TEE, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17067, 27 July 1917, Page 2

TEE, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

POSTPONEMENT OF ELECTIVE SYSTEM. (Feom Our Own Cobrespondeitc) "WELLINGTON, July 25. ■ The question has been asked: " What is the National Government gtwng to do about the Legislative Coancil?" . A brief review of the situation in to-night's Post will be interesting failing a Ministerial declaration on the subject. The Elective Legislative Cotmcll Act -was passed in 1914, and laid it down that it ehould ( como into operation on January 1, 1916. If the Act had been brought into forco at once there would have been no more appointments to ihe Council, and the Act therefore gavo to any new Government the opportunity by making appointments of repealing tho Act and "saving" the Council from the elective principle. It was, however, provided that after the" passing of the Act and beforo January 1, 1916, any person appointed to the Council should not hold his scat after July 1, 1921. ' The point was that the first election would tako place in 1917, and the second in 1920. By 1921 two batches of elective CounriUors would have been elected In 1915, after the formation of the National Government, it was decided that the operation of tho Legislative Council Election Act should be postponed until January 1, 1916, and the date of its coming into operation was altered to September 1, 1917. That left the whole of 1916 and the greater part of 1917 for dealing with the question in the event of the National Government coming to an enJ. At the end of 1916 it was found that there was no chance of a change, and tho elections were postponed until 1918. It was therefore necessary to give those opposed to the elective principle the opportunity of appeal, and it was provided that tho coming into operation of the Act should bo postponed until January, 1920, thus leaving tho session of 1919 for a new Government to deal with the subject. The consequence is that members who may be appointed can only be appointed until January, 1924. The object, it is gathered, is to postpone the coming into operation of tho Act -until an incoming Government has had the opportunity of reversing the ori"inal decision. The Act allows the Government to fill up vacancies in the Council, providing that the aprjointments terminate in 1924. There is another aspect of the position. There are only four life members left—Sir Charles Bov,en, tho Hon. Charles Johnson tbe Ron. W. D. 11. BailHe, and the Hon." J. D. OrmoncL Only a few years ago Sir Francis Bell was tho only member of the Council ajapoiiittd by the Massey Ministry. Now he finds himself in a body which contains only one or two who have not been appointed by the Massoy Government. It is evident that tbe National Government is considering its respensibilties in this matter in a serious light, and is inclined to give full consideration to the political necessities of a future Govivnment. That is. not to ray that there will be no further appointments this year. Meet likely there will be, but it wjald appear that therce is no- imrJrjL.