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Kumara Times, Issue 1523, 15 August 1881, Page 2

The Vagrant Act Amendment Bill came on for its second reading a few nights since. It may be mentioned that it has passed through all its stages in the Legislative Council, but is meet ing with stubborn opposition in the House. The Bill proposes to amend the " Vagrant Act, 1866," so that when a person is convicied of indecent exposure, the Justice or Justices before whom he is convicted may, In addition to the punishment awarded under the existing law, be once, twice, or thrice privately whipped, subject, however, to certain conditions. The number of strokes shall not exceed fifty at each whipping, and the Court must specify the number of strokes to be given and the instrument to be used. No whipping is to take place until six months after the sentence has been given, and in all cases a medical officer is to be in attendance ; and, if he cousiders that the prisoner is not able to bear the punishment or any portion of it, he may order such punishment to be postponed, and within seven days of making such order, he u to report to the Colonial Secretary, stating his reason for making such order. It was shown by the author of the Bill," that the offonce to be dealt with was largely on the increase in New Zealand, and that some strict measure would have to be carried through to check such a monstrous evil. On what grounds the opponents of the Bill base their obstruction, we know not. Telegrams on Saturday, reporting the conclusion of the discussion, stated that, Mr Seddon having announced hid intention to speak for an hour against the Bill, the House was counted out at 12.30.