WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 April 1932, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE ' 1 v. f

AN APPEAL fO ELECTORS

(Special Correspondent)

■WELLINGTON, April 15

Though New Zealand is more closely attached to ,the. constitutional observances of the Mother Country than are the States of the Australian Commonwealth i-t. still may he of some passing interest to -reef •> briefly the nature ot

the- appeal of the Government of New 'South 'Wales from the decision of the Privy Council to (he effect that the official State could new; proceed to the abolitim of its Legislative Council without taking the opinion of the electors concerned. The judgment of the Full Court in the case was pronounced thirteen months ago. when Ah' Justice Rich, with the concurrence of hi.s colleagues on the Bench, ruled that no measure for the abolition of the Legislative Council -could be presented to tho Governor for submission to His Majesty tho King for his consent until it had been approved by the electors of -the State. A month later a crisis arose between Sir Philip Game, the (State Governor, and Mr J. T. Lang, still Premier, and the proceedings now in progress -seem largely to be 'the fruits of their differences.

DETERMINATION. The position to-day may bo briefly stated. The Government having announced its intention to take measures to procure the passage through both Houses of Rills to abolish the Legislative Council, the Legislative Council itself, relying upon the belief that such 03ills could not be accepted without H referendum, originated and passed Rills which were the subject oi the decree. •It thus became unnecessary for the Government, to adopt any of the mea.'-'-ur\s announced and upon the Bills being passed by the- Legislative Council the controversy was reduced to the question of law, whether the Rills could be presented lawfully to the Governor and whether. if presented, lawfully or unlawfully, the Royal assent could be validly given without the Dills being first submitted to the electors of the Snte and approved by a major ry of them. Ike suit was instituted 'by two members of the Legislative Council, suing on behalf of themselves and all other members, except the (President, and those members who, being Ministers of the Crown, were joined as defendants.

A SHORTER WAY. The lesson to be learned by New •Zealandj when it goes abouh the task of getting rid of its Legislative Council will be to see that a beginning is made by ascertaining the wishes of the electors themselves. "The intervention of the British Governmen); in the New I,South Wales case.” we arc- told, ‘‘is understood to indicate that the Gove ument attaches great importance to the appeal as a test- ease, the result ot which will be* applicable not only to all states of the Commonwealth, but practically to all parts of the British Empire, It is believed that the Attorney General decided to intervene after consultng the Dominion Offics.” This sounds like business and, even if it is not taken to imp'v that the House of Lords may be finally dissolved at the will of a majority of the British electors, it may a):- least lead the way to such a res.'Scitat-on of "Second Chambers’’ thit both the Right- Hon. fi. W. Forbes, and the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, and even Air H. 'E. Holland, may look upon t heir appointments whh credit and genuine satisfaction.