APPOINTMENTS TO THE COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8472, 24 January 1891, Page 5

APPOINTMENTS TO THE COUNCIL.

THE GOVERNOR'S REASONS FOR

MAKING THEM.

DESPATCH TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARY.

[BY TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday. His Excellency has this day transmitted to the Secretary of State a despatch setting forth tho reasons for the appointing of the new Legislative Councillors. The despatch bears to-day's date, reciting thefacts goes on to say : —" No fresh appointments have been made to this body since the year 1887— in fact, since the present Ministry have been in office. On tho other hand, several deaths and resignations have taken place, reducing the number of councillors from 48, at which it stood on the Sth of October, 1887, to 39, today. And of these it may safely be said that from extreme age, absence from the colony, and other reasons the effective strength barely exceeds 30." His Excellency next sums up what has been done by tho Atkinson Government in the direction of reforming the Council, and after mentioning the results of the recent general election, proceeds as follow :— " I had before me the statement of Ministers that it was necessary to summon the Parliament in order that they might ascertain the feelings of confidence towards them entertained by the now representatives of tho people, and I therefore hesitai.. ' before accepting their advice to make these appointments. I thought it my duty to demand from them an assurance that the advice was tendered lees with a view to reward party services than for the purposes of strengthening the efficiency of the Upper House. That assurance has been given me, and I have, therefore, accepted their advice. Petitions, numerously signed, have been presented to me, requesting me to defer these appointments till after the meeting of of Parliament. It is urged in them (1) that the present Ministry are in a minority ; (2) that Sir Harry Atkinson has pledged himself not to advise fresh appointments tili the numbers were reduced below onehalf of those constituting the House of Representatives ; (3) that the Legislative Councillors now exceed by throe or four half the number of the House of Representatives.

I gave duo consideration to these representations, and to the spirit in which, I believe, Her Majesty's Government regard the position of colonies possessing representative government. I trust that I interpret those views aright in holding that where there is nothing to the contrary in the letters patent of the 21st February, 1879, constituting my office, or in the royal instructions accompanying them, the Constitutional practice observed in England should form the main lines for guidance under similar circumstances. I therefore dismissed the first reason without waiting to enquire into its accuracy. Upon the second argument I received the memorandum, which I enclose, from Sir H. Atkinson, and which appeared to mo to be satisfactory, and, as to the third I would point out to your Lordship that though true of the nominal it is not true of the effective strength of the Legislative Council, that the House of Representatives has but just been reduced from 95 to 74 members, while it has not been found possible to effect any reform of the Upper House. Had it been proposed to me to make fresh creations of the extent, say, of one-third of the existing number, I should have had grave hesitation in accepting advice which might be treated as a precedent for swamping the votes of the existing majority, in order to carry party legislation. It has, however, long been the practice in England for Ministers, even after a vote of censure has been passed on them in Parliament, to advise the Crown to create a limited number of peerages, not only for the purpose of strengthening the Upper House, but admittedly as regards to those who, being qualified for the position of Peers, have rendered political service to the defeated party. His Excellency then quotes precedents, and concludes by expressing the hope that his action will meet the approval of the Secretary of State. The Premier, in his memorandum, totally denies having given any such pledge as that alleged by the petitioners, and he quotes Hansard in disproof. In concluding, he says :—" The Opposition have been in office five years, since 1877, and have appointed 21 members to the Legislative Council.' The present party in power, having been in office eight years, since 1876, have only, so fa*-, appointed eight members, all of whom were appointed prior to the present Government going into office, and they propose now to add seven to this number."