MARRIAGE CEREMONY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 263, 31 July 1920, Page 8

MARRIAGE CEREMONY

PRACTICES OF A CERTAIN DENOMINATION " i WILL THE LEGISLATURE INTERVENE? Ex parto statements that a certain religious denomination infereiitially bastardises tho issue of parents who, although married in the eyes of tho law, remarry according to the forms prescribed by this denomination, have been made to the Statutes Revision Committee of tho Legislative Council while the committee has been considering the Marriages Amendment Bill. Tho committee yestcrdny reported the Bill with amendments, but upon the motion of the Leader of the Council (Sir Francis Bell), and in necordnnco 'wii'ih the wishes of the committeo itself tho measure was referred back for further consideration. In moving that the Bill be sent back to the committee, Sir Francis Bell explained '.hat certain persons had taken I the opportunity of making representations on matters not dealt with in the Bill as introduced in the Lower House. The obiect of the committee In reporting at this stage, and his object in moving that the committee give further consideration to tho measure, was to make it publicly known (1) that the committee was prepared to hear tho evidence of any person interested touching the matter indicated above, and (2) that the committee intended in the absence of cvidenco contravening that already heard, to propose legislation upon the subject. "The evidence so far heard," tho At-torney-General proceeded, "shows that one denomination in this country publicly, declares by documents officially issued that marriages contracted and performed according to the law of this land are not valid marriages. That alone might, perhaps, not be considered sufficient at the present time to call for tho intervention of the Legislature, though we find the documents produced before us on their face show that the declaration and .the publication that tho marriages are invalid is not limited (o invalidity arising out of a mere denominational ' question. "But the other question is of more importance, and will Tequire j:he careful consideration of such evidence as may be brought on the other side before the committee.- The denomination to which I am feferring treats* a marriage celebrated' according to the law of this laud, but not celebrated by a priest ■of its denomination, as invalid, and requires the parties in accordance with the provisions of its religious code to be married again before a priest of-the denomination—requires them under certain leligious denunciations with which no one proposes' to interfere, s "The effect is this: The second marriage, or remarriage, _ whatever you choose to call it, is carried out and celebrated according, as far as appearances go, to the laws of this land. The marriage register of the ciergymen of every denomination is an official document required to-be kept, and is a Tegister to which reference may be made. It is the record of the marriage, the entry in the licgistrar-General's register being a certified copy of thp marriage register. There is evidence before the committee that in cases where the partes have been married for years and the second ceremony is required and takes place, and there have been children born of the marriage in tho meantime, the parties to be remarried are described as bachelor and spinster, and upon an official record kept in accordance with and by direction of ono of statutes of this oountry it is recorded (by inference) that the children born in lawful wedlock are illegitimate. "The committee does not so far know whether the practice described is the practice of that denomination in New Zealand. Wo have had before us copies of tho certificates of a New Zealand marriage and of a marriage in another colony. The second certificate describes the parties, after years of marriage, and with ohildren born to them, as being bachelor and spinster. . . . "I have stated nieroly the effect of the evidence which has eo far ex parte been produced before the committee. If the ' Bill is referred back the committee will bo enabled to satisfy itself by evidence of what the real position is. But I say ' at once, not merely as n member of the ' committee, but as a member of the Government,. that if it is found that upon ' the marriage registers of any denomination the children of an existing mar- , riago lawfully celebrated are bastardised, directly or by implication, it lies upon j the Legislature to see, that that sort , of thing is not continued." (Members: | Hear, hear.) . (

, THE LOAN WILL THERE BE COMPULSION? Another question about the impending loan was asked in the Hoiisd yesterday. TVl'r. Harris -wished to know from the Minister of Finance whether it was eonsidered that compulsion would be neede<l in order to pet tlie money required. Mr. Massey said that his opinion at tlie moment to that compulsion would not be necessary, hut he did think it -would he necessary to insert in the Bill, by way of a safeguard, a compulsory clause. The Government proposed to offer a fair rate of interest for the money required, and as prohably most of the money to he raised would he for patriotic purposes— tho settlement of returned soldiers on land—ho thought the loan should be favoured. He thought- that the money would"not ho required much before November. He wished to eoy, in view, of some suggestions that had been made about the credit of the country, that the credit of New Zealand was ns good as that of any other country in- tlie British Empire, and he believed that it wouldcontinue to bo so. He believed that when New Zealand asked for money, it would be obtained without any trouble whatever.

WESTPORT HARBOUR A NATIONAL COAL. PORT. As was announced in -the Budget, the Government intends to take over AVestpont ILaxboiir, the reason being that tlie hoard, already heavilv in debt to tho Government, is in an almost bankrupt condition, and without sufficient ..funds to keep the harbour in a condition for efficient working-. Tho Westport Harbour Bill was brought doyn by Message ir. the House yesterday. Mr. Alnawy eaid that the Government would tiiko over tlie harbour, as being the most important coal port in the. country, a port which must bo kept open sit all cr>sts. "Unfortunately the control of the harbour would involve considerable expenditure. Mr. Holland protested against tho proposal on behalf of the people of Westport, lie claimed that the board was short of funds owing to the Government having interfered with the board's endowments. He protested. also <m the general ground that it would not bo desirable to have a local utility controlled from ■Wellington. Ho invited members to interest themselves in tb« niatlor. Members did show some interest, hut they did not support Mr. Holland's claim that tho rest cf Now Zealand should find money to be spout by the local body.

INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE Many requests have teen mndc to the Government tins session to deal with tho matter of industrial insurance, on tho ground that the terms offered by the insurance companies under tho industrial schemes were not fair to the subscribers. Mr. Wilford yesterday asked the Prime Minister whether tho Government proposed to do anything. Mr. Massey said, that the question hnd not yet been fully considered, but he thought lie could promise that something would bo done about it this year. SCHOLARSHIPS In tho Legislative Council yesterday the Hou. M. Cohen was informed by the Attorney-General :-(D That the Government was considering whether it should provide scholarships to encouraged the sludy of science subjects in tlio Stale secondary schools; and (2) that the Government would submit to Parliament in connection with the amending legislation of this session tho question of increasing the value of senior and junior national scholarships.