THE COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1550, 20 September 1912, Page 6

THE COUNCIL

CARE 0> TH'e AGED AND INFIRM. The Legislative Council met at 2,30 yes-, 'cerday afternoon... ' ... 'I'tip. Aged .and Infirm Protection Bill was reported from the Statutes. Revision Committee with "n recommendation that-it be allowed to proceed with amend;merits.

Copious s amendments have been made by tli'o "Committed, some'"of' tho principal ones being as under.- -A new' clause is.. beeii"added that" the Court may authorise the continuance; of (provision;made by ; protected person for a person dependent on him. A further new clause provides that the Conrt may direct the investment of tho unapplied incoracof the protected estate in such investments as ttio Court deems proper in tho interest of the protected person or his dependents. Provision is also made that protection orders may be registered under the Deeds Registration Act or the Land Transfer Act.

The committee suggest the deletion o; clause 16 of the Bill/which provided that the manager shall furnish the Public Trustee with particulars as to the administration of tho estate, and the inclusion of four new clauses, which lay it down that the manager of every protected estate shall prepare and file in the Court a statement showing tho property comprised in the, estate, and its condition and the manner in which the property ha.s..beeii dealt, with. A, duplicate of the •statement, accounts, and vouchers shall also be handed to the Public Trustee. Refusal to carry out the above stipulations shall make the manager liable to a penalty, not exceeding. ,£>o. A report on the statement shall bo mado by the Public Trus'£etf;and a copy filed in the Court, and another supplied to the manager.

: ' FIRST READINGS., The Local Authorities Superannuation Amendment Bill, the Auckland Education Reserves-Bill; and the Land and Income Assessment Amendment Bill were received from' the House of Representatives and read a first time.

■ PRISONS AMENDMENT BILL. . In Committee on the Prisons Amendment,.Bill, The Hon. H. D. BELL,- replying to a point raised by the Hon. J. Anstey on tho eecond reading, said the . Government would keep the records of accused persons apart.from .those of , the guilty. . The Hon, J. T. PAUL asked rwhy the records of the.not guilty should bo kept at all. The Hon. H. D. BELL said they had to be kept for a slnfrt time. Provision, however, was made for their destruction. The Hon. J. ANSTEY said he would like to have seen something in tho Bill to provide that these records would bo kept entirely' distinct. • . ■ The Hou. H. D.' BELL indicated that this would be provided for in the regulations.- ■ .The Bill nas.reported with the amendment made by the Statutes Rovision Committee as- to* the destruction of the records taken in the case'of persons not subsequently convicted of any criminal ■■ offence, and of any other records the preservation :of which is no longer desirablo.

MARRIAGE AMENDMENT BILL. The Marriage Amendment Bill was committed'and put through its final stages without amendment.

HAWKE'S BAY RIVERS. In Committee'on tho Hawke's Bay Eivers Bill, The Hon. J. ANSTEY moved an amendment to . the effect".that, the. Kivor Board 6hould be divided into seven subdivisions instead of eight as provided in the Bill. This,' he explained, would mean that Karamu would be joined to the Omaraonui ward,' >ith v one representative. As it stood, the representation 011 the board was. not, he/urged, satisfactory, as Omaraenui hod only 28 ratepayers. whilst 'I'aradal'e, Papaknra. and other wards had veil over three figures. If the Bill was pa iwd as it stood he felt suro that it would only come back to them again tn •jime stiap° other. This Bill had been before'., them for two sessions, and there been great difficulty m getting at the. rjtiicl., position. . . A .long discussion ensued on the procedure- adopted in connection with this Bill, and eventually Mr. Anstey's amendment i»as defeated by 13 to 5, the Hons. J. Bigg,-J, T. Paul, 3. E. Jenkinson, Geo. Jones, and the mover supporting it. The Bill.was reported with amendments and the. third reading was eet. down for to-day- '. ■ • ...*.. Tlio Council adjourned at iJ p.m.