HANDS FORCED

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 77, 24 December 1925, Page 9

HANDS FORCED

NEW SOUTH WALES LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

HOW FLOODING WAS - MANAGED

APPEAL TO HOME OFFICE Dr Telegraph.—Press Association Copyright. Sydney, December 23. It now transpires that the Governor was not actually a consenting party to flooding the Legislative Council, His Excellency in the early stages rejecting the Government’s demands. At oiie stage it was thought by the Cabinet that he would resign. Tile Governor ultimatelv agreed to consult the Dominions Office. It appears that the Premier (Mr. Lang) had communicated direct with the Home Office, and the Governor was subsequently notified from England that he must accept the advice of his Ministers No written undertaking was given to the Governor regarding the Government’s attitude towards the abolition of the Council, but an undertaking was given verbally by a member of the Ministry An influential section of the caucus is now clamouring for the abolition of the Council, and a Bill to give effect to this will probably be introduced during the present Parliament. With the aid of the new appointees the Government succeeded in passing the Government Railways Amendment Bill in the Legislative Council. The Bill validates the action of the Railway Commissioners in restoring seniority of the 1917 strikers.—Press Assn. GOVERNOR’S ACTION ENDORSED (Rec. December 23, 8.25 p.m.) London, December 22. It is learned that the Colonial Office unequivocally endorses the action of Sir Dudlev de Chair regarding the New South Wales Legislative Council. While it was true that Mr. Amery (Secretary for the Dominions) had been fully informed of developments, it was untrue that Mr. Amery had either directly or indirectly attempted to influence the Governor’s action This was unnecessary because a Queensland precedent established the principle that Governors must accept the advice of their Ministers on constitutional questions.— AusaN.Z. Cable Assn. VICTORIAN CRISIS i COUNCIL REJECTS TAXATION PROPOSALS Melbourne, December 23. For the third time the Legislative Council decided not to accept the Ministry’s'taxation proposals bv rejecting them for the third time. The Council has exhausted its constitutional rights to amend the Bill if the Assembly again decides not to accept the Council’s suggestions and returns the Bill to the Council. The onus of finally rejecting the Bill will then be on the Upper House. If the Bill is defeated, the Ministry will have no legal authority to collect income tax of any kind.

The Premier has declined to comment on the situation.—Press Assn.