DICK'S ROD IN PICKLE. The Upper House Going to Catch it.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 194, 19 March 1904, Page 6

DICK'S ROD IN PICKLE. The Upper House Going to Catch it.

WHAT has the Legislative Council been doing to worry and annoy King Dick? Have any of its membeis been giving the reins to their imagination out of session, and threatening to kick over the traces when next they meet? Something surely must have reached Richard's ears to ruffle the meekness of his temper, and convert the mildness of his tongue into downright scolding, and plain threats that he means to smash things. Who has dared to put the King into this furious rage ? * * * Richard says the time is opportune for a change m the Council ' Why ? Well, the reasons alleged are rather confusing, not to say contradictory. One is that it is too Conservative Now, that is awfully funny, for our king of men has made all the appointments for the last eleven years, and there are said to be only thirteen Councillors out of forty-six who were made "Honorable" before the advent of the present Liberal Party to power. Therefore, if Dick is right, he has either been deliberately filling up the Council with the wrong people, or the appointees have been taking advantage of his trustful nature, and been basely betraying him or flatly defying his sailing directions. * • * Now, we hardly think the Premier has been of set purpose pitchforking Conservatives into the Council in order to make it more easy to destroy it Perhaps, however, his red-hot Liberals have undergone a gradual process of metamorphosis m the Conservative athiosphere which is supposed to pervade an Upper House. But, Richard himself hastens to negative that idea He blames it for initiating "most of the progressive legislation" an 4 "most of the extreme socialistic legislation of recent years." Well, now, really Mr S ddon is awfully hard to please while m this tantrum. Too Conservative, and, at the same time, too fond of progressive and extreme Socialistic legislation — m the name of common-sense how can two things so contradictory swing on the same gate? * * * However, we are agreed with Richard John on his main proposition The Legislative Council is distinctly in need of change. A goodly number of its members have never sat in the House of Representatives. Some of them were rejected at the polls. Many would find a difficulty in getting elected by the people Surely none of them are vain enough to. claim that the Upper House contains the best intellect, the ripest experience, the wisdom, and the foremost ability of the col-

ony? Yet, it is talent and desert that alone aught to win entrance to an ideal Upper House. Yea, the best friends of the Legislative Council must admit there is need of a change • » # Then, what is Richard John's remedy? He says he would reform it out of existence. But then, he wants in its place a Revising Committee — "something on the Swedish system," whatever that may be. Lawyers are apparently the greatest desideratum in King Dick's eyes. He would have retired judges of the Supreme Court, maybe retired Soli-citor-Generals and Attorney-Gener-als, and also the highest legal talent in the colony. Frankly, we don't thmk this nostrum will go down with the people at all. They are sick to death already of lawyer-made laws. They want simpler laws and more plain common-sense in them. Besides, this revising Chamber would mean a continuance of the present system of patronage, with fatter salaries for Governments to dispense, and therefore is objectionable. * # * What the people really want is less nomineeism, and more freedom of choice. Let them choose their own 17 er House, and there may be no loi. s c:- need to end it. But the members must be selected from wider constituencies — say the provincial districts of the colony. In that way you would get the besi^known men, and the Upper House might become a Senate worthy of the best traditions of the race. Of course, it would not be submissive to Governments or Premiers. Still, it would be responsive to the will of the people, for, by giving it an electoral life of not more than six years, it would be kept under the restraints and moulding influence of public opinion. That is the change that is wanted m our Upper House — an elective Senate m T)lace of a Chamber of mere nominees and party hacks.