UPPER HOUSE.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1920, Page 5

UPPER HOUSE.

ELECTIVE OR NOT? OPPOSITION IN THE COUNCIL. By Talejraph,—Press Association Wellington, Last Night. In the Legislative Council this afternoon, the Hon. J. B. Gow (Opotiki) moved: "That in the opinion of the Council, it would be against public interest to allow the Legislative. Council Act, 1914, to be brought into operation, thereby making a drastic change in the constitution of the Dominion at a time \yhen there were many urgent political and social problems pressing for solution, and that the Government be requested to take steps to have legislation passed this session to give effect to this resolution." He argued that it liail not been thought advisable to make the change in war time, and he said the present conditions were no ' more favorable. The Hon. W- H, Triggs (Christchurch) seconded the proposal, saying that the world was still suffering from shell shock, and the present was the worst possible time to put part of the country's constitution into the melting pot. He argued that to make the Council elective would be to cause trouble and bring about a case of an irresistible fo;ee meeting an immovable object. The Hon. P, \f. Nerheny (Auckland) said the revising Chamber should not be elected directly by the people, but vacancies should be filled by a ballot of members of both Houses. The Hon. Sir William Hall-Jones (Wellington) said the elective Council proposal had been a prominent plank in the platform of the Reform Party, and he wondered why some of its memberb wished now to throw it overboard. He would be ' most disappointed if the Prime Minister allowed himself to be in fluenced by the passing of the motion. The Hon. C. H. Izard (Wellington) said ho was in favor of some form of elective Council, but not as proposed in the Legislative Council Act, 1914. He therefore moved to amend tile resolution to ask the Government not to put the Bill into effect in its present form The Hon, M. Cohen (Dunedin) seconded the amendment. Sir Francis Bell (Leader of the Council) said he had not changed his mini. A resolution' of the Council or of,the House. ; jio Veflection on ,tlie Government, which had invited an expression of ppinipn as far back as Ifjl4. His positiop towards ,the resolution li'as because of this fact, and;not biMnse its passing or rejection would affect 0113 iotp the Government, which lip represented. ,He himself would, i)'ot ,lxi a party to legislation .which would affect the principle of the 1014 Act, nor would he remain a member of an ad&imst,ration which made such legislation. Tha Government measure was most unfortunate. The motion was delayed imt.il this year, but it was through no fault of the Massey f Nivorrment. Immediately upon the dissolution of Ihe National Cabinet, the Reform Party declared the Act would he put into operation at the end of the session, and a proclamation was issued accordingly. While ho wiis prepared to consider any amendments, he was not, prepared to be a party to any abrogation of tho principle, or tff the effect of tho Act of 1914 1 . If any method could be devised of having, a proportion of members nominated, he would agree, but he did not think it could be done, beyond what was already proposed in the amending Bill. If it came about that a revolutionary body wns elected to the House tho Council, in its present form, could not. delay the legislation until the following election, for it would immediately be stuffed. That could not happen if the Council was elect ive. The debate was adjourned until tomorrow, and the Council rose at 4.38 p.m.