Correspondence

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 119, 17 November 1893, Page 2

Correspondence

PARTY GOVERNMENT, REFERENDUM, COURTS OF ARBITRATION. | Letter No. 4.1 TO THE EDITOU OF THE STAR. Sir,— By Party Government we have a Ministry which with its miijority at its back alters or amends existing laws or passes fresh Bills. The Liberal war cry is : The Government of the People by the people. Under existing arrangements in the House this is practically a myth. The Ministry, six or seven men, bring in a Bill, carry it through the two Houses, and then it is imposed on the people whether they like it or not. • Of course if the provisions of the Act are very obnoxious these six or seven men lose their majority at the next election, and it may be that the objectionable Act is repealed or amended. This is a clumsy, round about way of doing business ; why not let the Bill be discussed on its merits in the first case ? Contrast the Swiss way of conducting business in the House with ours. "We have a little over half a million people ; our Parlimieni g'ts for four or five months every session, the lender of the Opposition tries to trip up the Government, the members on both sides abusing each other, and it frequently happens a member will speak in favor of a Bill, but will vote against it with his party. Switzerland has a popu lation of about three millions, and Francis Adams, in his book on Switzerland and its institutions, says : " The Parliament meets twice a year for three weeks each time, six weeks in all. Tlio Constitution was established in 18 18. There are two Chambers ; the National Council to which deputies are elected proportionally to the population, and the Council of the States, each Canton contributing two members. The two chambers constitute the Federal Assembly, In general they sit separately, but for some special purposes they deliberate in common. The Swiss Executive is an elective Council or Ministry of seven persons; and they are not the leaders so much as the experienced agents of the Swiss people. The Councillors are selected for capacity ; the Council is never permanently at variance with the Assembly, and never retires on account of a parliamentary defeat The Swiss Parliament gives the strongest proof of its own wisdom which can be demanded from an; legislative body. It maintains in office a practically permanent executive, which in point of stability stands in the most salient cabinets of the colonies, There is no clashing between the two bodies ; every Bill is discussed on its nieriis. All Federal laws, as well as resolutions of a general nature, which are not declared to be urgent after having been passed by both Chambers, are submitted for adoption or rejection by the Referendum, if the demand is made by 30,000 vote- possessing citizens. All measures accepted by the people become valid upon being published by the Federal Council. The Referendum has struck root and expanded wherever it has been introduced, and no serious politician of any party would now think of attempting its abolition. The Conservatives who violently opposed its introduction became its earnest supporters when they found that it undoubtedly acted as a drag upon hasty law-making. Extreme measures have no chance whatever of being accepted by the people. Here are two examples of the Referendum :— 23rd April, 1876, Bank Notes Law rejected by 198,253 to 120,068 ; 19th January, 1879, Subsidies to Alpine Railways, accepted by 278,731 to 115,571. The Government of the People by the people cannot only be done by the Referendum. Liberals support those candidates for parliamentary honours who will promise to vote for (1) The substitution of an Executive for a Ministry ; (2) The Referendum. If we can get these two alterations made in our constitution, then such questions as " The proposition to borrow another five millions or so," or " The changing the railways from the present control to that of the Executive " would have to be submitted to you and me for our votes. At present we really have no say in the matter except through our pens. I am, etc, George Wilks. Claro Lea, Feilding.