LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 9, 5 October 1907, Page 8

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

' iANIMALS PROTECTION BILU ;;-':;.:> In the- Council' yesterday afternoon,' :;;■ the: Animals: Protection Bill was, re- -:,; .'-.ported 'from the;: Joint -Statutes;Eevi-:'.-:-'''B.ion';-,Commitj;eo with ':[ minor amend-' .::■ ;,;-'. : ;;inents...-''"'..' '^.'^v..'■"■'-.■ '■'..'' i.\ • ;:': : ' !^: '' : - : 4 '.'. -.vpoAt" mines ;b|1i;,. : ;;' : ..." ; :. ;.:;',_.;.'.The, Coal Miiies.A'ct Ameridmeht"'Bili' : V;.- : , was.[reported.'from. the Goldfields ; and' ■:/.': Mines Committee without amendments V:",;i„: REFORM OF INEBRIATES, ■ ;;':;;'"/'■ AN AMERICAN-SYSTEM, ~-: ;,:;; 'The' Hon. ,W.Beehan : 'asked-the; ;:;., Government a question of which he' :::;had: given notice, namely, Whether ,-;, ";■", their attention had 'been drawn, to a ,;-'.. reeeht cablegram ; as follows:—"Treat- ■; ; . ment ofi Inebriates.—An American -:.-.':-System tried-in Victoria—Tho Ameri- :.- ; can system of dealing with inebriates • ~-by j.allowirig-Jtbem...to ,be disehar'ged'--i ';after signing '''tho. pledge,' on the, . ■ "■:understanding ;.that 'they will- be ■; : ; soverely.;.dealt.iwith' ; if" '.they: '■ ;' : . ; again, has been: initiated in th'oCity ;;:: •■:'■ Court here "; and will- the-rGoyern-; ; ■■;-;; jnent./ initiate such a systom '-.'in"the* : ;-• ; Coifrts| in v this Ddmmidri?;; /': ; :'-'." The'hori. gentleman said.:that the' '';': , Courts in_ this ' merely ■' c'ori- ;.;.:' yictpd'tho inebriate,*'inflicted a penalty' VV;,and,sent hinvfaway4to;rdpeat!the : .ex-; v.;;-:;perienco.-; HisV6wn}:.6b*servatioris.Vhad ;i ;:'! Convinced" him ftha't:;'theysigning'^iof ). '$■] ':■] V. pledge was a gr^t',help : to;such peopleS ■:-.'>;; In the'•attemptl'.tojgivß^'up(the-'drink'-: '■'■y-i A habit. He -wo'uldjleave the Council : ■ '.-.'"•.1t0 'discuss'. the'ysuggestion, and he .;,:;' (thought tho Government might well - .[introduce this method of dealing, with ■inebriates into.' tho. courts of this ;;:' fcountry. , ' ; ' ~; ._.-:-'. ■'■'...'■,'."■:-; The Attorney-General -said there '•■'•;'■••,.,■■ Were ..already.-in- Now-Zealand to-day' ■'•',: (two somewhat .effective checks. for use '..':■'.?. in such cases; There was tho prohibi- : i ition order, which a man might take .:. ;out against, himself, arid this was in - : ..;,. Jeffect as stringent a-; pledgo "as could V,■ i* k° exacted;"; Personally, he had' ; : - '~"■ not'much faith 'in yoluntary pledges; ;,:.:'■; !or, in .compulsory pledges/like •'those.'.' v:.;':.'J;:'m'eiitioned ..-■in- the question. Our /'.y'-Vv'&iprome Court Judges had sometimes : ;•;' •'. tsounselled men; to sign the pledge : '-; when they had: como hoforo the Bench ■ :. : 'jmdor circumstances that pointed to' ,;':;:.iho need for such action. Magistrates ';: ; eould, when they thought proper, give :: : '; similar advico. But the best method -;iof; dealing with these-cases that was ;•.' now.javailable in tlie colony was the ;'; Habitual Drunkards Act, which en- : .': tabled a Magistrate to declare a man ..-■.:< -Ito be a habitual drunkard and commit. ' ;; him to an institution. A beginning ;' : liad been made in constituting such :•..:. places, and it was intended that moro, :•. should be established. The -Govorn-. :ment did not propose,'at the present : . 'time', to make any suggestions, to' ,', "magistrates or: to introdireo any fresh ';".■'.'."'legislation on this subject. ' :,, f ~ FIRST; READIHCS. -, ,' - ;TJio Bills of' Exchange Bill and'tho "Judiciary 'Bill, were'..read! a-first time, 1 , !on the motion of the Hon. Dr. Findlay. " regard to tho second of these ; . ■'';'-.'■'"measures (of-which tho full title is ■■-. ■'• ''A Bill to-Abolish-District Courts and to make further provision for the ".;''. Administration of Justice"), the At- •:-•■-■■. ..tornoy-General said this was ono of ■the most important measures of its ':' 'kind that had been introduced for '.-' some time, effecting as it would impdr- ("' tant changes.,in our judiciary system. .'.: Ho proposed ; that tho second reading 'should be delayed for some daysj so as to give members time to fully con- '.'-;' sidcr its provisions. ' The second reading was fixed for' .>;. Tuesday week..DISCHARGED. ■'.'■■ The adjourned dobato on tho Hon. T. K. Macdonald's motion regarding : . . the "Wellington hospital site question - stood next on tho Order Paper, but "..'■.; tho Attorney-General suggested that it should be, discharged from the Order Paper until'afcply bad been received from tlio Minister for Education. -' .Tho Hon. T..'K. Macdo'nald agreed ■ . .to this course. .."'The debate was discharged from •"■ • tho Order Paper, on the motion of the Hon. OV Samuel, and the Council'roso at 2.45 p.m. '

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