legitimacy Bill gave rise to a warm debate as to whether it was right to legitimise a person whose father or mother was married to a third person, when the iliegimate one was born. The Bill, as amended, refuses to legitimise such a person. Another amendment was moved providing. for legitimising such a person on the ground that canon law should not prevail against the will of the House of Commons, and it was a mediaeval idea to visit the sins of the parents upon the children. Mr. Harney (Liberal) urged that the sub-section spoiled the Bill. It was a cobweb spun by ecclesiastical brains. Captain Hacking, on behalf of the Government, said that the Bill would have been on the Statue Books 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 by 208 votes to 101, and the Bill was read a third time.