The Dunedln Press on the Question.

• DUNEDIN, June 17. Regarding Legislative Council reform, the Star says: — "The announcement that the Premier made at Masterton on Friday'night, of the decision of the Cabinet not to fill up the vacancies in the 'Legislative Council, nor to re-nominate the two gentlemen whose" term of office expires this month by effluxion of time, did not occasion' astonishment among political quid nuncs, though it will cause a good deal of surprise outside. The gentlemen affected were informed some time ago that it was not the intention of the Government to make any fresh calls or to renew appointments to that body until the country had spoken on the question of Council reform with some measure of certainty. The Cabinet has now decided definitely to allow tfoe business oi the country to be conducted by the Council, as a constituent part of the Legislature, without increasing its strength in any way, and it must- therefore be borne ', in mind that the personal^'element has in no way entered into the consideration of the question. The reform of the Council, ' whether it shall remain nominative, or :be placed on an elective basis, or be ended, will thus become one of the burning questions at the ensuing general election." On the question of Legislative Council reform the Times remarks editorially that it is unfortunate that the decision which 'the Premier intimated on Friday night should operate to exclude Mr Lee Smith ;from the Council, for he is a colonißt whose business training, wide reading, • high character, and knowledge of public ; affairs' render him admirably fitted to perform the duties of a' legislator, but the ■fact that the sentence of the Cabinet should have fallen upon him does not 'blind us to the soundness of the principle which has prompted .the decision that, while the question of Legislative Council l reform is a matter of controversy, no appointments or re-appointments should be I made to tho Chamber.