Page 8 Advertisements Column 5

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12830, 26 November 1903, Page 8

DISGRACEFUL METHODS 01? LEGISLA'IION.—THE" NEED OF AN UPPER HOUSE. . TO TIIE EDITOR, gin,—l liiink'ail right-thinking men must agree \vi'':h you in your strong reprobation of the: shocking methods by which laws lwve .'been forced on -tliis country by the brute force of. Mr Seddon'a tyrannical though servile majority. Thcro is one point that the occurrence of such disgraceful fioencs makes and that- is the nec-cl of a strong and independent Upper House.■' Had wo had eueh at the present juncture it would have justified its existence by sliarplv pulling up Mr Seddon and postponing his Preferential Trade Bill until the country-and Lower House had had time to consider it. _ It would have been more thai justified in doing this by the faot tlvat the bill had riot received proper 'time or thought or inquiry from the. Lower House, iind that after 15 Government supporters had begged the Premier to postpone the measure in order to allow them time for inquiry and conei4«ra-t-ion they had been compelled by party pledges to join the Premier in "bulloekju'ir" the bill through against their own better judgment, If only the Upper House had risen to the occasion as any independent second Chamber in any other part of his Majesty's dominions would have done it would have earned the undying gratitude of all lovers of their country. Alas! Such things as independence and strength are not now to be looked , for in our Bc-cond Chamber. The Constitution of New Zealand was wrecked in 1892' by the machinations of tho Ballanoe-Scddoil Government, .whioh induced Mv Gladstone's Colonial Secretary, the Marquia of Ripoti, to instruct Governor Glasgow that he must accept the* advice of'his'Ministers'in making appointments to the Upper ■ House. Lord Glasgow pointed out in' a despatch what would .happen. The freedom of the Council would, ho ?aid. be'subjected " to tho mersy of tho Ministry. ; . If the constitutional chocks -which experience has placed on the power of different bodies are swept away tho result., will-bo -a distinct loss of liberty to the colony and, almost absolute power to tho Ministry," Lord Ripon pooh-poohed the warning, and the value and independence of our Upper House were swept' away. Thai Chamber is now stuffed with Mv 'Seddon'e nominees, who are quite unlit to (|eal with a crisis like tho present. Mr Seddon's actions have had this benefit;:' they ; have demonstrated moro . clearly,- than over the necessity for reforming the Legislative Connoil so that tho country, may have a roa>l chcck on '-hasty and undigested legislation, and bo freed from' the total domination of ono man over both Houses of' Parliament—l am, ofo., .1/ Eobt. Gileiso:;. ' Dimedin, November 23. i

/A: stimtilant. that aids digestion—WOLFE'S iiopatio SCHNAPPS.