THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13489, 16 May 1907, Page 6

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

-or — :■ : VIEWS OF THE FARMERS' UNION. ' . ' ■ ] ELECTIVE BODY FAVOURED. The question of reform in. the constitution jd of the Legislative Council was discussed at ge the Auckland ', Provincial Conference of the en' Farmers' Union yesterday afternoon.: x. Mr. Keay, who introduced the matter, it): on behalf of the Paterangi branch, moved, It, "That,- in the opinion of this conference, 3d the time has arrived when' the Legislative et Council should be elected on a property of qualification','; and that members i should ocn cupy their seats for six years." He'said e _' that the power of making appointments at ■el!present possessed by the Government should ibe taken away, and an elective body, (chosen by the property-holders, substituted. * r. j At, present, members of .the" House; of Re-: Id preventatives were ; elected on a manhood; re '• suffrage, but a great many who possessed; that franchise did not value it very, • highly,| ~. and in the case of some of them their votes j could be purchased for a glass of beer. ; He j n * 'thought that no man under 40 or over 60 ie .years of age, or who had not.been 10 years fc » in. the colony, should ;be appointed to the f"; Council. -Members should be elected for 19 1 six years, and if a member were elected for a second term he should be allowed to hold '"" I the seat; for life. *; ; There would be.'more j 1 i honour in such an election than- was con- - ferred by the ; present appointments, and!, ie such a system-would stir up the ambitions re of some of the best men in the colony. Thej a- constitution of the present Council remind-J l d ed him very much of. a.farmer's method of! et selecting a;few sickly sheep from his flock, „' and placing, them on one side. This seem-' 33 ed to be similar to the; appointments of a 1 s". number of the present Legislative Council-' >y lors. (Laughter.) ■ % . : *;'; ■: ' ; .;.]■ m Mi - . Duxfield ; (Ngaruawahia), ,in , second-; ing the motion, said -he did not believe in j s- the abolition of . the Council, as it was ii- necessary to have .a' revising : chamber. ig Members of the Upper - House should be ie men of culture and experience, and; this re-1 S-* suit could; best he attained by an elective Isystem. He did not, however, agree with' ,d the- proposed property • vote. " • - ■ ! ls Mr. Boi-rie (Waihou) suggested that: the; , D I Councillors; should be elected ■-. on the house-; holders' qualification. (Hear, hear.) : ■ jf-.Mr. Bell; (Hamilton) moved an; amendls irient to the effect that the clause referring, . to the property qualification be struck out. i; There was not, he said, the slightest chance. •L of getting ? such'a provision accepted. -' '•> Mr. Haylock (Hamilton) seconded then _T; amendment. ' ; Mr. Wilson, in supporting : the' motion,' '• said that under, the system advocated j they;;'! 10 would no longer have men; sitting in ; the < ie ■ Council . who .had.neveri been able to obtain : l ' a seat in the representative chamber.'. He ; ; " thought 'that if they affirmed I the principle' tt of an elective chamber it would be far j, °, enough to go at present. ' , ' - *: Mr. H. Wily (vice-president) said that . ; his heart was with Mr. Keay, but,his head j '" was with Mr. Bell's amendment. Hav-ji r ing. once adopted- a universal franchise, it : '• was unlikely that the colony would go < l " back to ; a '■;.* restricted qualification.. ' The 11 " only way in which the present inequalities|l x could ;be removed ' would be to : give "the ' ■* thrifty man a second or a " thrift'vote," and ] '■", not to debar others from exercising a' vote. 1 '" The amendment was carried unanimously. e ' : v .......... ;' r:i -'---