The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1914. THE UPPER HOUSE PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2177, 17 June 1914, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1914. THE UPPER HOUSE PROBLEM

Questions relating, to the constitution and powers of Upper Chambers are, at present receiving a great deal of attention in various parts of the civili&d world. The ideal relationship-' between Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament has not yet been discovered. The whole position is now bring reviewed by politicians' and authorities on eon• etitutional law and practkf with the object; of working cut a- scheme which will fit i-n with the circumstances and meet the requirements of modern democratic communHies The matter will receive attention hero during the, cowing session of Parliament, when the. Governmftn.t's proposals for the reform of the Legislative Council will coiije up for further cAn-feldetatio-n, The . great political struggle which is now proceeding in Australia has been precipitated by the rejection of Ministerial measures by a he-stile inttj-erH-fcy in the Senate, and if the deadlock is not removed by the coming appeal to the, people the problem nt amending the Constitution iii order to establish a more logical and equitable relationship. between the, SfiUur and the House of Kcpreseßtati'Ves will have to. be faced unless the pooplo are prepared to allow a state of legislative paralysis to ccmlimte indefinitely. The Second Chamber difficulty' lias also made its appearance in Ca.fia.da. ilceeiit cablegrams have iufonned us that the conilia between the tvro Houses has become so serious that the Canadian House of Commons has discussed the question of nreseiitiiig an address to the Imperial Parliament pmylnj; for an increase ia tho ivaabcr of Senator,,

thsi Prime Minister (Mn. Borden) remarking that it was impossible to solve the problem of an adequate Second Chamber just now. It swims to be recognised that something will have to he done sooner or inter, though Sis Wilfrid Imviubii • ap* : pears to have common some on • his side when he stated that it would be vain to s&k the British Parliament to solve the problem when ada herself was tumble to do so. Kten in China the Upper House question ha® been receiving' attention. The Senate set jtp at the time of the in.anKiiralion of the Itepnblican regime ba« enjoyed a very brief afid inglorious career, its existence having been terminated by'a stroke of the all-pmverfui pen of ¥CAx Shiii-Kai, who is now responsible to Heaven alone for his official aetg, A dictator lifts,.no use cither for a re-, vising Ch-amber. or a Hettse of Representatives. > . .=> In Britain the House of Lords has already been deprived, of iiuieh'of, its : former authority and privilege. The ; Parliament Act has made i'fe possible.. under certain conditions, for the House- of Commons to pass legislation ia spite of the opposition of the Peers. The present aj-raftge-tnent is, however, only of .a temporary character. The Second Chamber has had its powers curtailed, hut its constitution has not yet , been altered. The reform problem is to be further considered during the present session of. the British Parliament wheti resolutions dealing vul the question are to be discussed. A recent cablegram stated that, if the Government proposals are carried,; ■the new Second Chamber will toot' contain _ any vestige of the. hereditary principle, and its power of a-h- ---■ solute, veto will not be restored. The ' details of the scheme, havrj not ret been made public, hut the indications are that the Government intends to construct what will be prac* tienlly a new Upper House. Whether the elective principle is to be introduced has not- so fat been disr ■ closed. In establishing an elective : Second Chamber snfhcient safe- . guards must be provided to prevent it. proving too' strong for the other House. The Canadian Primus Minister referred to this aspect of the ' question, when lie pointed out Oust the United States and Australia have elective Senates, the- result belli g that* the- Senate oftea proved snore powerful than the Lower Mouse. This Weakness, however, can he safeguarded against. There is much -to_ be said in favour of the . nominative method ii it wore teed 'in fair and. reasonable ina-ntier, appointments being made from a, n-a~ i tional point til view and. fioi merely to serve, the purposes- of. the party in power. The gross]# partisan tts'e to which the Kew Zealand Legislative Council was put during _t:ho su 1 caller! "Liberal'' regime'de-prived it of its independence aire! national cl'-arartcr to such an extent that t.ho ■ demand for ita refortn could not be : ignored. Many people have the ■nu.sta.ke.il idea that the House of Lords is a (J'hfniber in which only a few spceiallv privileged seetions of the eotnniur.itv, s.uch aj the- great landowners, are. represented. As a matter of fact, some' of its most nroniinent memhers are ften who have liecn made peers in considcration of great to the State, or of special distinction in other walks pf life. It is. estimated that, only aljout etie-fourtji yf iti present. metr.bcrsli.tu owe their seats, to peerages existing before the year 180(5; : abnttt. one-fourth have served - the country in the- Ifcuse qf Coiitmons; ■and many of the remainder are men. n'ho have becomo eminent, iii science art, awl iiter-atiiy-?* in th.e Array and Navy, in the legal and other professions, and •in trade and industry. That the House of Lord* as at present constituted is doomed seems to ho now generally taken foi- granted, hut it is still hoped by rnnny that reform will .come fvom within and avert: the threatened extinction of ft : branch of the Lerlslattire which desftite its obvious wviknesses still .pcSssesses tin question able merits.