THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3038, 9 November 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1878.

We have a pamphlet entitled "Froposed Eemedy for Deadlocks," a subject on which the Attorney-General wrote at great length a few months ago in the Melbourne Review. The brochure before us was published in Melbourne, anonymously, the writer adopting the mom deplume " Mirabeau." He thinks that the fact of deadlocks having occurred before, and being likely to occur again, should be a sufficient excuse for bringing under notice a mode by which the probability of a recurrence of deadlocks may be reduced to a minimum. His constitutional remedy it set forth as follows:—

" Firstly—When deadlocks occur, I would suggest that three fourths of the Contents in the Assembly by ballot, and three fourths of the Non-Contents in the Council, longest elected, should go to the country, leaving the Non-Contents in the Assembly and the Contents of the Council in their seats.

" Secondly—On the return of members of both Houses, try the question again, and if the dead-lock is not removed thereby (thirdly). Give the Governor for the time being the constitutional prerogative to change his Ministry."

By! doing this, the writer argues, the Assembly will be more inclined to be cautious and conservative, and the Council much 'iaore; conciliatory add liberal. There is something in this, for the Lower House; or House of Representatives, of this colony might not hare thought it necessary to stand up so strenuously for its rights over the .Railways Construction and Public Works Bills at the close of the late session, had there been some other means of settling differences of the kind other than referring the business to "managers" from both Houses. As deadlocks are possible, any* contribution pointing out the means to avoid them, or settle them on some fixed and constitutional basis, must be welcomed, and "Mirabeau's" pamphlet comes with this category. When both branches of a legislature are so extremely jealous of their dignities and privileges, a tribunal of appeal should bo welcomed as much more likely to adjust differences than concessions extorted under pressure from outside.