REFORMING THE LORDS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 397, 7 June 1881, Page 3

REFORMING THE LORDS.

A special correspondent of the Olago Daily Times says:—“Some time ago I mentioned that an important measure involving large constitutional reform was said to be under Ministerial consideration with 'the view of its introduction in the approaching session. Ministers have been exceedingly reticent on the subject—in fact have not communicated a word to me regarding the matter ; but as I find to-day that it is being freely canvassed in political circles, 1 may as well convey to you the information which has reached me, apparently from well-informed quarters. The Ministers are reported to be preparing a bill for the reconstitution of the Legislative Council on the basis of election by the House of Be presents lives instead of nomination by the Government of the day. The latter is supposed to represent the will of the majority of the Lower House, but under the new proposal, as it is said to be framed, a vacancy would be filled by the direct vote of the Lower House on a motion made after due notice in the ordinary way The size of the Council, however, is to be limited to half the number of members in the Lower House, and any deficiency to be at once made good by election. At present, hrongh the death of several Councillors, and the retirement of Sir Dillon Bell, &c. there is a considerable deficiency, which would thue be filled up by the House of Kepresentatives, and each subsequent vacancy recurring would be similarly treated. Under this system the ,Council could never exceed the standard strength and no Government, therefore, could swamp an Opposition by creating new peers. Any death or resignation would be followed by an election by the Lower House, and this would be the only way additions would be made to the Council, which thus would represent directly instead of indirectly through the Ministry the will of the majority of the House of Representatives. In addition to these two provisions as to the number of the Council and its mode of election, there is, I hear, a third, dealing with deadlocks between the two Houses. The proposal in the case of deadlocks is, I believe, that should concurrence prove impossible in one session, both Houses are to sit to. gether next session and to decide the question by the absolute majority of the aggregate of both Houses. This is the rumor, so far as it goes, as to the nature of the bill reported to be in course of preparation, but I cannot vouch for the entire accuracy of the information. Rumor further says that if the measure meets with much opposition, or perhaps even if not, the bill may be only introduced, and the matter then left over until after the general election, when the people will have time to think over the whole question. Those who are best qualified to judge regard the proposal very favour, ably, both as to itself and also as to its probable acceptableness to the Colony generally.”