The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1909. PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 595, 25 August 1909, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1909. PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS.

We do not "think we are wrong in say?' ing that nearly everybody who takes a real, and an impartial interest in the work of the' Legislature is awaiting the coming session with something very like concern. In tho paßt, the loading feature of the session, yqar after year, and in spite of unceasing protests, has been tfye wild scramble in tho last - few weeks, during, which a ma,ss of important legislation is passed in the early morning by a, House composed of members too weary to ; .criticise and other members utterly careless of what goes on.': Nothing has availed to make the Hoiiso realise itho impropriety and thp injustice to public of this'manner of procedure, With a yearly-increasing list of statutory stupidities and legislative injustices to accuse it, the House has: porsisted in its evil habit. The coming session will begin in October, just at the time when the: state oifcha orops jb uppermost in the country nomher'e mind, and when

tho growing heat of early summer makes anything soem preferable to serious and thoughtful work in a stuffy building. To-day wo learn that Mr. Millar has promised—the circumstances require that we should really say; Mr. Millar has threatened—that a great deal of important business will be brought down and pushed on by the Government. What chance is there that iany great quantity of new and irr4p.ortan.fc legislation will rcceivo proper consideration beforo' appearing on the Statute Book ? The country may well feel some alarni at the prospect. The circumstances will raako particularly appropriate an attempt to effect the improvements in the procedure of the House which experience has shown to be, urgently necessary. In the meantime, it seems to be worth while calling attention to a sehemo which Mr.' Winston Churchill has devised for making the procedure of the House of Commons' more sensible ( and business-like.

Mr. Churchill,, whose scheme is outlined in an .article in the London World, notes that although an almost ceaseless scries of "reforms" have been made in the rules, the hours, and tho duration of debate, the present procedure is still productive of general dissatisfaction..-. The, Government still burns against tho Opposition's obstruction, and the Opposition clamours against the closure. As, for the; public, it regards the recriminations of the parties with "an unaffected indifferonce painful to the indignant legislator": M, Thcro is a general impression out-of-doors. that Parliament talks continually during tho greater part of the year, that.it does not always talk very well, and that it only ceases to talk when physically exhausted." In order to keep, debate within bounds, Mr. Churchill proposes that there should be set up a Committpe of Business, on' which the party in: power should have a, majority, but which would be overwhelmingly unofficial in its acter. This Committee would ''survoy the whole, period of the session during the' debate" on ( the .King's Speech,', and would divide it as they thought fit between the different moasurcs proposed. They would not subdivide the different stages of a Bill, but haying assigned so maby days to second reading, Committee, report, and third reading respectively, would;leave it to. the House to employ .these periods at its; discretion, They would .decide' whothpr a Bill should bo -debated in < Committee of the , whole House, or in Committee, upstairs,' and if in any Bill for which! discussion in Committee of;'the whphv House had been appointed, the- House itself,' by division, determined to send it upstairs, then hall tho time appointed for the ' Committee stage \n the House should be added to the time allocated to report." ; The nor? inal limit of, the.-.session would be six 1 duced with its time-table' printed upon it as fixed by the Committee. , Amongst other improvements, Mr. Churchill suggests the..widest;employment of the.sys? torn of Grand Committees, every public Bill not obviously involving 'a party issue of tho firs't importance being sent upstairs, to the •Committee as/a matter of course-. There. ; are other ■ suggestion s, such as a time-limit for speeches in Comimittee, and greater freedom ,01 general debate when.going into •Committee of .Supply.-.; ■'.'•,"-. ..■'■.;,..' ,; .'•..';

: iThere is the skeleton' of a very excel•lent idea, ; for. : Now ..Zealand ; in ,■'. Mr.■ pHUHOT(i'Lr.'s ; proposed "Committee, 1 of Business," put before it could.'reach the reaL evil of, our. Parliamentary business it would : require 'a good deal of : careful mpulding.'^We would suggest/that the Government, within a .week/or, ten days of the opening of : the sessiop, should cirt ciilate" evbry single one of its If it mentions a taeasurein.thfe' Governor's Speech it ought to, be able ' to produce it on the spot. -The : Committee of Business could then allocate'the time of the session without: any very 'groat difficulty, and it could without disadr vantage to anybody, arid with the great* est advantage to business-like dealing, fix the orderi in, which the ; measures should be dealt with.- The chief merit of such a plan would be that it would' recognise a principle which it has for years been the business of the Government to infringe, namely, > that there shall be no surprises or tricks in making the nation's laws,.and' that .) the really inv portantor difficult measuros shall be ensured treatment by a fresh and willing Legislature. The Government of the day, moreover, would. be unahle . to. / from an ; insufficient acquaintance on • the' .part of members 'with, the measures brought down. : Mb. Churchill declares that "there is at the present ; timova stronger disposition than has, been for many years to deal with the whole question of House of, Commons'-'.'..prov cedure fairly and on its merits." Why should there not be a disposition in oui own Parliament; to reform , its own methods by regujating the prapticos of the Government? Wo commend ■, Mr. Ohubchill's idea to. the Goyernmont and to Me.. Mj\ssby as a starting-point, for : the construction qf a reform which will protect the public from .the ; inconveniences, injustices, and absurdities which have become so numerous in the laws; of recent years,. The capacity of the: hew Parliament; to transact the country's business properly is greater than it: has been for a.good many years. It plight to make for itself such a sessional, propedurg as will enable it to use its capacity to the best advantage. .