LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL POWERS.

Evening Star, Issue 2998, 27 September 1872, Page 2

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL POWERS.

The opinion of the English Law Officers of the Crown upon the case which arose last session between the two Houses is favorable to, and vindicates the privileges of the Lower House. The report is addressed to Earl Kimberley, and is as follows : - 1. We are of opinion that, independently of the Parliamentary Privileges Act, 186?, the Legislative Council was not constitution* ally justified in amending the Payment to Provinces Bill, 1.871, by striking out the disputed clause 28. We think the Bill was a Money Bill, and such a Bill as the House of Commons in this country would not hive allowed to be amended by the House of Lords ; and that the limitation proposed to be placed by the Legislative Council on Bills on aid or supply is too narrow, and would not be recognised by the House of Commons in England. 2. We are of opinion that the Parliamentary Privileges Act, 1865 .does not confer on the Legislative Council any larger powers in this respect than it would otherwise hare possessed. We think that this Act was not intended to affect, and did not affect, the legislative powers of either House of the Legislature in New Zealand, 3. We think that the claims of the House of Representatives contained in their message to the Legislative Council, are well founded; subject of course to the limitation that the Legislative Council have a perfect right to reject any Bill passed by the House of Representatives having for its object to vary the management of appropriation of money prescribed by an act of the previous session.

Wo have &c.. J. D. Coleridge, G. Jkssel. The Right hou. the Earl of Kimberley.