THE BILL PASSED.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2546, 21 August 1915, Page 7

THE BILL PASSED.

COURT-MARTIAL EVIDENCE. In Committee, The Hon. J. Allen (Minister of Defence) asked that Cla.uso 21 should be passed, notwithstanding tho fact that the Secret Defence . Committee had struck it out. Ho was informed thct it ,wotti4Jb,9 imacsaiblOfl

den.ee if the clause was struck out. The clause provides that in any trial by Court-martial tho Court may receive and act on such evidence as it thinks fit, whether legally admissible in\other proceedings or not. Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt) suggested that some alternative should be put in. He did not think it would be wise to pass the clause. The Hon. A. L. Herd-man (AttorneyGeneral) said that the clause had been carefully considered. IS it was not put in the portion of the Act would be almost inoperative. Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) thought that it would be very dangerous to pass the clause. It might be made to apply only to minor offences. Mr. "Wilford said- that a man might be tried for his life by a Court-martial. He suggested that a modification might be put in that the clause should only be applicable to offences the penalty for which did not exceed three months.

The Hon. J. Allen said that the Secret Defence Committee only struck the clause out temporarily to allow tho At-torney-General to review it. He had done so, and suggested that it should stand. He agreed not to pass the clause now, but to have it remodelled if possible. The Hon. W. F. Massey (Prime Minister) said he desired to make it perfectly clear that the clause was onlj deferred by the Secret Defence Committee. It was not' struck out by the Committee. Tho clause was struck out. Tho Minister of Defence said that ho would liavo it reconsidered. Mr. J. M'Combs (Lyttelton) moved an amendment to Clauso 29, to safeguard the militia from being called! out for industrial purposes. The Hon. J. Allen (Minister of Defence) said that he could not accept the amendment. There was no intention of calling out the militia now, but they should not divest themselves of the right to call out the militia in a time of emergency. The amendment was defeated and; the clauso passed on the voices. The Hon. J. Allen moved to add two sub-clauses to Clauso 34. The clause permits action to be taken for offences by employers with regard to servants joining or proposing to join an Expeditionary Force. The sub-clauses provide that no prosecution for an offence against tho section shall be commenced without the leave of the Attorney-Gen-eral. ; Leave may be granted without, notice to the defendant, and it shall not be necessary in any information to state that such leave has been granted. The sub-olauses were added and the Bill was reported with amendments,, read a third time without debate, and 'passedi The House rose at 8 49 p.m.