LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BILL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 25 July 1913, Page 4

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BILL.

|| DISCUSSED BY COUNCILLORS.

TWO FORMIDABLE OPPONENTS.

| (By Telegraph—Prett AuodAtion.) i WELLINGTON, Last Night; i In the Legislative-Council this afternoon, the Hon. J. Sinclair resumed the debate bn the second reading; ;of the Legislative Council Bill. Ha[said that, subject to the Hmatatioiv ,of ' numbers, he favoured the elec- ! tive principle, because he believed tlia ;time had jarrived when this people should be given some voice in the- selection of the Legislative Council'.'' He , did not approve of the Bill because it was so framed as to provido for ; a wholly elective body. That would,give too much power to the democracy, and would destroy the judicial function of the Chamber. Ratherthan see the Bill lost, however, hawould acoept it in that form:. He proposed that the Council should be half elective and half nominative.. By the very nature of elective body could not truly perform the functions of a second chamber, which was to revise and check, hasty legislation. There could be no-fatal: rivalry between' a body such as he proposed and the popular chamber. He thought that public criticism would check the improper use of no-, minative patronage. He contended: that .the Council could not safely be elected from the same constituencies as the House of Representatives. quoted precedents to show that- alt modern constitutions were framed on a widely different basis for- the elee~ tion of second chambers. He doubted the efficacy of the proportional system of representation. The "ticket" system must play an important part in all such elections. A check should be put upon the use of motor cars m campaigns, and canvassing should' be prohibited. While favouring the eke, tive principle, he held that they must preserve the council-in such a* condition that it would properly perform its true functions as partfof the constitution.

The Hon. G. Jones said 1 that anyone voting for tEe Bill signed the death warrant of the Council, and confessed that its constitution waa unsatisfactory.. The Council was Justified in rejecting the Bill, as it had last year, because the present measure was vastly different. If proportional representation was applied to the Council, and not to the House, the Council must have the power of the purse, as it would be elected on a superior franchise. Nothing had been done by the Government during the recess to educate the people as to the provisions of the measure, about which they were not sincere. The Minister said he was anxious to meet the Council, but he met it with a veiled threat that if they did not pass the Bill, it would be submitted to a very different Council next year. It would, he claimed, be disastrous to make the Council a replica of the other Chamber, &r an, arena for party contention.

The debate was adjourned on th« motion of the Hon. W. F. Carncross, and the Council rose at 4.30 p.m.