PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1207, 16 August 1911, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

THE HOUSE. THREE KINGS COLLEGEThe Houso met ab 2.30 p.m. • Mr. C. H. POOLE (Auckland West), in moving fhe second reading of the, Methodist Charitable and Educational Trusts Bill (a private Bill), said the measure had • been . promoted by tho Methodist Church to obtain power to uso to better advantage the funds in its possession for the training of Maoris. The buildings occupied by the Three Kings College were old, the land was poor, and the area limited. Having at present about .£4OOO. the Chu-rch proposed to purchase a. larger, and more suitable block of land aa a site for new buildings in which the work of the college could bo continued in more favourable circumstances. The Bill was Tead a second, time on the voices. TREATMENT OF MENTAL DEFECTIVES. THE BILL IN COMMITTEE. The Biouse went into Committee on the Mental Defectives Bill (Hon. "G, Fowlds). Clause 35 defines tho conditions under which a. person , in confinement, after ac?uittal on a charge of an indictable ofence, on the ground of insanity, can be discharged, and sub-clause (3) provides that, if the offence is ono punishable by death or imprisonment for life, the power of discharge or probation shall be exercised by the CSovernor-in-Cmincil. Mr. E. A. WEIGHT (Wellington South) moved to substitute "two Judges" for "Governor-in-Council." He asked: Who ie the Governor-in-Council? It wa» usually the Ministers, and sometimes practically only ono Minister. Mr.' F. M. B. FISHER (Wellington Central) said the Governor-in-Council was a mythical position assumed in turn- by each of the Ministers according to the requirements of his Department. Mr. Holmari, Acting-Premier of New South Wales, who was a lawyer, had made a proposal similar to that of the amendment.

The-.Hon. G. FOWLDS said the amendment could not be meant seriously. It would be a reverse of constitutional principle, 'and would tend to put the Judges into an altogether invidious position. . . . , " " ..

Mr. H. G. ELL (Christchurch South) said tho Governor-in-Council was the most democratic institution in the country, and its functions had never been improperly employed. The House had power to criticise the actions of the Gov-ernor-iri-Conncil). Mr. J. BOLLAND (Eden) was against the amendment. It had nothing to do with the Tramways Act, or anything of , that sort. Tho principle in this .olai«o was. one of life and. liberty and though every wan in tho House might vote for the amendment, he would be found voting against it. The Gove-rnor-in-Council in this connection was a bulwark of liberty. Mr. WRIGHT, replying, said the Ministers- were not efficiently criticised by the House, and did not represent the whole people. The Judges already had powers over life and death, and could be better trusted than Ministers to exercise such powers. He would oppose every time the , increase of the powers of the Gover-aor-in-Council. The/amendment was lost on the voices. •A new sub-clause was added to Clause 42, to. give, the Minister power to transfer any superintendent' or medical officer from one-institution to another. Section. 120 provides that the superintendent of a licensed 'institution who per-, mits overcrowding commits an indictable offence. . • Mr. G. M. THOMSON (Dunedin North) ', remarked that this should apply to public as well. as. to private institutions. The' Hon. G. I'OWLDS submitted that, while overcrowding was an undoubted ' evil, no remedy would be found' by saying that, any fit subject for. detention in an institution should not be admitted...;,.. The section was approved. All the clauses of the Bill were dealt with, by the Committee, and several minor and drafting amendments were madeEventually progress was reported to enable the Minister'to"move" an amendment making it unlawful for a medical man to give a certificate for the detention of a porson in an institution as a mental defective if the medical man is interested in the financial affairs of such person. FRIENDLY SOCIETIES AMENDMENT. SECOND BEADING. Moving the- second reading of the Friendly Societies Amendment Bill, The Hon. J. A. MILLAR stated that .the societies concerned were practically ' unanimous.'in-approving the principal i , clause, which provides that no society •shall be registered until a competent authority has .certified that its* funds are sufficient.to meet the benefit payments! i which it intends to give. Ho was quite, prepared to strike out sub-section 4 of Section 2, in committee, if members so de- , aired., The sub-clause made provision ■for the "equal levy" which had given .rise to considerable discussion, and "waslikely, in a;ny. case, to remain inoperative in the*- meantime. Section 3 empowers ..trustees to invest money on-mortgage up /to two-thirds of the value of tho, eecur-

Hty. . Under the principal Act, investIments are limited to three-fifths of ..the lvalue of landed security, and one-half J the .value of improvements thereon. Tho .alteration would make it easier to-obtain satisfactory investments, and it waj held that a security comprising ' two-thirds the aggregate value of land would provide--a safe margin. The second reading was carried on. tho Toices without discussion. The Hou.S3.rose at 10.30 p.m.