CLOSED DOORS VERSUS PUBLIC DISCUSSION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 128, 3 June 1869, Page 2

CLOSED DOORS VERSUS PUBLIC DISCUSSION.

To the Editor of the Nelson Evening Mail. si Sib. — The Speakeaof the Provincial Council, judging from the tone of a letter addressed by him to the Editor of the Colonist, does not appear to approve of the course adopted by the Superintendent in criticising and severely commenting upon the proceedings of the Council; aud he pronounces such a course to be degrading. Now I am inclined to think that the degradation rests with the Council and not with the Superintendent, for it seems to me that the members of a Legislative body should not conduct their proceedings in such a manner as to lay themselves open to the ridicule and disapprobation which have been so freely bestowed upon them. To my mind there is something to which the term " degrading" might legitimately be applied in the fact of a majority of our law makers adjourning the proceedings from the Provincial Hall to the Provincial Hotel, for tlie purpose of ihere : entering intoa. compact to curtail certain salaries, in defiance of. all arguments that might, brought forward either by the 'Government or by any;of the members not' belonging to their select . party. If such ift state pf things is to/become the established rule, it becomes quite unnecessary

for the other members to be present in their places in the Council. I confess that I was surprised lo find that the Speaker, who always upholds the dignity of the Council, advocates this Caucus system, which has given so much offence. Does not the Council professedly meet for the transaction of public business, and for the fair and open discussion of such measures as may be brought before it ? Kit does, why should its decisions be arrived at in secret ; if not, why not openly say so, and thus honesty let the electors know that they are to receive no information of what takes place in the deliberative meetings of their representatives ? It ha 3 been urged that much timn has been saved by this " caucus " — possibly it may be so, but has not this saving of time been effected at the expense of justice V i* - . I have heard it said that it is one of the indispensable adjuncts of representative government that there should be these caucuses in order to enable a party to work together, and in support of this it has been staled that they are of frequent occurrence in Wellington during tlie session of the Assembly, but it must be remembered that there two distinct parties are in existence, each advocating an entirely different line of policy ; here, on the contrary, it is no question of policy, but merely whether or not some Government official shall be deprived of some few poiui'is a year, and without hearing why the Executive deems it advisable that these officers should receive a certain remuneration, judgment is given against them, aud the members return to their constituents, aud assure them that the chief study* of their sessional existence has been economy — -whereas. for "economy," re**d "popularity," and you wiil be, I think, much nearer the truth, I am, &c., Fai_ Play.