THE HON. JOHN MACGREGOR
The Hon. John MacGregor is a native of Perthshire, and a graduate'of Edinburgh University. Ho is a member .of tho-legal firm of Duncan and MacGregor, Dunediu, and was for many years one of. the most active members of the Otngo Education Board. It is ovor twenty years since Mr. MacGregor was appointed, a member of the Legislative Council, on the nomination of the Bal lance Government, and it is probably owing to his own action that he has not been twice reappointed since thim. Shortly before the end of his seven I .years term, Mr. MacGregor intimated to the then Premier (Mr. Snddon)' that'ho could not .accept nomination from Ins Government for the reason i a m P"R st _ otbers. that a member of't!u> beddon Government, who had been a member, of the Ballanee' -Government that appointed him, had animadverted upon his action in opposing certain policy measures. -Mr. MacGregor evidently took this to mean that if ho accefitld n ° mi "atwn at the hands of-tho ■voddon Government it would bo upon ■the .implied'-understanding, that lie' p edged himself beforehand 'to support all. policy measures—a doctrine he evidently considered incompatible.with the duty of a member of fliV Upper House. 1 erhaps no other private member in either House has done more-sound and nseful_work in the way' of law reform. Mr. MaoGregor's first achievement m thl ? category .was.'-his. Legitimation Act, winch effected a much : iieeded social reform. , This measure was first introduced' m the session of 1894, and was passed three times by the Council, but was not passed by tho House till "1898. -the mam reform effected by means or this Bill,was" to placo the wife in tho same position as the' husband in respect of divorce. Another change in matrimonial law which Mr. MacGregor tried to make'(but. unsuccessfully) was the automatic conversion of all judicial separations into dissolutions'-after tho pird year. ' Mr. MacGregor was also responsible for many reforms of a piiroJ.v legal character. One "of his Bills, which was taken up and passed after ho had left tho'Council, introduced this simplified procedure under which a person accused of an indintable offence uiav Plead guilty in the Police Court, anil l)E-:sent up to 'tho-Supremo Court-for sentence. In addition to his qualiuca.tions as a lawver. Mr. MacGregor"is a recognised authority upon educntion.il economic, social,, and industrial suli- ■ jacts. ■ .-.'.-'
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Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2202, 15 July 1914, Page 7
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392THE HON. JOHN MACGREGOR Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2202, 15 July 1914, Page 7
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