THE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1267, 24 October 1911, Page 6

THE COUNCIL.

A BRIEF NIGHT SITTING. LEGISLATURE AMENDMENT LULL. Tho Legislative Council met at i o'clock last niglit. The Local Elections and Mis Amend nient Bill, the Workers' CoinpenKitioi Amendment Bill, and tho Legislator! Amendment Bill were received from tin and read a fii'til time. Tho Standing Orders were suspended 11 that tho second readings of the Loca Elections and Polls Bill and tho Legis laturo Amendment Bill could be taken Tho second readings of theaj two Bill; were agreed to. Tho Hon. W. C. V. C.VIIXLJi(XS speaking on the second reading oi tn< Legislature Amendment Bill, '/ought 1 was a pity that all tho c-cnsus uetaiJs ask «1 for on tlio electoral amendment iorins had not been deleted altogether. It \\iu nothing but a grotesque lad to ask tor it and it should not have been grafted on U tho system. Expense was created by tj and unnecessary labour involved—m lact it was bad all through, utkriy useless and a burden on the Statute Book. The lion. .T. RIGG thought that th< present electoral system gave an unfan advantage to country people. The 28 pe: cent, margin in tho country should, In thought, be (lone away with. Counlij and town votes should be abfolutolj equal. I'ersonailv he rrgrctted that the Bill did not include a provision lor th< repeal of tho Second Ballot Act. It \va.' a clumsy system, and to his mind tin sooner it was done away with the better The Hon. J. ANSTEY urged that then should be a sliding scale, increasing wit): the area of the electorate. Tho ATTORNEY-GENERAL agreec that the proportion, rigidly stated as a. present, was unfair in some ease?, ant sooner or later it must bo revised. 11< agreed with Mr. Rigg that a bc-tlei method than the second ballot might lx fixed upon. Some system such as t ha.: now in use ill Tasmania (a 1 modiiicatioi of the Hare system) would, he thought s*ooner or later have to bo adopted. i 'Bio Council roso at 9 p.m., and will si again at 10.S0 this morning to considei i local Bills from the House of Reprcscn t-atives.