The Referendum Bill.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1135, 2 November 1904, Page 3

The Referendum Bill.

. v Debate in Upper House

Measure Killed by a Crushing Majority

By To!«gra|)h.--Prpw Association,

Wilunuton, tbia dnj. Duitiwi the sitting of the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon the Attorney Gen rtl moved the second reading of tho Referendum Bill in tortm similar to thmo used in its introduction to tho other House.

Tho referendum in case of a dead look between the two branches of the Legislature was, tho Attorney Genoral said, in forco in many countries, and would ho benoficial in this, It was bolioved by smiio that tho Bill menaced tho Council, but he pointed out that it was absolutely impossible undor the Constitution Act for the Legislature to abolish the Council, Bo* fore that could bo dono it would bo nocessary for the Imperial Parliament to pass an Act for tho purpose.

Mr, Goorgo McLean said that tho Attorney General in introducing tho Bill had Riven vory many rousans why they should not pass it. Was there, ho asked, any country with a referendum where thoy had an election every three years? The referendum in other places was vory different to that proposed by this Dill. A referendum undor ii would cost, at the vory lowest, jC40,000. He would not take up the liiue of the Council by discussing the measure. Mr, Lonisson considered tha Bill now before Council was tho worst Referendum Bill they had over had, There had been no fresh demand from the pooplo, nor was there anything in (he Bill to ruako it more acceptable than the former Bill, is showing tho fallacy of the statement that this was to givo eiloct to the will of the peoplo, he instanced tho effort made just boforo the session to form a referendum league in a oity of 40,000 or 00,000 people. A public mooting-was called and only two persons wore sufficiently interested in tho subject to attend. Jt would bo enough to provide a cure for a deadlock when such a thin"' camo about, Tho Bill wns evidently put into its present stato in order to force its rejection. Now Zealand was tho last country in tho world requiring a referendum, as tho will of tho people wab always being given oflect to Tho Bill should he called a Bill for woak-kneod legislators, Mr. Carncross thought that if thero was a legislative dust heap tho Bill should ho consigned to it, The Bill was entirely subversive of reprcsoiilaiii'o government, If it wcro passed members would no longer bo representatives of the pouplc, but hired delegates wailing to see what tho peoplo thought, and then record their votes, It was not a democratic measure, Some members wanted to draw their money as representatives of iho poolc, and yet not accept the responsibilities of tho position. The fact that Iho day font referendum to bo token was to bo a day other than tho general election day was in his opinion calculated to kill tho measure, and ho behoved it was put there for that reason. It was absurd. Tho Bill was a snare, a delusion, and a sham, and ho movod that it ba rend that day thrco months, Upon a division being taken tho Bill wns rejected by 22 to 7. Tho division list for tho second reading was as follows: Messrs. Arlwight, Gourloy, Jones, Pitt, A, L, Smith, Trnsk and Tivoiuoy, For tho nmoiiilmont, Messrs, Bailie, Bnldey. Bolt, Bswon, Carncross, Fieldwiok, Harris, Holmes, Jcnkinson, Johnston, T. Kelly, W. Kelly, Lonisson, MacDonalil, McLean, Marshall, Miller, Ormond, l'inkcrtou, Kigg, Tairoa and Thompson.