LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REFORM

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 201, 22 August 1912, Page 9

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REFORM

i GOVERNMENT'S STRAIGHT QROLARATION. <R.v Telegraph.Parliamentary Jlcporter.) W'EL.T,L>;<3TON, Wednesday. An unsympathetic interruption by a Legislative Councillor -while the. Hon H. D. 'Bell was speaking to the legislative Council ißeforni Bill to-day provoked a i very pointed declaration from the Minisj ter. "Reject t.he bill, and the people's 1 rpprer-teiitat.'ves will speak,"' he remarked. I "Why do I present it lwre.V Because it ;is your privilege and your right to be •first to consider it. Yon will not deny that the process cannot, be continued if the people's voice is to be beard. If you say 1 must go to the Ix>wer House first you deny your own privilege. If on this occasion the Council will not. accept reform, then it in right and just and necessary that it lihould be settled by the vote« of the people." In the course of his speech, occupying over two hours, Mr 801 l dealt exhaustively with a number of significant phases of the proposals outlined in the bill, the masterly manner m which ho advocated the adoption of the elective principle on the proportional representation bnsis for the Council commanding the closest attention of the honourable members throughout. Upon the conclusion of Mr Boll's speech .the Council adjourned til! the following day for the opening of the debute on the measure.