3

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Policy Bills rejected by the Council. Ayes. Noes. Majority against. Alcoholic Liquors ... ... ... ... 10 18 8 Contagious Diseases ... ... .. 11 20 9 11 18 7 Eight Hours ... ... ... ... 13 15 2 Private Benefit Societies ... ... ... 11 18 7 Usury Prevention ... ... ... ... 10 14 4

No. 2. Memorandum for His Excellency the Governor. (No. 50.) Premier's Office, Wellington, 23rd January, 1897. The Premier presents his compliments and begs to recommend William Kelly, Esq., of Auckland, sawmiller, late member for the Bay of Plenty, who first sat in Parliament in 1871, and has sat in several Parliaments since ; Benjamin Harris, Esq., of Tuakau, farmer, late member for Franklin, who first held a seat in Parliament in 1881 and has sat in several Parliaments since ; and David Pinkerton, Esq., of Dunedin, gentleman, late senior member for Dunedin, who has held a seat during the last two Parliaments, for appointment to the Legislative Council of New Zealand. E. J. Seddon.

No. 3. Memorandum for the Premier. Government House, Wellington, 30th January, 1897. 1. The Governor has to acknowledge the Premier's memorandum of the 23rd instant, advising the appointment of three additional members to the Legislative Council, and, while prepared to accept the advice now tendered to him, he considers that, in justice to himself, he should indicate which of the reasons advanced by the Premier for advising these appointments appear to him to make it his duty to do so. 2. In the memorandum under consideration the Premier repeats some of the reasons which he advanced on the last occasion, when he advised four appointments to the Council, —or, at least, reasons similar, if not in the same words. With regard to these, the Governor adheres to the views he then expressed ; but the Premier has brought forward two others, to which he will allude further on, as sufficient, in his opinion, to make it his duty to make the appointments asked. 3. The present position is, that the party in power has now appointed fifteen Councillors, in addition to those previously appointed by the same party ; and on the appointments now asked for being gazetted, they will have appointed eighteen Councillors in five years, a number which he believes to be unprecedented in the history of this or any other colony. There can be no doubt, as the Governor has before pointed out, that when the time comes when another Government assumes office what has happened will form a very strong incitement to the next Ministry, in their turn, to make a considerable addition to the Council, thereby raising it to an abnormal strength, and thus causing the colony an unnecessary expense, for which the present Government will have to bear the responsibility. 4. The reasons which induce him to agree to these appointments, however unnecessary he may deem them, are : First, that the result of the general election, which gives the Government a considerable though reduced majority, is evidence that the Premier still possessed at the general election the confidence of the colony. The second is, that he thinks it very inadvisable that such an important question should be left for the consideration of his successor, as from the Premier's memorandum it appears would be the case were he not to agree to the advice given him. 5. Therefore, although he feels that this intimation places a pressure upon him, for the reasons he has given he has come to the conclusion that it is his duty to act on the advice of his Ministers, and to grant the three appointments advised. 6. I have to request that this memorandum may be placed on the table of both Houses of the General Assembly on the meeting of Parliament. Glasgow.

No. 4. (No. 56.) Memorandum for His Excellency the Governor. Premier's Office, Wellington, sth February, 1897. Ministers present their compliments, and beg to acknowledge the receipt of His Excellency's memorandum of the 30th ultimo, accepting the advice tendered to appoint three members to the Legislative Council. In the third paragraph His Excellency is pleased to state as follows: " The present position is that the party in power has now appointed fifteen " (doubtless His Excellency intended to say sixteen) "Councillors, in addition to those previously appointed by the same party, and on the appointments now asked for being gazetted they will have appointed eighteen" (nineteen) "Councillors in five years, a number which he believes to be unprecedented in the history of this or any $ other colony. There can be no doubt, as the Governor has before pointed out, that when the time comes when another Government assumes office what has happened will form a very strong incitement to the next Ministry, in their turn, to make a considerable addition to the Council, thereby raising it to an abnormal strength, and thus causing the colony an unnecessary expense, for which the present Government will have to bear the responsibility."