The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, AUGUST 12.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 530, 12 August 1881, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, AUGUST 12.

A QUKFTiox on. which it would be "well for electors to make no tlicir minds do finitely, and concerning which (hey should dciucnd the most explicit expression of opinion from ihcir would-be representatives, is that of the duration of Pi.rlij;moiit. During the session of 1879 an Aft was passed providing for triennial Parliaments, and under it the present House- of .Representatives expire? on the 28th Febrnaiy, 1882, unless it be sooner dissolved. Thereafter it is enacted that every future House shall continue for a period of three joars and no longer. One would ha\e thought that a moribund House would hardly bave had the conscience to attempt to alter this state of the law, and provide for such of its members as were re-elected a longer lease of povier than the law at present provides. Surely the question of such a change should first be remitted to the constituencies for an expression of opinion. Keveitheless the attempt has been made, and a Bill has been introduced into the House of Espresentatives having for its object the lengthening the duration of future Parliaments. We consider this to be an impudent attempt to deprive the electors of a privilege conferred upon them, and which they ought 10 be called upon to resign before such an attempt should be made. The supporters of the change will no doubt urge that no attempt is being made to lengthen the duration of the present Parliament, Granted. But men who went to that House pledged to vote for triennial Parliaments (not a triennial Parliament) are now seeking to impose fetters upon the constituencies, and saying to them in effect, " Whoever secures your votes on the next occasion shall sit for four, five, seven years, or, as one member suggested, ' for life.' " We contend that this conduct amounts to a breach of their hustings' pledges. If a member has changed his opinions on the subject, his honorable course would bo to announce the fact to his constituents at the coming election, and kt them be aware that, if elected, he should advocate a change in the direction indicated. But it is a very different thing to make the change first, and then ask the electors to ratify it, which course was advocated by many uf the speakers. The duration of the Parliament having been fixed against their will, the constituencies might weli feel that as the evil could not be undone, it would after all be advisable to return their old member, although lie was one of the authors of the mischief. But we contend they havj a right to be consulted first.

So much for what we consider the unfair manner in which it is proposed to make the change. And now foe a word or two on the subject itself. When the question of triennial Parliaments was before the 'country during the last elections, wo fully recognised that, though it commended itself very highly to favorable consideration, yet there was a good deal (o he urged agiinst it. Principal among the objections was the argument that it look new members one session to learn the routine of parliamentary Wi.rk, and that no good work is done during the closing session. Thus it was contended two years out of the three would be wasted. Experience has demonstrated that these objections are futile. A man of ordinary intelligence who has served his time in doing work for the public in local bodies, and such are the men most likely to be elected, is fit with a very little drilling to take his place as a " full private" on the benches of the House. Several new members have from the outset taken a position of greater or less influence. ,_ u .Witness —; Mr Turnbull)' of Tim-aru, 'Air..Hutchison," Mayor of Wellington, Colonel Trimble, and later, Mr Weston, of Grey Valley. As to the last session, we are not sure, but that the near approach of a general election has a most salutary effect in stimulating honorable members to do their work conscientiously and well. ' We think there have been some notable examples of the fact during the present session, of which we will instance the Licensing Dill.

The chief reason now urged for extending the duration of Parliament is the great tost of elections. It its contended that if they have to bear this infliction too frequently, poor men will be unable to »o into .I'iiiT.air.cnt at all, and. the TtfuvsniUitiun of the people will fall exclusively into the hiinds or the wealthy. If this w<. 1 re i\ correct deduction the

objection would be-- ;> very powerful o;u\ But the obvious ansv,or u< ii i< lo to the. root of lli'M-vil ;ii <l insist, not that costly t'l(.'fli(i!is :J;.JI !;■!:<.' pl::a.> ut ionyoi .

intervals, but that elections shall cease to be costly. The remedy lie-t entirely in the hand of members themselves. The majority of them are far from wealthy. Let them make such provisions as will prevent the poor man being unduly handicapped in a contest. It is difficult, no doubt, to contend against money, but if the electors could once be awakened to a sense of their duty, if they could realise that a vote is not a thing to be bartered away, or bestowed as a favor, but a right and privilege to be used for their own ultimate benefit, when our public opinion has reached this stage, we say, the influence of money as such in elections will cease. We cannot therefore, admit the force of tho objection bused upon cost. Events march with great rapidity in a yonng community like ours.- Opinions change ; experiments are tried and their results verified quickly. We con-

sider, therefore, that three years is quite long enough to entrust oven tried and trustworthy men with the duty and privilege, of representing us. But if this be true of men of such a stamp what shall we say of the genus " rat ? " Surely it ought to be in the power of a constituency to terminate the power for mischief of those creatures at as early a period as possible. Is it not reasonable to suppose that the knowledge that the time when they must again face their constituents is short will have a considerable effect in restraining them from acting in quite as shameless a manner as we have witnessed on one or two occasions ? For all these reasons, therefere, we would urge upon electors everywhere to make a point of insisting on a pledge from candidates that they will not interfere with the law providing for triennial Parliaments.