Some New Bills.

Manawatu Herald, 25 July 1895, Page 3

Some New Bills.

The Criminal Code Aofc Amendment Bill which has passed its third reading in the House, makes further provision for the protection of girls by increasing the age " of consent " from 15 years to 16 years. It amends sections 195 and 195 of the Act by providing " It shall be no defence to an {indictment for an offence under this section that the girl consented to such an offence." It also extends the time by one month when a prosecution may be commenced under section 196 of the Act. The. Asiatic and other Immigration Bestriction Bill was read a >* second titne on Tuesday night. It provides that any ship may not carry more. than one Asiatic to every 200 tons. of the tonnage of the ship, and the must pay £100 for every Buch passenger by way of poll-tax. " Asiatic" means any native of any part of/ Asia or of the islands adja* cent to Asia or in Asiatic seas, and the descendents of any such natives ; but it does not include persons of European or Jewish extraction. If the Asiatic gets into the colony he is not to be allowed to carry on the business of hawker or pedlar under a penalty of £50 and £10 a day. The master of every ship shall de- ' ifei r a Bfe °f &U passengers on Doard and no immigrant is to land until he has been examined. An . Immigration Officer is to make a list of allrtßafeibited persons, which includeaSi|yl contract workman, ira becilelttnc t ansane person, habitual drunk|yfjj every person likely from any cause, to speedily become a charge on the public charities or funds", every person suffering from any contagious or infectious disease, and every person who has been adjudged guilty in any oountry of any offence involving (if such offence was committed in New Zealand) imprisonment for not less than twelve months;. It is the duty of the master to keep on board and carry back each, prohibited person. If by chance any passenger by any ship becomes within three months a charge on any charitable institution orasylum, the master or owners of the sbip.are to be liable for all expenses of. such passenger during the space, of four years. The Animals Protection Bill forbids the turning out, or importing any animal or bird without the conBent of the Minister of Agriculture. It it also to be the duty of the master of any vessel having fruit or other cargo from tropical or semitropical places to effectually prevent any snake, scorpion, or other noxious reptile from being landed. The^i!ing."on Unimproved Value Bill defines " Unimproved value" r to mean the gross value of land, as herein defined, less the value of all improvements thereon. " Improvements" includes houses and buildings, fencing, planting, draining, clearing from timber, scrub, or fern, layina flown, in grass or pasture, and any other improvements whatsoever on lans£ in B0 & r as tne benefit tberedf is unexhausted at the time of taxation ; but does not include reclaiming .of land from water. It rvicfegf*jsiat a rate of one shilling thectpound on the unimproved " value *all be the equivalent fora three-farthings rate on the gross value. The Act can be brought into force after a poll of the ratepayers has been taken.