HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10414, 7 September 1911, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

THE MARRIAGE. ACT. , Sir Wiilla'am Steward moved the second reading of the Marriage Act AirJondni'Cint Effll, validating a. maxrage with, a dc-c.oaiwd wife's niece or deoaased husband's nephew. Tie i mover held that if oily one person in _tho Bcminion was suffering a dis.aibiiiity, it-h© whole power of Parliament should be moved on behalf of. that parson. He depreciated the- tendency which was growing iiip in favour cf a. oneman Government, ai:d failed to see why Itihe < House, instead of leaving the appointment cf its executive to onoi man, should not ele-ci it by ballot. The Executive should be composed of both sides of the. House. Sir Joseph Ward said that if, after a continued advocacy of twenty years, .the (system had not won support, it was plain thait members did not see eye to eye with the mover. He was convinced it would not be a good thing for this counltlry to eEmkuate .party. Ma* Fibber md the Premier's id£:r.& ■were based oh .a wrong assumpitdon. Mr Fowilds had left the Ministry because itihe party systtem had torn thiis heartstrings. The Bill would be an improvement on the exLstiag sbnite. of affiariirs. The Hon. T. Y. Duncan said that under' tlhle .proposied conditions the position of tihs Government would be oinitofeirable. Mi- Hanam considered Parliament 'should .dictate .the pol&ey of the country, and not the mien on the Government benches. The people ■Mesne* thoroughly disisatkfiied with the present system. "' Mr Stallwortihy opposed the principles of .the Bui. Mr Wright supported, and Mr AlHen opposied the Bill. (Left Sitting.)