THE UPPER HOUSE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3376, 3 January 1920, Page 6

THE UPPER HOUSE.

- FIRST ELECTION IN 19212.. The Attor_ne_v—Grener:al, Sir Francis Bell, interviewed by :a New Zealand Times represfentative, stated that the ' next -G_azette' will contain .a “proclamation bringing into force the Legislative Council Act, 1914. 1t was _provided in the Act that it should not come into operation until January Ist, 1916, the object of this provision being to allow the general‘ election of 1914 and the session of‘ 1915 to take place first, thus aflording‘ the -then opposition an opportunity of} repealing the act if they were success-I ful in the general election of 1914. ‘During the session of 1915 the Nation‘ al Government was formed, and one of the stipulations from the coalition made by the Liberals was that the {Legislative Council Act should‘ not be 1 brought "into force during the existence of the National Cabinet» In that year an Act was passed further postponing; the date for the commenceznent of the’ reform; and finally, by the Legislative Council Act A-memiment Act, 1918, it was provide"d that the Act should come ‘into force from a date to be appointed by proclamation, such date to be at least one year after publication of the proclamation in the Gazette. The object of this provision was, again, as in 1914, to allow ageneral election and a session of Parliament to intervene before the actual coming into operation! of the Act. Recently the Governor-._‘ General has by proclamation appointed I the 31stiday -of January, 1921, as the date for the commencement of the Act, and this proclvamatiom will appear in the fi-rst Gazette ‘to be issued in January. 1920. {

The Legislative Council Act, adtled Sir Francis Bell, will therefore come into force on January 31st, 1921, mid the first election of members of the Legislative Council will -take place at the general election of 1922. The election will be held on the proportionxal representation system, in four large constituencies covering the whole of New Zealand. The first election will be of 20 members only, one-half of the House. The present constitution of the Legislative Council continues in force until the coming into operation of the new Act, and tlierefore -appointment for the term of seven years can be made to the Council until January 31st, 1921, after which d-aete. no appointments can be made.