The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1883.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4579, 7 September 1883, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1883.

The Premier has introduced his promised measure for the reform of the Legislative Council, and as was generally expected he has evolved from his fertile brain a something based on the same principle which frustrated the ancient owner of the asinine animal according to JEsop. It was almost nattttsl to expect that Mr Whitaker would not ""do much violence to the feelings of the members of the House which he—it was vainly thought by some —intended to regenerate, and make of some use to the Colony paying for such a luxury. It would have been somewhat /unreasonable to anticipate that the, higher branch of the Legislature would produce a weapon to effect its own annihilation. Even allowing for the weaknesses of nature, and putting full faith in the; unselfishness of man, it would have been asking too much self-denial from s ?our lords " to request them to put an end to their own political existence. The bill introduced by Mr Whitaker is nothing more than we could have expected; it proposes to , gradually abolish the present system of appointing Legislative Councillors by reconstituting the Upper Chamber on the following lines. There are to be 47 members—three natives nominated by the Governor.in Council, 22 litre to be selected from the existing

body elected by the present members, and 22 members are to be elected under the Hare system by the North and South Island—half by each. None of these alterations are to take place until January 1885, and not until the year 1890 wili any of those remaining in the House from the present Chamber retire or be replaced in a representative manner. Wo must give the framer of the/bill e^cry credit for a desire to gratify and satisfy everybody interested, but we fear that his measure " won't do." A better system, and one havingthe advantage of experience is that of the Victorian Parliament. It has had urged against it that it is inclined to foster class legislation, but this has not been found to be the case. A property qualification is required, and it is only just that those who have a large stake in a country should have more electoral privileges than a bird of passage in it. Certain modifications to suit the exigencies of our own case could easily be made, but the principle of the law in the sister colony is one that might be followed here, at least, in preference to the milk and water pros posals of the Premier.