THE DECEASED WIFE'S SISTER BILL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 158, 3 July 1880, Page 2

THE DECEASED WIFE'S SISTER BILL.

A long and somewnat amusing discussion took plaoe in the Legislative Council yesterday on the second reading of the Deceased Wife s Sister Bill, which was moved by Mr. Mantell. He urged that tbe reform would conduce to domestic happiness and morality. Capt. Frafltr, who supported the Bill, drew an

affecting picture of two poor children entering the Hou.e an J standing at the Bar, crying, "Do not brand us with the stigma of illegitimacy." They would have-hearts like the nether millstone to refuse such an appeal. A little

scene occurred, owing to Colonel Whitmore then asserting that one or 5 two "Iconvict colonies " and their off-

shoots— Tasmania, New South Wales, and Western Australia, and the offshoots of Victoria and Queensland, had passed Deceased Wife's Sister Bills, but that was no argument in favor of New Zoa'land'doing likewise. Captain Fraser and Mr P. Buckley indignantly rose to order at the expression •' convict

colonies,* 7 the latter especially defending

Victoria and Queensland from auch sn imputation. The Speaker stated he regretted such an expression had been

used, but he could not rule it out of

order. The gallant Colonel then resumed his remarks, urging that we should follow in the footsteps of England, and not in those of the other colonies. To carry this Bill would conduce to immorality. They all knew that where the passions were concerned reason waa nowhere, Hera Captain Fraser somewhat rashly interjected '. Ob, oh," upon which Colonel Whitmore retorted that his honorable friend i had reached a time of life when the remark, he .had just made would hot apply. (Great laughter.) He then asserted that perhaps not more than a dozen personam the oolony would be affected by the Bill. Ninety-nine of the women out of every hundred abominated it. (Laughter.) If there was one woman in tbe whole world a wife would not wish her husband to marry, it was her sister. (Loud laughter.) Hon. members might laugh, but let them enquire among the ladies, and his words would be borne out. (Laughter.) I'he religious argument for the Bill appeared to be that the Bible somewhere said that menmust marry their dead brothers' widows. But they did got propose to do that. Oh nol (Laughter.) Wives' sisters would no longer be able to live oh an amicable footing witb their brother-in-law if the Bill passed, and it therefore cut at the root of tbe present satisfactory state' of affairs. (Laughter.) The gallaot Colonel also urged that if the maasure passed it would deprive stepchildren of the natural refuge they had at present in their grandparents when they could not get along with their stepmother. Of course, grandparents would not take the part of stepohildren when the stepmother was their own daughter, and therefore the children would be compelled to live in misery. The Bill would conduce to immorality and infelicity, and he would oppos. it till he found it was adopted in England.' A division then took place on the second readingof the Bill as follows :— Ayes, 16-i- Brett, Campbell, Chamberlain, Eraser, fifsrt, Holmes, Lahmann, Mantell,' Martin, Miller, Richmond,' Russell, Scotland," - Williamson, Wood. NOesi, 12— Bell, Dignao, Johnson, Johnston, Menzies, Peterson, Ifeter, Phnrozyn, Reynolds, Whitaker, Whitmore, and Wilson. The result was received with loud cheers, and the Bill was read a second time. Mr Peter, amid loud laughter, gave notioe to introduce a Deceased Husband's Brother Marriage Bill.