PARTY GOVERNMENT AND THE REFERENDUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9293, 31 August 1893, Page 3

PARTY GOVERNMENT AND THE REFERENDUM.

A runr.ic meeting was held last night in the Oddfellows' Hall, Parnell, to consider the question of Government without party and the Referendum. There was a thin attendance, bub the addresses were of considerable interest. Mr. IS. Withy presided. He regretted the small attendance. He said the question of dispensing with party government; was nob a new one, and he referred to his address to the electors of Newton in 1890, when he advocated doing away with party government. He regretted that owing to the indifference of the people politicians were not the servants of the public, nor could they bo under present circumstances when members had to sacrifico their own principles and violate their pledges to support their party, and he instanced tho cases of Mr. llees and Mr. Earnsliaw in the present sossion. There were two picas for party Government. One was that it led to the thorough discussion of all questions, but his experience was that they were not so well discussed, for if bite Government) was strong, the rank and file took little interest in matters before Parliament. Then tho second plea was thab party governmenb was a better check on the Government as a strong opposition who were spurred to expose malpractices kept them in check, but it had nob that effect, and party government created abuses. Ho referred to the fact that the Public Works Statement had not yet been brought down, the Government keeping ib back in order to influence doubtful members by the promire of a road or bridge in their district. He referred to tho Bill brought in by Mr, O'Conor for an elective Ministry. This he explained, would do away with responsible party Government, as every member would be at liberty to propose any measure he thought proper. Tho House would decide whether or not ifc should be brought in, and if the latter, it would be for the Executive to frame a Bill, bub tho fate of the Ministry would not depend on the measures introduced. After some further remarks, he called on Mr. Eugster, who lie said was a native of Switzerland, whore some such system was in force, and which was an object lesson for other nations. Mr. Eugstkr, in a very interesting address, referred to Switzerland as the cradle of many noble institutions which now swayed all the world. He alluded at some length to the various changes in the Constitution up to 1574, when the Referendum was adopted, and he lucidly explained the operation of this system. He contrasted the Swiss system with that of New Zealand, bub ho also pointed out that danger would attach to granting such a system to a people not educated to "it. In his country civic education was enforced—beaching to bho pupils from their earliest youth their duty to the State.

Mr. French also spoke ab considerable length in favour of an elective executive, the Referendum and the Initiative, which empowered electors to suggest laws, and ho strongly urged that bho present system of Party Government was radically wrong in principle and in its workings. Votes of thanks were accorded to the speakers and the chairman.