UPPER HOUSE REFORM AGAIN DELAYED.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1870, 2 October 1913, Page 6

UPPER HOUSE REFORM AGAIN DELAYED.

The Legislative Council yesterday again declined to endorse the 'proposals of the Government to make it an elective body under a system of proportional representation with adult suffrage. By 20 votes to 10 the section affirming the elective principle .was to, but when the method of election presented under the Bill came forward for dcsision it was defeated by 14 votes to 13, or, counting the "pairs" for and against, by 18 votes to 17. Thi;s makes a total of 35 votes out of the roll of 39 members of the Legislative Council, and the votes of the four absentees —Hons. Wig ram, Parata, Duncan, and Captain Tucker—would hardly be likely to alter the situation in favour of the Government had they been present. In the circumstances the Leader of the Council, on behalf of the Government, decided not to press forward with a Bill which had had the kernel taken out of it, leaving nothing but the husk. Mr. Bell offered every facility to the Select Committee of the Council—which inquired into the question of the change of the constitution of the Chamber, and recommended a system of election by the two Houses of Parliament—to take up the Bill and embody the Committee's proposal init. The Chairman' of tho Committee, _ the ion. 0. Samuel, however, declined the responsibility. It must be confessed that this failure of the Committee to take any steps to give effect to its recommendations rather has the appearance of a desire to shirk the issue, and leave things as they are. In view of the attitude of the- Council as constituted, it now remains for tho Government to decide whether it is not desirable to at once appoint a further number of Legislative Councillors. _It is manifestly desirable that if the Legislative Council is to be made an elective body—or rather a body elected by the people—it _ should be done so as to give ample time to prepare the election machinery. Next year, o£ course, there •will be 15 vacancies in the Council, and the Government can then ensure the passage of. the Bill through the Council without difficulty; but should the matter lie allowed to stand over until' next session? Ministers may be_ reluctant to make any more appointments than are absolutely necessary; but if they make a sufficient number now, they will not require to fill all tho vacancies which will occur next year, and the Council then will thus bo maintained at practically its present strength.