WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3318, 23 October 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

WOMEN’S RIGHT'S_ ‘ THE QUESTION OF PRIVILEGES. W’ WELLINGTON, Oct. 2'2. Several members of the House of ‘tepresentatives while entirely favour‘able to the admission of women to Parliament think this recognition of their rights will be dearly bought by the concession to the Legislative Council that itihas the sole right of initiating legislation affecting its own constitution. They maintain that this concession has given to the Second Chamber in New Zealand‘ at power which is not possessed by any other Second Chamber in the British Empire . .6 . and that in years to come 1t may prove an .insurmountable obstacle to ‘reform. They refuse to be comforted by the refiection that “both branches of the Legislature here have aifinned the principle. ‘of an ‘=-elective ‘ Upper House. An elected‘COlinci'l, they- do-6 clare, might ‘make the‘ position ‘Worse . man ever"l:y clothing'th'e membefs tvith the c'ol.:ui- of a mandate froloi the constituents and entitling them‘ to stand out‘against the wishes of the‘ ALower I-lous‘-2. * THE CONSTITUTIONAL jPos’l"rloN; ‘There is, of A course, some force in this contention. The Act passed five years ago, and now held in suspense, provided that in the case of disagreement between fite two Houses they sit togther and decide the point at issue by 3. vote of "a majority of the two chambers.‘ But it is quite con-

V ~ceiv-able this expedient would not re- ’ ceptable to 3. majority of the membersoi‘ the Lower House. There might be P a. substantial majority in favour of reform in the House and yet 3. largu M majority in the Council that would prevent the popular chamber getting its

‘vary’. The ‘members of the Council, ' render the suspended Act, woulrl be "=9l:-.cted by biggc-r constituencies and for a. longer term than the memliers of the Houseare, and apart from the joint sitting there would be no provision for the settlement of their differences. « » ' SECOND CHAMBERS. ‘ .The discussion of the question, even if it has served no other useful purpose, has. brought into prominence the fact _ -‘that two elected Chambers do not ne‘cessarily make for the speedy registration of the Wishes of a‘ majority of the people in legislation. Under the plesent system. a Government with :1, sufficient majofity behind it in the House can o,vei-come the opfosition of an obdurate Council by the appointment of additional “Lords.” That is the trump card which always leaves the last trick in the ‘political game in the hands of the occupants of the Treasury Benches_ It is not often necessary to play it, as the knowledge of its existence usually‘ makes the other branch 'sl? the Legislature amenable to reason, , but it remains as one of the main pil- ! larsein the » edifice of the Dominion’s constitution. The lobby talk new concerning the Council is rather of "abolition than 0-I’. reformation. THE COUNCIL’S WAY. ‘ l iMeanwhiTie the Council having established. for the time its -right to have ‘ the custody of its own constitution is L hastening to set itself right with its critics. Sir Francis Bell gave notice M f ‘Yesterday of his intention to introduce é a“ Bill embodying the clause the Council had deleted from the ißll sent up ‘. from the Hoiise. :It simply proposes M that neither sex nor marriage‘ shall i V-Prevent women from being appointed 4 ‘to the Second Chamber, and from an /tilllfiati can !bc gathered. to-day it seems‘ -\ nto the Statute Book. There are,; F however, EL ‘consider-able number of ; rnemberg of the Council holding to the - View *«h3ty'While Women are entitled toi 3- 13139; in the Lower House if the con- i Would be very undesirable to entrust. ‘any. Government authority to stuffi ;§,'.‘*“-like Upper House with members of.the V_lse‘x.A But’ probably these -ung'al.J _i+._?;f,‘_'*?‘:‘gi3:;l:_:‘,’f;'l.‘.".ig_Sfllfliimen. _willjswallow their pm-I 4-file? “ere” face to face decision- r s