A NEW SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1720, 20 December 1887, Page 2

A NEW SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

[fbomoub own^cobbespondbnt.J Wellington, Deoenxber 10, The following is the full teajt of the secies of motions of which notice has been given by Major Steward, to be moved on going into Committee of Sniply In reference to an alteration of the system of Government :-(l) That the present system of party Government Is unsatisfactory, and that It is advisable to make suoh changes as will enable the discussion and decision of legislative and otbee proprsils on their merits, without involvlng the issue of a change of personnel of the Ministry. (2) That it is necessary In order to enable the business of Parliament to bo transacted effectively and with reasonable despatch, that tho forms of procedure prescribed by the Standing Orders should be amended. (3) That In order to effeot the object alrne* at Jn the first of the foregoing resolutions, it is desirable to provide fo» the election of the Executive Couaoll aa hereinafter provided, that Is to Bay— (a) Upon the first assembling of Parliament after eaoh general eleotlon, so soon as tha Houbo should have elected the Speaker,, it shall proceed to elect six members o£ the executive Government, In manner following— (6) Nominations of candidates shall be handed into the Speaks* on tha day following that upon vhloh, he is- him* aelf eleoted, and ahall he signed by 20 nominators m each owe and by the candidates nominated, all of whom must be of the Home of Bepresentatives ; ( c ) The list of; members nominated shall appear on a speolal Order Paper to be issued immediately on the close of the nominations, and the Speaker shall-appolnt a time (not being lean than 24,n0r more than 48 honra after the issue of such list of nominations), for the taking of a ballet for the eleotlon of alx members of the Exeoutlve ; (d) The six candidates having highest number of votes shall bedeolared eleoted. and shall enter upon office forthwith, provided that upon thai result of tho ballot being declared any/ member eleoted may deoline to server and therenpon a fresh ballot shall be* taken to fill the vaoancy ; (t) The six members bo eleoted shall ohoosa two colleagues from among the members of the Legislative Council, or if they shall be unable so to do, may advise His Excellency to call to the said Council one/ or two persons (as the case may be) to be* members with them of the Exoontive Council } (f) The eight members of t\»e Executive so eleoted or choseu shall, appoint one of their own numbe* who l» a member of the House of Beprenentatlvea to be Premier, and shall a'dooate the portfolios of the aeveral Departments among any of the 7 of their number aa they shall think fit j (g) Such Executive, and the several members thereof, ahall oontinue In office until the assembling of a new Parliament, and thereafter until the .election of their successors, unless either of the following contingencies occur, that is to Bay— (i) unless such Executive shall resign as a whole, (II) unless four or more members thereof who are members of the House of Representatives simultaneously resign or are tullotted oat as hereinafter provided, Ity which case the whole Executive shall be deemed to have resigned, (ill) unless upon the test ballot as hereinafter provided one or more members, not exceeding four, shall be ballotted out j (h) A test ballot upon the proposal that the whole of the Executive, or any member or members thereof, be removed from offioe, may be demanded by requisition to tho Speaker, signed by not less than 30 members of the Hoase. and thereupon the Speaker shall appoint a time wlbhin 48 hours of his reoei^t of such requisition, for the taking of a ballot upon suoh proposal j (»\ kTho membor or members In respect of whom a ballot was tak^, ahall be disqualified from voting Vnereon, and no such, proposal shall ba deemed to be carried unless affirmed by an absolute majority of tha whola Houdo axoluding the number of membero disqualified from voting ; (j) If,, upon the test ballot, iv respect of lour on any leas number of members of the Exeoutlve, one or both of tha members} thereof having a seat or seats In the Legislative Oounoll, is or are balloted out, than his or their plaoe or plaoeH In the Exeoutive shall be filled up by the remaining members so Boon as the other vacant seat or seats, if any, shall have been filled up by ballot uf the House ; (k) If any member of tha Executive ao balloted out shall have beon called to the Legislative Council, for. the purpose of joining the Evocative* he shall also oease to be a member of the Legislative Council ; (2) Not moro than one test Lallot as regards the Executive an a whole, or aa? regards some member or members thereof, may be demanded during (ho. cam,9 session. Qf PafllawQQtt * " '