A BOLD REFORM

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2208, 22 July 1914, Page 6

A BOLD REFORM

The speech , delivered _by tho Hon. H. D. Bell when he moved the second reading of the Legislative Council Reform Bill yesterday 'was in many Tespects a striking one. Marked by perfect courtesy and consideration for the feelings of his fellow-members in the Upper House, it yot evidenced a definiteness of purpose and a confidence of success that left no room for misunderstanding. There is no doubt that .in the long and strenuous battle "-over the Reform Bill, Mr. Bell has displayed consummate political :. generalship. Opposition to the Bill has been worn down; . its opponents have been checkmated, and their arguments have been resolutely replied to, and all this'has been accomplished with a remarkable absence of friction;.. Mr: Bell was never more -impressive' in his address to'the Council yesterday , than when he dealt, with the powers and duties of a Second Chamber: He takes the inspiring view that-'the Second Chamber. should be a Senate composed of men representing New Zealand, not "tho range of the parish pump,'" and ho holds that this Senate should be a bulwark of popular liberties. _ To that end he proposes to endow it with ample powers, not only of initiating legislation, but of blocking legislation • from the other branch 'of'the Legislature which its members regard as being .against, tho public interest until such time as an appeal has been made to the people.' Whatever may bo thought' of the possibilities of political conflict which will arise from the existence of a . powerful Second Chamber able to compete, for a time, on even terms with the popular Assembly, there is unquestionably a great deal to be said for tho view taken by the Minister. As ho himself pointed out, it is conceivable that at some future time a party may bo returned to power with a programma popular at the. moment, but against tho permanent interests of the State ; In such an event a Senate constituted as Mr. Bell desires might very well become an invaluable, steadying influence, and the true champion of popular liberties. Wo cannot do better here than quote words which Mr. Bell himself used yesterday in advocating tho claims of his Bill: "Wo t'hinJc wo know—and we think that those who scolt at us havo novcr taken tho trouble to think about it at all," lie said, "that wo are urgently pressing for a chango of tho Constitution which wo lielievo to be a safeguard of tiie Constitution itself and of all that tho Constitution and all that social existence stand for." It is unnecessary to follow the Minister in his able epitome of the progressive steps that havo been taken for the advancement of the reform which ho has so much at heart, but it is worthy of note that the Council itself, even before it was reinforccd with Reform supporters, pronounced overwhelmingly _ for the system of election as against that of nomination, and rejected proportional representation only by tho narrow majority of one vote. Tho House also in 1912 declared by a very large majority for the reform of the Upper House on tho lines laid down by the]

Government. Admittedly, the transition from a nominative Second Chamber to an elected Senato'is a very long step forward, and it would bo idle to pretend that tho men who are responsible for tho transition are treading pn certain ground. To an extent, the clyinge must bo regarded as a bold experiment, but it is a democratic enterprise, and the spirit in which it hap been conceivcd and executed should commend it to tho people of a progressive country.