Appointments to the Upper House.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6027, 18 December 1890, Page 3

Appointments to the Upper House.

MR BALLANCE STATES HIS CASE,

[PEE TBESS ASSOCIATION.J

We__inqtok. This day,

, At the request of the Governor, Mr Bal- '. lance has forwarded his reasonß for protosts , ing against the appointments to the Legis--7 lative Council, in which he states that the ir general eleotion plaoed the Ministry in a a minority ascertainable from the declaration of the successful candidates, and this deprived Ministers of the right to advise the Governor to perform #so I important an act as the making of appointments to the Council. Mr Ballance quotes authorities in support " of his contention, and goes on to say that Z if it be alleged tha*. there is no certainty \ about tho state of parties, it is sufficient to f reply that the fMinistry| is not supported by a. majority, and that advice has been given to convene Parliament at an exceptional timo to find a Ministry that shall » bo supported by a majority. Should, there- > fore, tho appointments be made on tho 3 advico of a Premier not predominant, the s effect would be to create that hostility J at starting referred to by an authority > quoted, and to thwart and obstruct the adr visors to be summoned by the Governor to i succeed those who had ceased to represent i publio or popular sentiment. Mr Ballance • also brings under the Governor's considera- ( tion that ono of the political issues raised in the recent elections was the reform of the ; Legislative Council. The leadtr of the Opposition proposed to abolish the lifo tenure of Councillors in ali future appointments, substituting appointments for seven years. This reform would probably be submitted in ono of the earliest measures , introduced by any Ministry formed from the Opposition. It appears to Mr Ballanco that it would jeopardise any such measure to appoint men for life whose opinions might be hostile to a change. He mentions that the Premier in 1887 gavo an assurance from the Ministerial bencnes that no more nominations would be recommended to the Council until the number had been reduced to one-half of that of the House of Representatives as fixed under tho Bill tben passing through the Legislature. The number of members in the Council is still in excess of this proportion. In conclusion, Mr Ballanoe submitted for the Governor's consideration that appointments to the Council cannot be justified on any ground of urgency before the meeting of Parliament, unless it be under the apprehension that it would then be no longer- posaiblo to recommend them, but suoh a foar expressod or implied is not a reason likely to commend itself to tho Governor.