ELECTIVE UPPER HOUSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15646, 27 June 1914, Page 10

ELECTIVE UPPER HOUSE.

BILL TO BE PASSED THIS YEAR . DOOR OPEN FOE REPEAL . PRECEDENT OP 167 ft. ITS BEARING EXPLAINEDJ l«« inixsftAfn.—SPKCtAt. OOftRMPOKtIEKt.) » Wkluwiox, Friday. > Thß tentcnoe In tha fJovcrnor'n ftperch In regard to a " cojistitulioftfll prwwilenl " for postponing th<« ofwrotion of th« L*#l*' ] Intivfl Council Befofin 13111 (should it I*- ' earn law during tho pretont session) until > after the «««iloa of 1911), ha» reference to a section in the Abolition of Province* Act, i which was paswd in the lati region of i , the fifth Parliament in 5875. This Act provided that the abolition <>l the province* I , »luMi)tl nn*. teko cfj'rt until alter tl«) . SM'ioti of Vflb, thus giving the new Parliß' i , ment an opportunity of iconsidering the I Act. ' Tfw follow explanation of the bearing ' of tho precedent on the present proposal « in regard to the legislative Council was ) given to Tour reprcsentfttiiie this owning I by the Hon. 11. 0, IleJl, I/oadcr of ilio < Council. * 1 The Legislative Council for two years s litis practically refused to pass the Bill. ' This vcar it «ill be passed,not with the .' consent of a majority of those councillors » who previously opposed it, but by the ' force of the change in the membership of ( tho council itself. Therefore a body in i that tense newly constituted is considering j ( a constitutional change for the first time, I ( and it seems reasonable under such cir- j« cumstances that the one precedent we 1 have in tho country for a really i' great consitutional change should bo ' followed, namely, that tho country 1 1 should have on opportunity of express- j t ing its opinion, not upon mere proposals, I but, upon wis *aw itedl as actually {wnixl. : a I'M new Parliament will have an onpor-', tucity of considering whether it will re- ' peal the law. If parliament now \>tmo& * m« fliii without providing lor a prifione- o ment of it-> operation, it would out be '- possible for the new Parliament to repeal t it, because, firstly, thero would be in tho 1 new i'ajliam.at & number of elected; J councdlore, wbo, it may be presumed, 1 1 would vote for a continuance of election;,t secondly, there wouid be a majority of c nominated members still in the Counci',! « 'who would be opposed to repeal; aw,,ln thirdly, the power ol tee Government to'l appoint a number of councillors in the j h new Parliament to carry out the desiro of « the House would be gone. Therefore it a would bo impossible for the new Parlia- ! n mont to repeal tho law if it came inte j r operation this year. jp Mr. Bell added that tho country has got j v to the end of its patience about mere pro- 1 d porak Tbo proper course is for this ; s Parliament to act arid to put upon tho in Statute Book legislation cSecting tho change, leaving matter* in such a con. | a dition that the next Parliament will be ti ireo to repeal it If tlio Massev Govern-1 ] meat had desired to deal with this consti-! a ttitkmal question On mere party lines, they ,] would not have proposed to leave the door i still open for repeal by the other party. c . It is bc-catice of their senso of responsi- h bility, their desire to take no advantage a of the other party, and their determination to leave a clear field to both parties j, iupon sit important constitutional rmestion. r.

vyvu oh lujjrvikujib '..'iim'-ii ucr.»nu: ijurr, iuij, > that the proposal to follow the precedent of 1875 bag been made. .'■'!. I .'••'. I