TELEGRAMS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REFORM

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 45, 21 August 1912, Page 3

TELEGRAMS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REFORM

HON. J. T. PAUL REPLIES TO MR. G. W. RUSSELL. [BT TJCLEdBATH— SPECIAL TO THI TOST.] DUNEDIN, This Day. In a telegram from Wellington published on Monday Mr. G. W. Russell was reported to have said "one of the functions of the Legislative Council when important legislation is brought down is to upset the Bill in order to give the country time to consider the question." The' Hon. J. T. Paul has replied to the above statement and some others made by Mr. Russell. "It is the suggestion of a radical," said Mr. Paul, "that the Legislative Council should obstruct the principle which has been fathered by the party now in power for a great many years. It seems to me that Mr. Russell's suggestion, if it had any influence — fortunately it has not— would be disastrous to the future of the Council. Mr. Russell suggests that the Council cannot be swamped by any Government. I say if the Government are sincere in any great measure like that of the reform of the Legislative Council they would insist in getting that great measure through. One of the prerogatives of the Government of to-day under the nominee system is to get as many new men in the Council as will swamp the Council as far as, they can, in order to get through their legislation. That is exactly what will happen if the Council reject the Bill for the reform of the Council. Therefore, I say, if the Council reject the Bill they will be doing something that will seriously affect their influence in the future." Mr. Paul added that Mr. Russell said it had been and was m»>st invariably the case that after a Bill had been sent up twice the Upper House had passed it on third presentation, that that was exactly what was done by the Legislative Council in 1892. "Now," said Mr. Paul, "that is just what did not happen in 1892. The Council did not throw out the, Bill; it was put through in one Parliament. The -Bill was passed through both Houses in one Parliament, alter having been first introduced into the Council."