THE GOVERNOR'S DEFENCE,

Temuka Leader, Issue 2155, 27 January 1891, Page 3

THE GOVERNOR'S DEFENCE,

His Excellency the Governor, on Friday, transmitted to the Secretary of State a despatch setting forth the reasons for appointing new Legislative Councillors. The despatch bears Friday’s date, and after citing the facts, goes on to say “ No fresh appointments haye been made to their body since the year 1887. in fact since the present Ministry have been in office. On the other hand, several deaths and resignations have taken place, reducing the number of Councillors from 48, at which it stood on the 9th of October, 1887, to 39 to-day, and of these it may safely be said that from extreme age, absence from the colony, and other reasons, the effective strength barely exceeds 30.”

His Excellency next gums up what baa been done by the Atkinsonian

1 Government in the direction of reforming the Council, and after mentioning the result of the recent general election, proceeds as follows: — “I had beLre me the statement of Ministers that it was necessary to summon Parliament m order that they might ascertain the feelings of con fidence towards them entertained by the new representatives of the people, and I therefore hesitated before accepting these appointments. 1 thought it my duty to demand from them an assurance that the advice was tendered less with a view to reward party services than for the purposes of strengthening the efficiency of the tipper House 1 hat assurance has been given me, and I have therefore accepted their advice. Petitions, numerously signed, have been presented to "me requesting me to defer these appointments till after the meeting of Parliament. It is urged in them(l) That the present Ministry are in a minority; (2) that Sir H. Atkinson has pledged himself not to advise fresh appointments till the numbers were reduced to one-half of those constituting the House of Representatives ; (3) That the Legislative councillors now exceed by three or four half the number of the House of Representatives. I gave due consideration to these representations and to the spirit in which I believe her Majesty’s Government regard the position of colonies possessing representative Government. trust I interpret those views aright in holding that where there is nothing contrary in the letters patent of the 21st February 1889 constituting my office, or in the royal instructions accompanying them, the constitutional practices observed in England should form the main lines for guidance under similar circumstances. I. therefore, dismissed the first reason without waiting to inquire as to its accuracy. Upon the second argument I received the memorandum which I enclose from Sir H. Atkinson, and which appeared to me to be satisfactory ; and, as to the third, I would point out to your Lordship that, though true of the nominal, it is not true of the effective strength of the Legislative Council. The House of Representatives has been reduced from 95 to 74 members, while it has not been found possible to effect any reform of the Upper House. Had it been proposed to me to make fresh creations to the extent of, say, onethird of the House I should have had grave hesitation in accepting advice which might be treated as a precedent for swamping the votes of the existing majority in order to carry on party legislation. It has, however, long been the practice in England for Ministers, even after a vote of censure has been passed on them in Parliament, to advise the Crown to create a limited number of peerages, not only for the purpose of strengthening the Upper House, but admittedly as regards those who, being qualified for the position of peer, have rendered ( political service to the defeated party. His Excellency then quotes precedent, and concludes by expressing a hope that his action will meet the approval of the Secretary of State. The Premier, in his memo., totally denies having given any such pledge as that alleged by the petitioners, and quotes Hansard in disproof. In concluding he says:—“The Opposition have been in office five years since 1887, and have appointed 21 members to the Legislative Council. The present party in power, having been m office eight years since 1887, have only so far appointed eight members (all of whom were appointed prior to thepresent Government coming into power), and they propose now to add seven to this number.”