POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1868, 30 September 1913, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BILL, lIS PROBABLE FATE. It is freely 'stated that the Legislative Council Bill has scarcely the remotest chance of getting through the Council iu its present shape. Two things, it is said, may happen to it. Somo. aniendment may be earned against the Minister in charge' of it which will mako tho Bill impossible from the Government's point, of view, and then he would be compelled to retire it. On the other hand the Bill may be so reduced by amendments that there will bo . very little left of it but the short title when the Committee of the Council have done with it. Should such a reduced Bill as this finally get . through, it will be introduced in the House, and the .representative Chamber will be : an' opportunity of expressing its sollective opinion as to the best' means of reforming the Second Chamber. If the Bill, shorn of all its effective clauses should' reach the House, tho policy clauses will almost certainly be re-inserted. The Council may be relied upon not to agree to tho amendments, and the Bill will be sent hack for another; year. Next year there will be some fifteen vacancies in the Council to bo filled, and when they have ibeen filled the Bill will probably pass/

; WORK AHEAD. Members and-Ministers are still hopeful that the session will end about tho first week in December, but few are sanguine enough to suggest that the programme can be dealt with before that time. The House has now before it a Land, Bill which is sure to meet with some .opposition, and two Labour Bills, which are sure to meet with a great deal of determined opposition. In addition to these thero are to ho a Native ' Land Bill, a Tariff Bill, an Electoral Bill, probably a .Licensing Bill, and possibly the Legislative Council Bill. 'Even although much good work has already been done, and the Estimates are , out of tho way in good time, it is still a heavy programme for tW9 months, and the House will have no time for trifling 'if tho Bills are to go through. ELECTORAL REFORM. No hint of the Government's intentions iu tho matter of electoral reform has yet been given, except that the Second Ballot Act is'to bp repealed. Both sides of tho House are willing enough - that this should bo done, but a few days ago Mr. G. AY Russell declared that his party would not stand for the simple repeal of the Second Ballot Act to return to tho old "sudden death" sys-. tem existing prior to l!J0S. What tins may mean it. is impossible to say. But it has been suggested that-a great many Government members would be Well enough placed simply to repeal the Act and not to try any other experiment. It may be taken for granted, in- any case, that proportional representation, which is t certainly not'growing in favour with members as a system for tho election of ' the party Chamber, will not ba tried in Lower House elections. ,