COUNCIL’S ABOLITION

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 January 1926, Page 5

COUNCIL’S ABOLITION

’ GREAT FIGHT OPENED.

GOVT. WIN FIRST ROUND. ■

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (By Cable—Press Assn. —Copyright.)

SYDNEY, January 20.

The Assembly, by 45 votes to 41, discharged the Electoral Bill from the Order Paper.. * Mr. Lang, replying to Mr. Bavin (Opposition Leader), said he had no intention of flouting the people. The Legislative Council would be abolished, now or later, without any referendum.

When the Legislative Council met the galleries were crowded, and the air was electricai.

Mr. Willis immediately moved for leave to introduce the Council Abolition Bill.

Mr. Alam, one of the new Labour appointees, declared that Labour would be blundering by abolishing the Chamber.

LATER.

Labour won the first round in the Abolition Bill. The motion for introduction was carried by 45 to 43 votes. Tlie paired Labour members refrained from voting. The Bill was read a first time formally, and the Council adjourned. The general opinion is that the Bill will be carried by one vote.

HEATED CONTROVERSY.

PASSES AS “BRIBERY.”

(Recd. 2.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, January 21.

Besides the heated debates in the two Houses over the abolition of the Legislative Council, a fierce controversy is proceeding in the Press, chiefly on the condemnatory side. Widespread indignation is expressed towards those members accepting gold life passes for the sole purpose of destroying the Council. This is freely described as bribery. An indignation campaign is being organised, and arrangements are being made to hold a series of meetings throughout the city and suburbs, at which Mr Bavin and other prominent opponents of Mr Lang’s methods will deliver addresses. In the Assembly, Mr McTiernan, moving the second reading of the Bill granting gold pasess to members of Hie ’ Council, indignantly denied the alleged bribery. He said it was impossible to make any differentiation between the old and new members in granting passes, and he appealed to the Opposition to cease making insulting charges which were baseless. The charge of bribery was malicious, malignant propaganda. Mr Bavin declared that in the past, passes had been granted to members to enable them to perform legislative duties, but now the Government proposed, to grant passes to people who have ho duties to perform. Much of the opposition to the proposal would be removed if the Government had first abolished the Council, and then asked the House to make some recognition of the services of the members affected.

The Leader of the''Country Party also strongly ’ attacked the Government’s action over the Council. After a number of other condemnatory speeches had been_delievred, the closure was applied, and the Bill read a second time by 44 to 38.