The Northern Advocate MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 1913. THE LIFE OF PARLIAMENT.

Northern Advocate, 25 August 1913, Page 4

The Northern Advocate MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 1913. THE LIFE OF PARLIAMENT.

It has been suggested—rather recklessly it would appear—by some of the southern newspapers, that abundant justification exists for a dissolution of Parliament and a further appeal to the constituencies. The reasons advanced are the customary allegations that the Government has no policy, is not adhering to its professed principles, and that the programme followed by the Ministry has not received sanction from the electors. It is, therefore, argued that the Opposition should refuse to pass Supply, and by this means force the Governor to disband the House. The weakness of all this is, of course, that the Opposition being in a Minority would not be able to carry out such

a campaign, and if it were in a majority there would be no need for a dissolution. It may be reasonably doubted, also, whether members of the Opposition would care to precipitate matters in this fashion, for among our representatives in the Legislature there are always some who would sooner face a hundred and fifty wild bulls than voluntarily surrender their place and honorarium. There is another reason, too, Why suggestions of a dissolution at this stage of the proceedings seem premature, and this is that if the House dissolved during the present session the local option poll of 1914 would lapse, and not be taken until the election of 1916. Not many members, we take it, would care to take responsibility for any action which had this result, and apart from all other considerations —even if there were grounds for a dissolution —it can be said with some confidence that the licensing issue will keep the House together for its appointed time. It is, perhaps, not altogether an advantage to the country that a question in no respects political should exercise such a powerful influence as this over the Legislature Conditions might at any time arise, making it almost imperative that Parliament should be dissolved. Yet with this external consideration it is doubtful, unless special legislation were passed, whether a dissolution would be faced. If the licensing question alone acts strongly as a preventative to dissolution it can be regarded as certain that if the proposed scheme of pensions for members of the Legislature

comes into operation the chances of Parliament ever dissolving except by effluction of time will be as remote as the final judgment. The binding influence of qualification for £150 a year in perpetuity would undoubtedly be much more powerful than the ties of party, and we would then have a state of affairs in which, while members would, perhaps, fight just as keenly for party ascendancy, there would be absolute unanimity among new members at any rate against making any reckless appeal to Caesar which might imperil the chances of securing this annual allowance.