THE UPPER HOUSE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 225, 20 September 1913, Page 9

THE UPPER HOUSE.

MBTHOB OF EI_BCTION. DISCUSSED BY THE COUNCIL. (By Tele^raplir—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday The debate on the Legislative Council Bill was resumed ._. the Council this aiternoon by the Hon. J. Anstev who disagreed, with its two main principles '' that the Council be elected" on a democratic franchise and by proportional representation. He agreed that there ought to be an intermediary power be- . tween the Crown and the House of Re- ; presentatives, but foresaw that if that power was elected there was the danger , that, it would either become a duplication of the Lower House or it would become the dominating power. He ; favoured a continuance of the nominative system for the seven years' term. That j. .-tern was not free'from objee- '; tions. but these were not insuperable. £qu;.l representation should he given to a!! parts of the Dominion and to all V classes of industries. A Council chosen oh t'nose lines should make an efficient . chamber. If the nominative system could not be retained, and something different must be found, then he was prepared to give a modified support to the draft bill brought down by Committee. The Hon. J. E. Jenkinson said that althoug'j he had voted against the - ' second reading of the G-overnment bill, he could not overlook the fact that the . Council had twice accepted the principle of election, and therefore he was not going to hinder any further the passage ,of the measure, and would vote for clause 9. Wnen in Committee he would try to nrr.end the bill so as to secure snch safeguards as he thought necessary. If such safeguards were not inserted he would vote against the third reading. .. The lion. C. M. Luke said the Council was passing through a crisis in its his- . f tcry. .'.iter giving the problem the •'fullest consideration, he was still of the opinion as the Hon. J. R. Sinclair that a partly elective and partly nominated Council was the best. If the prin- - dele of e'ection was going to be introduced then it must be election hy the people direct. He felt the people "could be trusted, and that on the whole the hestlmea would be chosen. A nominative element in the Council would be a steadying and corrective element in an elective body, and the Government should have the right to appoint men of outstanding ability and special service. The H'->n. \Y. C. F. Carneross said, as one of the Committee which drew up the ■ report, he knew that it was impossible -to please everybody. He was surprised to see r-orne members still favoured the partially nominated system. He felt confident the partially nominated and partially elected could not give satisfaction. Let it be either one or the other. ■ ;He favoured purely the nominative. He had not heard one argument favouring tbc system of election, not because he did not believe the people were not well fitted to elect representatives, but because in case of a political crisis there . .should be one House entirely free from party politics.' Tlie Hon. C. H : Mills considered they would be unwise to undermine the grand ? old Constitution which " had been hon- .? oured''4_}_„--5_ many generations.' i«_-'sTfc-«r-«ba_e «as adjourned,? _tn;d the ConnsMl rose. ; -