ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1797, 9 July 1913, Page 8

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

THJG PROPOSED "REFORM," MR. SAMUEL'S OPINIONS. The Hon. W. BEBHAN continued the Jebate on the Address-in-Reply. He produced about two columns of print from an Opposition, newspaper, which dealt with alleged reaggregation at Mangaweka, and after reading some of it he asked the Council to take the rest as read, and allow it to go into Hansard. The Council raised no objection (and presumably the matter ■will go into Hansard); He quoted. long passages from Mother article which attacked the working of the Act of last year, allowing tenants of Government leases to acquire the freehold cf their sections. He asked the Government to make inquiries into all these matters. He surged, also, that the State ought to comjipeto with rapacious private individuals hvho charged exorbitant prices for commodities and services to poorer peonle. lvas th® only way in which lithe Government could cany on the work 'of "humanitarianising." The Hon. O. SAMUEL said he intended to address himself almost altogether to "one question—that which was miscalled the reform of the Legislative Council. Tho ♦only exception ho would make would be to urge the Government to do something [to assist inutile development of the oil (industry. Tile first exception which he itook to the reference to the Legislative 'Council in the Governor's Speech .was the use of tho word "re[form,' which was, after all, merely a lEame people who advooatcd change gave ,to their special brand of nostrum. It tvos not right to use tho word to mean jchango in tho Legislative Council. Tho .House had complete control of th'o purse, >tho Council shared with the House tho .function of_ deliberating upon or originate ■ing legislation, and it had tho special junction of levising-. The proposed change m ono Chamber must mean really a change in the constitution of the' Legislature of the country, and should have .been dealt with as such more fully.' If ;ho were in "another place," lie would hare moved to amend the address to his •Exoellency by the .introduction of a now paragraph; We- recognise in particular the vital, importance of any proposal for changing-the constitution of the Legislature of the Dominion by chamjing. the constitution of the Legislative Council." He went on to givo his opinion as to how tho question should have'been dealt with 'in the Governor's Speech, in order that Jtlie people might have had the confidence of tlio Government in the matter of the introduction of proportional representation. It might be said that the Government could not go back on tlieir pledge to introduce this legislation. "A pledgo!" ■he exclaimed; "What is a pledge? It is ft promise, but it is something more.' It is a proniiso on which someone else'has acted, a-nd which it is therefore dishonourable not to keep. But who acted on this pledge? I venture to say no ono acted; tfie promise was not made explicit enough. . . . Not one singlo member of the Houso was elected on this question of Legislative Council reform." Ho deplored tho fact that the Government, probably owing to vanity, would not withdraw this legislation in order that it might have more consideration. There wasi no need for haste, and the Government m-ado no difficulties about delaying other matters, such as, for instance, reform in the method of electing-members, of tho Houso of Representatives, which' was really urgent, and which must be passed before next election. He believed that under the system of voting by proportional representation it would be impossible to retain the 28 per cent, allowance to country crastituents, and he believed that-two-thirds of tho members of H:lie House, wore in favour of retaining that allowance. For this reason it would ■bu wdl not to adopt proportional representation, but to maintain a system which ho thought was essential to the progress of the country. Producing ns it did the whole of tho exports of New Zealand, the country should have a greater allowance made to it in regard to tho fixing of the quota than should tho cities. He did not tnink this Government should seek to pass legislation of such farreaching importance without the mandate of the peoplo. 'Rather the question should b'; submitted to tho electors at the next (election. He congratulated thoinew members upon their appointment to th'o Council, and he expressed unqualified approval of tho. gentlemon selected; but if they had to be elected, would they have a chance of being returned? He ventured to say that he hod not the slightest doubt that even the Leader of the Council would liavo no chance of election, for the simple reason that the people could not know the excellent qualities he. possessed, which wero so valuablo in a Chamber such as the Legislative Council. It had been said

that tho Council ought to 'have passed the Bill last year, but he claimed that the Council had done a right thing in (lolayirig the Bill, and had discharged its proper function in preventing tho passage of hasty legislation. The Bill of this year was not the Bill of last year. Ho repudiated - the suggestion that the members of the Council had been actuated by motives of self-interest in rejecting tho Bill. The debate was adjourned, on the motion of the Hon. C. M. Luke, and the Council rose' at 4.10 p.m.