N.S.W. UPPER HOUSE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 133, 3 December 1930, Page 11

N.S.W. UPPER HOUSE

ABOLITION BILLS

THREAT TO GOVERNOR

VniteA Tress Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received 3rd December, 11 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day.In the Legislative Council two Bills relating to the abolition of thai Chamber were read a first time-011 the voices. The second reading debates are set down for to-day. One of the Bills is designed to repeal the Bavin Government Act which' stipulated that the Upper House shall not be abolished until a referendum of the electors is taken. Everything hinges on the fate of these two Bills. In the event the Council throwing them out or shelving them, the Premier, Mr. J. T. Lang, intends to appeal to the Home authorities to recall the Governor, Sir Philip Game, throwing on him the responsibility of the Government's failure to give effect to its Legislative policy. When the debate on the Address-in-Reply in the Assembly is finished no further business will be brought forward, pending the outcome of the Upper House impasse. ME. LANG'S INTERVIEW. The Premier had an interview with the Governor yesterday concerning the additional appointments to the Legislative Council. A deadlock resulted, arid Mr. Lang hurried back and immediately moved the adjournment of th© Legislative Assembly, refusing to give any reason beyond saying that a matter of high public importance was involved. The members immediately scented a political crisis, and bombarded the Premier with questions. An adjournment was agreed to on a strictly party division. REQUEST REFUSED. It is understood that Mr. Lang asked the Governor to agree to forty additional appointments to the Upper House. The request was refused, His Excellency taking the stand that no reasonable argument had been submitted in support of the Premier's contention that the Government's policy measures were threatened in that Chamber, and that until such an eventuality occurred, His Excellency was unable constitutionally or reasonably to accede to' so many appointments. Cabinet discussed the position for two hours this afternoon. ~The Premier declined ..to make any statement for publication. BACK TO 1925 POSITION. The position which now confronts the Lang Ministry is almost identical with that which occurred in_ 1925 ■when, after -considerable negotiation, the then Governor, Sir Dudley de Chair, agreed to the appointment of 25 new members —sufficient to enable the Council to be swamped. However, a number of these did not attend when the vital division upon the abolition of the Council was taken, and . the Government's objective failed. It is expected that Mr. Lang will take the matter up again with His Excellency. The House rose until to-day.