THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1891. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2223, 4 July 1891, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1891. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

The Honorable Dr Grace, Count of the Holy Roman Empire, and a wonderfully great man in his own estimation, on last Wednesday made a speech agaiust reforming the Legislative Council, which proves beyond doubt that no reform can avail while fogies of his type are allowed to retain seats in it. He said, first that the cry for a reform of the Council originated with the Labor Party, and second that "a corner" had been established to get laborers to go to Australia in order that high wages might be obtained in this colony. Now is a man who can talk such silly, imbecile nonsense as this fit to be a member of auy responsible body? The cry for reform is as old as the Legislative Council itself. We believe that a single member lias not tered Parliament for the last 20 years who has not had to answer questions with regard to the Legislative Council, and during the last ten years several bills/have been: introduced into the Legislature having far their object a change in the same direction. If there is one question more than another on which there has been a strong, vigorous public opinion formed, it is on a reform of the Legisiative Council, yet Dr Grace is self-sufficient enough to think that nobody wants to disturb the existing order of things. What an extraordinary delusion ! but, after all,' what is it to the madness of the notion that working men are going to Australia so that those who remain behind shall get more wages ! Wonderfully self-sacrificing men those are who go to Australia to run the risk of starvation so as to better the position of the rest of their class. If the good doctor had been called in to give his opinions as to anyone's sanity, and the person gave such a reason as this for the exodus from the colony, he would undoubtedly have pronounced him of unsound mind, and two magistrates would have ordered the police to place the man in safe keeping. It would not be considered safe to allow him to be at large, but Dr Grace is still to remain a member of the Legislative Council. Is it any wonder that our laws are muddled ? If we had been against reforming the Council the speech of the honorable doctor would have been sufficient to make us alter our mihd, as it appears to us that the sooner some change is made which will prevent the Chamber being filled hy old fogies who can give expression to such senility, the better.

JUDGE EDWARDS. The Honorable G. F. Richardson, late Minister of Lands in the Atkinson Administration, made a violent attack on the Government last Tuesday evening in Parliament because they did not confirm the appointment of “ Judge ” Edwards. Pie said it was not the late Government appointed Judge Edwards, but the Governor, and for the present Government to decline recognising the appointment amounted to repudiation. The Tories must really be in a queer state of mind if we Judge them by the arguments they adduce. First of all, was it not the, Atkinson Ministry offered the appointment to Mr Edwards, and was it not they who, in a sort of way, forced the Chief Justice to admit the appointment was legal ? Then, what has the Governor to do with it ? Just about as much as a Justice of the Peace has to do with any warrant he may sign. The Government say to the Governor: “We want another Judge, and we have selected Mr Edwards. We want you to sign his appointment,” and the Governor says “all right,” and signs the commission. He is bound to accept the advice of his responsible advisers, that is, the Government of the day, and if he refused to accept it he would get into trouble. Over in Aus, tralia, a year or two ago, Sir Anthony Musgrave, Governor of Queensland, refused to accept the advice of Sir Thomas Mcllraith, the Premier, and what was the result ? The Govern-

ment resigned, and no one else would accept office under the circumstances, and so : the Governor got into trouble. If the Governor of New Zealand refused to act on the advice tendered to him with regard to Judge Edwards’ appointment he would in all probability hove been in a similar fix. The fact is, the Governor is only a figure-head, and his business is to sign documents when they are brought to him, yet here we find one of the late Ministry shamelessly trying to throw the whole blame on the Governor. It would be really amusing, if it were not annoying to know that we have to submit to be governed by men of this stamp. Judge Edwards was appointed to prevent Judge Ward ever reaching the Supreme Court bench, and that was solely and purely the reason. Judge Ward made several members of the Governmont look very foolish, and they took this course of paying him off.