PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1227, 8 September 1911, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

THE COUNCIL. FURTHER PROGRESS WITH BILLS. MENTAL DEFECTIVES. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 yesterday afternoon. Tho Hon. J. ANSTEY moved tlio third reading of tlie Methodist Charitable, and Educational Trusts Bill. Tho third reading was agreed to, and tho Bill passed. Tho .Attorney-General was asked by the Eon. E. C. .T. Stevens to state tho decision of the Government as regards retiring allowances to the Commissioners of Education Reserves in Otago and Canterbury, and to the officers who have been retired from the stewardship of those reserves. Tho ATTORNEY-GENERAL remarked that the School Commissioners had been in tho same position, and in point of law were not untitled to a retiring allowance. Cabinet bad not yet had time to consider the matter, and he hoped to lie' ablo to give a moro definite reply later.

FIELD DIVORCE BILL. The lion. G. JONES, in moving that the second reading of the Field Divorce Bill be made .an order of the day for next sitting day, remarked that on tho Inst occasion tho Bill was before tho Council some members seemed to bo under the impression that more evidence was necessary that Mrs. Field had been incurable for more than tea years. He now had this proof ia the sworn testimony of two doctors. Mr. Jones read tho statements by the medical men,' and also a statement'by Dr. Truby King. After some discussion the ■ motion was agreed to by 11 to 8. Tho Hons. J. B. Callan, W. Becha.n, It. A. T.oughnan, W. W. M'Cardle, J. It. Sinclair. 0. Samuel, Sir Hy. Miller, and Dr. Collins voted against tho motion. MENTAL DEFECTIVES. The Hon. C. M. LUKE (Wellington) continued the debate on the second reading of the Mental Defectives Bill. Ho approved of the measure generally. Ho was confident that the Hill would accomplish a great deal of good. The Hon. ,1. R. SINCLAIR (Otago) said the idea appeared to have got abroad that a new departure was contemplated in tho Bill as regards private mental hospitals. The provision in the Bi'l f or licensing private institutions was merely a substantial re-enactment of tho law of to-day. T.he debate was adjourned on tho motion of tho Hon. Dr. Collins. aad the Council rose at 1.30 p.m.