UPPER HOUSE REFORM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 35, 1 July 1914, Page 3

UPPER HOUSE REFORM.

A CONSTITUTIONAL PRECEDENT. lie sentence in the Governor's speech in regard to a "constitutional precedent" /or postponing the operation of the Legislative Council Reform Bill (should it become law during the present session) until after the session of 1915 has reference to a section in the Abolition of Provinces Act which was passed in the last session of the fifth parliament in 1575. This act provided that the abolition of the provinces should not take effect until after the session of 1&76, thu3 giving the new Parliament an opportunity of re-con-sidering the Act.

Tiie following explanation of the hearing of the precedent on the present proposal in regard to the Legislative Council was given to -a Dominion reporter by the Hon. If. J). Jiell, Leader of the Council:

The Legislative Council, for two years, has practically, refused to pass the Bill. This year, it will he passed, not with the consent 'oi the majority of those Councillors who previously opposed it, but by the force of the change in the membership of the Council itself. Therefore. a body in that sense ne.wly constituted is considering a constitutional change for tin; first time, and it seems ; reasonable under such circumstances that the one. precedent wo have in the , country for a really great constitutional i lmng,' ■-lionld be followed, namej ly, that the country should have an I opportunity of expressing its opinion jnot upon mere proposals but upon the I law itself as actually passed. The new : Parliament will have an opportunity of considering whether it will repeal the I law. [f Parliament now passed the Bill, without providing fur a postponement of its operation, it wouM net be possible for a new Parliament to xep-.'al it, because firstly there would be in the new Parliament a number of elected Councillors who it may be presumed would vote for-a continuance of election; secondly, there would be a majority of nominated members still in the Council who would ; be opposed to repeal, arid thirdly the power of the Government to appoint a number of Councillors in the new 'Parliament to curry out the desire of the Pons,.- would be gone. Therefore, it 1 would I>e impo-sibb- for the new S'arlia- ; uient to repeal the law if it came into operation this year." Mr Hell added: "The country has got to the i nd of patience about, mere yiroposals. The proper course is for this Parliament to act and put upgn the Statute Hook legislation effecting the change, leaving matters in such a condition that the next. Parliament will lie free to repeal it. If the Massey Government had desired to deal with this constitutional question on mere party | lines, they would not, have proposed to leave the door still open for repeal by I I the oth' i party. It is because of their ; j sense oT res;ioii-ibi'ity. their desire to take tio advantage of the other party, anil theii determination to leave a clear (field to Vitli parties upon an important | constitutional question, that the pro- ; nosal to follow the precedent of 1870 ibas been made."

'Mim.xlt,axeous. The object of Mr. T. K. Sideyls Fiiv Insurance T'.i'l 'w -to make inquests on lires compulsory in every case, exsrept wb-'re the origin Af the fire is manifest. Discretion will be left to the Coroner as to whether 'he shall hold an inquiry or not. but if he decides not. to do fo lie must supply a. report, to the authorities. Tile iVim.? '.Minister Jras promised to siv<» a return to Parliament showing t.hat during the Hai't two years no fewer than one anil u -half million acres of land had been subdivided in Jiew Zealand. That, said -JJr. .Ylatssey, had never In fore been done in the 'histoiry of the country. It l>a<; been done to a larg:i extent, through the graduated tax iEiiit t!"' 'lovernmcm had provided'. In the 1 ke's Hay ili-ti'ict ulone "S.">,AOO acres ill 1 previously held in large Jilo'cks bail iieen cut lip into farms averaging about IJO acres.

The Local IC!ictiuTis (Proportional Re-pr.-entation) Hill gives municipalities the "p!ion of substituting tile syMcm of proport iunat representation, if iliev so desire, for the methods of election now in vogue. A law on similar lilies' was |i'C sed in tile Imperial Parliament some t ine and > uuniher of irunicipalitic.s iir.ve taken .-.("vantage of its provisions and adopted proportional representation.