The Press. TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 1889.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7268, 26 March 1889, Page 4

The Press. TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 1889.

Reference was made in a recent article to the striking fact, brought out in Mr. Brtce's " American Commonwealth," that the American people distrust and dislike their State Legislatures. This feeling-shows itself in a variety of ways. It is exhibited, for example, in the tendency of the population to limit the period during which the Houses can sit. Out of thirtyeight States thirty-two are only permitted to sit once in two years, while twenty-two States have, in addition, fixed the number of days beyond which the Legislatures cannot sib. These facts are startling proofs of the utter want of confidence in their representatives felt by the majority of the American people. Thej relief experienced during what araj called the " off years " is so great that some States are considering the pro-j priety of still further extending] the principle. Not only is nor public inconvenience caused by the biennial system, it is felt to be a positive gain to the people. That this feeling has been growing is. evident when we find that during the last ten years at least six States have changed their annual sessions to biennial, and there are now only six left that adhere to the annual system. This feeling of distrust in the usefulness of representative legislatures is not surprising when it is remembered how those bodies usually behave themselves. The same thing is felt to a greater or less extent in the English colonies, and the feeling is growing. An impression prevails that our system of government is not only absurdly expensive, but altogether unsatisfactory. We pay ,_m enormous sum for the privilege of governing! ourselves, and find that even then we do not get the article we have agreed to pay for. This dissatisfaction, has found expression in a variety of forms, the object in each case being to raise the standard of our Legislature, so that it may occupy a still higher position in the estimation of the public. All the attempts at reform are so many proofs that the general dissatisfaction has not settled down into despair. The people still believe that Parliament is capable Of being purified and rendered fit to discharge the important duties which are expected of it. Hence the electors have urged the passing of such measures as the Corrupt Practices Act, the Disqualification Act, the Triennial Parliaments Act, and similar measures. The same spirit forced the' passage of the Act reducing the number of members, and it is possible that before long the Hare system i__ a modified form may: become law in this colony in obedience to the popular will. All these changes are so many indications that the people distrust their representatives, and are dissatisfied with the manner in which they as a rule discharge their duties. But, as we have said, the feeling does not result in a policy of despair, but has led to a firm resolve that the evils must be grappled with and got rid of at all hazards.' This is a healthy sign, and encourages us to hope that the necessary reforms will be carried out, and the Legislature rendered capable of discharging, to the perfect satisfaction of the people, those great duties laid upon it by the Constitution.

It would appear that in America the reforming spirit is less active. The feeling of distrust has simply resulted in a determination to limit the power of the Legislatures to create mischief. It is a remarkable fact, too, in connection with this tendency, that the Legislatures themselves have accepted the verdict of the people aa true. The members think as meanly of themselves as the electors do. " Instead of being stimulated by the distrust," says Mr. Bryob, "to mend their ways, and recover their former powers, the State Legislatures fell in with the tendency, and promoted their own suppression. The chief interest of their members, as will be explained later, is in the passing of special or local Acts, not of general public legislation. They are extremely timid, easily swayed by any active section of opinion, and afraid to stir when placed between the opposite fires of two such sections, as, foi; instance, between the Prohibitionists

and the liquor-sellers. Hence they welcomed the direct intervention of the people as relieving them of embarrassing problems." All kinds of questions are now being referred to the direct popular vote. It is however, as Mr. Bbyce says, chiefly in the form of an amendment to the Constitution that the American voters are exercising direct legislative power. In one State the referendum "goes the length of constituting the voters the financial authorities for the State, withdrawing from the Legislature what might seem the oldest and most essential of its functions." These disclosures are, to say the least, startling, and indicate an absence of interest in representative government which does not promise well for the fixture. Various reasons are assigned for this want of interest on the part of th*. American people. Why do the people bear such things it is asked, the answer given being; partly because they do not know them, "the legislative capitals being practically in- 1 visible, and Committee work—which is all work—being unreported; partly because they are optimists, invariably hopeful that all will go right; partly because the leaders are paralysed; but chiefly because they are so full of this ultimate sovereignty and power of putting things right that they tolerate even the evils that they see too long." This it appears to us is probably a tolerably accurate summary of the position. It is the natural outcome of the federal system, and is a warning to us in these colonies to be on our guard against a too hasty change in our Constitutions. We hear a great deal now-a-days about Australian federation. The dream is of an Australian Federal Parliament, and a numberofsubordinatelocal Legislatures. It will probably be years before the question requires to be practically considered. In the meantime it is worth while remembering that federalism in America has not been by any means a complete success, even in the opinion of those who insist on maintaining it intact. This is a matter, we say, of considerable interest to all who study the future of the .olonies, and an impartial study of the position of things in the United States will probably lead to the conclusion that had the Americans "adopted the democratic system without '"federalism, the Tesults would have been far more satisfactory. The people would have been happier." "The national pride and the sense of national work to be done would have brought their best men to the top, while their statesmen would have been greater and their judges juster."