THE MARRIAGE LAW: A BILL REJECTED.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1508, 2 August 1912, Page 6

THE MARRIAGE LAW: A BILL REJECTED.

i The. legislative Council sat for an hour -■ \ and'a .half yesterday, but tlio only business of any importmco was Sir William Steward's "Marriage Amendment, Bill." V.-,-li was rejected, after brief discission, by 18 votes to 12. 'l'ho only other incident of note was a statement by the Hon. , 11. D. Bell that the Government did not propose to tako up the' Local Government * ; Hill brought down by the last Administra- ' tion. The Council adjourned until "Wednesday next. . , •' i <- , Yesterday was private members' day -in the House of liepresentalives, but more ' than an hour was spe.it in transacting formal business. Some guerilla party warfare followed. ' Prominent Opposition members seemed bent upon unearthing bones of. contention. The printing of a ■return, the Opposition "Whip's room, and other minor topics wero successively dilated upon by Sir Joseph Ward, assisted at times'by 1 Mr. G. W. Russell and Air. T. 11. Wiltord. .Ministers displayed 'considerable) good ; nature in answering questions without notice.- An amusing feature of the activities of tli9 Opposition was that Sir Joseph i. "Warrl, Air. liussell, and Air. Wilford so evenly divided such prominence as was . to bo.'gained on the Left" of the House, as to lend point lo an'observation by . Air. 1 Anderson that the Opposition would get ; on better if it had one leader instead of three. /' '■ \ I Mr.tf. Hunter (Waipawa) gave notice of his intention to introduce the Gaming Act, 1910, Amendment Bill, a private measure promoted in tho interests of country racing clubs.{ Another ..important private Bill, the Licensing Act, 1908, Amendment Bill, introduced by Mr. Malcolm; was' read a first . time. Early in .the afternoon the Prime Minister gave notice of his intention to niove that Mr. I'. W. Long (Atanukau) be. appointed Chairman of Committees. An hour.was spent in discussing Air. G. Wifir's Land Agents Bill, which eventually.passed its second reading on tho voices. Tho pieco do resistance turned out to be Mr. A. H. Hindnmrsh's Legislature .... Amendment Bill, tlie object of'which is . to curtail .expenditure at elections, and to curtail also the liberty of newspapers to y comment freely and anonymously on political questions. Thero wero members of all 'persuasions who agreed that it would bo well to fctop extravagant use of money and motorcars .at ,elections. The real test , question had reference to tho liberty of tho .press,' arid much was said about Tnr, Dominion antl'other papers. Tl\is led to general discussion on tho ethics of journalism generally. Tho Bill was hut litilo criticised, although tho debate lasted for some six hours. The Bill passed the second reading on' tho voices, and the House I rose:at 11.35 p.m. '