THE COMING SESSION.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2230, 26 May 1881, Page 3

THE COMING SESSION.

[Br Tbxegeaph.] [fbosi the own correspondent op the PRESS.”] WELLINGTON, May 25. Some time ago I mentioned that an important measure, involving large constitutional reform, was said to be under Ministerial consideration, with the view of introduction in the approaching session. Ministers have been exceedingly reticent on the subject; in fact, they have not communicated a word to mo regarding the matter, but as I find to-day that it is being freely canvassed in political circles, I may as well convey to you information which has reached mo, apparently from well Informed quarters. Ministers are reported to bo preparing a Bill for the reconstitution of the Legislative Council on the basis of election by the House of Representatives instead of nomination by the Government of the day. The latter is supposed to represent the will of the majority of the Lower House ; but under the new proposal, as said to be framed, a vacancy would be filled by the direct vote of the Lower House on a motion, after due notice in the ordinary way. The size of the Council, however, is to be limited to halt the number of members in the Lower House, and any deficiency is to be at once made good by election. At present, through the death of several Councillors, and the retirement of Sir P. Dillon Bell, there is a considerable deficiency, which would thus be filled up by a resolution of the House of Representatives, and each subsequent vacancy recurring will bo similarly treated. Under this system the Council could never exceed its standard strength, and no Government, therefore, could swamp an Opposition by creating new peers. Any death or resignation would be followed by an election by the Lower House, and this would be the only way that additions would bo made to the Council, which thus would represent directly instead of indirectly through Ministers the will of the majority of the House of Representatives, In addition to these two provisions as to the number of the Council and the mode of election, there is, I hear, a third dealing' with deadlocks between the Houses. The proposal in the case of a deadlock is, I believe, that should concurrence prove impossible to obtain in one session, both Houses should sit together next session, and decide the question by an absolute majority of the aggregate of the two Houses. This is the rumor, so far as it goes, as to the nature of the Bill reported to be in course of preparation, but I cannot vouch for the entire accuracy of the information. Rumor further says that if the measure meets with much opposition, or perhaps even if not, the Bill may only be introduced, and the matter then left over until after the general election, when the people have had time to think over the whole question. Those who are best qualified to judge regard the proposal very favorably, both as to itself and also as to its probable acoeptableneas to the colony generally. The other measures said to bo in process of circulation are one for facilitating the working and amalgamation of local bodies and for promoting the construction of important railways by private companies by grants of land. The results of the census involve more than a slight modification of the Representation Bill, but not to so great an extent as is commonly supposed, the increase in population ; being tolerably uniform throughout. A feeling, however, seems growing against an i arbitrary constitution of single seat constituencies and the splitting up of districts which have a distinct community of interest in

order to establish smaller constituencies, which may bo grouped irrespective of unity of interest. This is especially so in the case of Wellington, which desires a third member, but does not wish to bo split up into throe districts as in municipal elections, which might introduce local jealousies into general politics, and weaken the influence of the city as a whole. The same applies to other large towns or districts now enjoying more than one member.