THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1894. THE REFERENDUM.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2648, 19 April 1894, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1894. THE REFERENDUM.

For several years we have advocated the adoption of the Referendum. That means that certain questions after they had been discussed in Parliament should be submitted to the electors for adoption or rejection. For instance, supposing any measure were passed by Parliament, and the party opposed to it wore not siiisfied that its adoption met with the approval of the majority of the people, a vote of the whole of the electors could bo taken, exactly as it was taken at the recent licensing election. The exact number for and .gainst the measure would thus be ut-t;.Trained, and a decision arrived at accordingly, gild thus there could bo no doubt as to whether the people desired the change or not. This was considered a terribly radical idea a few years ago, but now wo find no less a personage than the Right Honorable A. J. Balfour, the Tory leader in the House of Commons, asserting that the Referendum is within the range of practical politics. This is a very important admission, more especially as it comes from the heir-apparent to the future Tory Premiership, but the Spectator, a

Tory newspaper, goes still further, by asserting that the Referendum is the only means of correcting the blunders of Parliament. It is a very hopeful and healthy sign to find the Tories opening their eyes to the fact that the people are the source of all power. Hitherto the Tories have done their best to' prevent the power being given to the people, but now they are making a virtue of necessity by showing a disposition to trust the people. In admitting the importance of the Referendum, the Tories show that they realise their dependence on the people’s will, and have already commenced to descend from the pedestal of pride and arrogance on which they have sat for many centuries. But after all the Referendum would only restore to the people their ancient right. It cannot be said that in ancient times the people possessed the Referendum in the exact form in which it is advocated now-a-days, but it is certain that they had very extensive powers, of which they were scandalously defrauded. In the old tribal days men and women deliberated together on matters concerning their wellbeing. Later still they had very complete local government, as well as the National Council called the Wittanagemot. There was first the township, which was the lowest form of local government; next came the hundred, next again the shire, and, above all, the Wittan, or Grand Council of the whole nation, in which the King himself took part. Every freeman possessed the right to sit and take part in the deliberations of any of these councils, and laws could not take effect until they received the sanction of the people. These councils elected or dethroned kings, appointed bishops, regulated taxes, and so on, so that their powers were very extensive. The charter of iEthelatan in the year 931 was, according to the language used therein, “ confirmed by the whole body of the commons,” while an Act passed by the Wittan which sat at Winchester in 934 says that it had been “ confirmed by the whole body of the people.” Kemble, a great and learned authority, referring to these, says : “ Whether expressions of this kind were intended to denote the actual presence of the people on the spot, or whether the Wittan is considered to represent in our modern form, an assembly of the whole people, it is clear that the power of self-government is recognised.” There can be very little doubt that the whole of the people had a right to sit in these councils, for in 1086 no less a number than 60,000 men assembled together in one of these councils. From those facts it will be seen that to extend the franchise, or to adopt the Referendum, or to in any way increase the powers of the people, is to restore to them rights of which they were once defrauded. Without a question of doubt, the people possessed these powers once, and the way they lost them was as follows : As the population increased it became impossible for all to take part in the making of laws, and so the duty was left to the large land-owners. The result of course was that, just as they have been doing ever since, the large land-owners made laws to suit themselves. Kings ceased to be elected, and not only claimed the throne by right of inheritance, but by Divine right. Not only that, but the kings also claimed that the whole of the land of the country belonged to them and they divided it among their courtiers’ and favorites. The people were thus despoiled of their lands, and robbed of any voice in the making of laws, and have been ever since. Freeman, the great historian, who died a year or two ago, says;—“ As far at least as our race is concerned, freedom is everywhere older than bondage. It is liberty that is ancient; tyranny that is modern.” These words are as true as ever historian gave expression to. The people of England were enslaved by submitting to the rule of the powerful barons, audit is only now that their ancient rights are being restored them. The Referendum is therefore the restoration of an ancient right, and we believe the day is not far distant when it will be adopted. When we commenced to advocate this many years ago, there were few who agreed with us. Even the late Mr Ballance, thoroughly democratic as he was, disapproved of it. We have now, however, the satisfaction to find even Conservatives coming round to our ideas, and possibly some may pardon us for taking credit to ourselves for being the first in this colony to put it before the public.