The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1887.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4811, 11 January 1887, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1887.

Foe the last ten years "the reform of the Legislative Council has been a standing dish amongst the entrees of the political mom. It has been looked at by many but touched by none. The removal of the cover has brought up no savoury smell, and when the mess has been stirred it has not looked any the more inviting. Taught as the people have been of late years to tiy anything that is new, their education has not yet reached the point of doing away with the constitution of the Ux>por Chamber of the Legislature. The fact is Constitution " mongcring has not been successful in this colony. The country has been bamboozled into taking reforms for better or worse, and the most of them having turned out for the worse, there has been a monotony about them that has proved disheartening. Hence, wo presume it is that the Government will not be anxious to pass their measure for the reform of the Legislative Council next session. From past experience of Government action in regard to the introduction of new measures, a Bill will be brought down, and if not acceptable to tho House it will be consigned to the wastepaper basket. Then when the elections are coming oft the Ministerial party will take the credit of having introduced Liberal measuros of yeform which were burked by the Conservatives, at the same time knowing full well that they had not the slightest intention of standing or falling by them. The best argument, however, that can be used in favor of amending the constitution of the Upper House is that as it stands it is liable to abuse, and that it has not been abused more than by so-called Liberal Ministries. At one time the Legislative Council represented, what tho original Constitution intended it to represent, namely the intelligence, wealth, and learning of the colony. When, however, to the Chamber are elevated political supporters remarkable for none of these qualifications, it becomes a serious question whether it would not be advisable to place it out of the power of a Ministry to confer life pensions on their frfends. In spite of appointments that have caused mixecj feelings of amusement and indignation, the Council has always supported its dignity, and amongst thoughtful colonists it is still held in tho highest esteem for its valuable services, and its capacity for public usefulness. It is understood that the measure of reform contemplated by the Government is that in future the Council shall be elected by the H<JUSB of Representatives. Now, the chief value of an Upper House is that it acts as a cheok upon the hasty legislation of the Lower. But if thaChamber is tp. be nwirejy a nominated committee of the Lower House its usefulness must be seriously impaired if not destroyed. The reform in fact would be no reform at all. It would be in some respecte, #jys the New Zealand Herald, equivalent to nomination as at present by Ministers, who represent the dominant party for the lime; but ii Mould' be so with the added eyij thai the nominations would be made without even the small amount of responsibility that attaches to Ministers in making appointments to the Upper House; and would give rise to intrigue and scheming, and logrolling, that would make the appointments to the other .Chamber a public scandal. We fail to see one solitary advantage which the proposal >vould have . over ' the existing system; for is. would not even have the effect of making the Upper House permanently harmonise with, or reflect the opinions of the Lower, inasmuch as the Upper House, if it is to retain anything of a conservative character, must remain unchanged, while the. House of Representatives might have gone through the purificatory process of a general election. And oo it would happen t&at a newly-elected representative Chamber coming up from the country freshly laden with the latest man? I dates of the electors would find itself _ eosi* fronted by en Upper Chamber which in its constituent elements represented what had just been swept away at the hustings, i If the intention, ooaoludes our northern con. temporary, is to utterly degrade the Upper House and reduce it to thejposition of a opm» mittee of delegates of the House of Repre» β^ntatives —or, worse, to make of it a place to whfoh the elected Chamber would shoot its rubbishy-then the -Ministerial proposal, so far as we are giyefj. jto knowit, will attain the object. But if the ijiearoaral system is to continue at all, we believe ,%3 p.eppj§ of New Zealand will not be satisfied yit» one Chamber being reduced to a nonentity in ber ' ing. made the mere creature of the other. It is needless for us here to discuss the vartoue other bases on which.the second Chamber might be constructed. Enough :to know that the proposed system of the Government has in it features, which unless they are materially modified bysubsequent information,- miust prove exceedingly unsatisfactory to the public. ''. '