FIFTY YEARS AGO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22618, 5 January 1937, Page 6

FIFTY YEARS AGO

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL A constitutional amendment of » very important character, involving • complete alteration in the method of appointing members of the Legislative Council, was being elaborated by tbs Government of New Zealand half a century ago. The main feature of thfl proposed legislation was that in future the Legislative Council should b® elected by the House of Representatives A leading article in the Nkw ZkM-AN" Ukhai.li of January o, ISS7, criticising the proposal, states: — "The Legislative Council, as * present constituted, has not been p*" feet, but, everything considered,' it « worked with rare satisfaction to to country since its lirst institution. *- ,n ° the proposed legislation, however. Legislative Council, elected by Mj, House of Representatives, would b« » in check by no sense of responsible. > as nominated Councillors are at prejj® amenable to a sense of what is due the Minister or the Party t appointed them; but', worse thall ' the appointments to these I )0S1 i,. which ought, if they-exist at all, to positions of high honour, would beco the subject of the lowest intrigues the House of Representatives, anw actuated in most cases by the most worthy motives. "If the intention is to utterly degr the Upper House and reduce it t0 " { position of a committee of the House of Representatives—-or r' to make of it a place to whic "..jj, elected Chamber would shoot its rUD jj| —then the Ministerial proposal attain the object."