THE LATE "MEETING" OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8482, 5 February 1891, Page 3

THE LATE "MEETING" OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, Several knotty questions have arisen in connection with the above. One of these is mentioned in your Wellington news column to-day, to the effect that the introduction of a Bill was sufficient to constitute a session, I do not claim to know the law on this subject, and when the lawyers differs as to the law, a layman may well doubn the correctness of his own impressions,; Generally, in all cases not otherwise provided for, the custom of the House of Commons is deemed sufficient authority on which to act. In the early days of the New Zealand Constitution, a similar question was raised (what constitutes a complete session and was decided on the strength of one Bill having gone through, been enacted. It was then argued that but for that one Act, the session would have been incomplete. Whether this was good law, or only logic, I do not pretend to decide. Another question relates to the Te Aroha seat.i It appears to me that this question having been, by law, referred to the Supreme Court, the House would be acting arbitrarily if it interfered in way until the Supreme Court had completed its investigation, and reported on the case. lam not' quite sure as to the "custom" of the Houss of Commons, but my impression is that when a disputed election is referred to Her Majesty's Judges, no other interference is allowed. If this be so the inquiry re the Ta Aroha seat must proceed, and the House itself would not be justified in interposing ins the way of declaring the seat vacant, or in any other manner. Again, if an Act is necessary to constitute a complete session, not only would the honorarium be disputable, but the Te Aroha seat would also be still hi statu quo, hungup.—lam, &c., F.C. P.S. — am aware that the House claims certain privileges in respect to itself and its membership, but these should not override' the law, either' that of positive enactment or that based on the custom of the House ofc Commons,