THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1935, 18 December 1913, Page 4

THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL

i V Probably SnV' member of the"*' 1 present ■ Cabinet:, has-- been;■.'called - upon' to perform moro'arduous and exact-' . ing duties, during the,..session;,-just ended than the ' lioN. - H; I>.; Bell,. Minister-, or'-..lnternal-'-' Affairs and Leader of the' Upper ■ House, and it' is safe to' say . that no Minister has more capably , discharged the .trust reposed in hinu- - Mn.. Bei.l took charge of the -Council; under circumstances before .which-.-a ■ weaker man might well have'quailed.:- 1 At the outset he, stood almost alone;' "■ An overwhelming majority of the members of tho Council were .nominees -of- the' Continuous Ministry, .which- had then' lately suffered defeat, and the task j of piloting through the Upper House the_ heavy legislative programme to which the licform Government had committed itself prior to taking office was no light one. Coining to tho task as he did after a lengthy absence i'roiis political life, it would not have been wonderful if Mn. Bell had suffered some, initial disadvan-tage,-but instead he immediately established, for himself a' strong position in,the Council, which lias never for : S . a.,;; moment-: been'' ! - shaken during. . the., .strenuous .: period whichlias a? marked it-his term' of office up to the present- day. .-.Mn. Bell has exhibited even at the most trying;.times a. polished .courtesy, tact, and fairness which, have earned for him the high esteem-and regard of his fellow-members, and in nearly every instance. a remarkably ready acceptance'of the legislation of which ho has been in charge.- In fairness it must.- be admitted .that the Council, even'; before it was strengthened by the appointment, of. the nominees of the present Government-," took up : a reasonable attitude'towards its new ■Leader ■ and. 'to most -of the legislative: - . 'proposal", .x'Vofe:'; his Government,-but no' "one will deny that a less able and courteous Leader., than -Mr. Bell might.easily have encountered a .very different reception.". It was :'no light; task to carry through, the. legislative reforms of-.the new Government,'which frequently 'departed from- the policy pursued by the political party with which, nearly all the members of tho Council are identified,.and to main-tain-all M-.e while an. atmosphere of amity and gaid-fellowship. But that ■in fact is' y.hat the Minister of Internal Affairs has accomplished, and .with an apparent absence'of effort:, which is,a. striking tribute-to his qualities.-of. head and heart. It is agreed by Parliamentarians of longstanding that the, Council has'soldom appeared.to ; better, advantage than in the r>criod\sinco Mn. Bell assumed the Leadership., It should not be forgotten-.,that/the' volume .of work which devolves upon . the. representative of the.Government in the Upper House, is. «normouß.f-'-Ho has ,to take charge .unaided '-of the. whole of. the legislation f.ent ; up;by'.-thc-'llouse of Representatives,'..and . this implies ■that he. 'has,;; tr>; familiarise ■ himself with practically every detail of importance in. the whole legislative pro•ftramme of tIiCT-session.;»These. heavy duties Mn. Bell' has carried out in a manner which amply- 1 justifies '■ ■ the congratulations", extended to him on Monday .last by members of the Council. w'hen it had concluded the labours of the session.\'We might add that it is any one man to cam- the burden of the Leadershin of the Legislative Council unaided. All. parties?recognise this. The Govcrnmentv might: :: well take steps next session'®to'' relievo the strain imnosed ■ onits,''.represenla live, in. ■ the Uppcr '■Ilouse'by.,. giving .him: some-assistance' 'oossibly sby.* the . appointment. of an. :honorary' member >ot the Executive. "