PRE-SESSIONAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2623, 22 June 1904, Page 16

PRE-SESSIONAL.

MR DOXALD REID, JUN. } AT MOSGIEL. Mr Donald Reid, jun., member for Taieri in the House of Representatives, addressed a meeting of his constituents in the Volunteer Hall at Mosgiel on the 7th, when the Mayor of Mosgiel (Mr Thomas Aitken) presided. Mr Reid, who was received with applause, said that, in asking the electors to meet him just prior to the session of Parliament, there were some advantages and some disadvantages. There were advantages in being able to refer to the colony's accounts of receipts and expenditure for the financial year, which ended on March 31, and thua knowing in what direction the State finances were tending; also, in knowing how far the sums voted by Parliament had been expended by the Government ; and in meriting the electors and ascertaining their requirements just prior ro a new session. On the other hand, it was not so pleasant for constituents to meet in June as earlier, when tho nights were warmer. He might mention that he had intended to ask them 'to meet him last Tuesday, when the -moon was fall," btifr tfce date clashed with the winter ;show. There- -was a disadvantage to him. also in the fact that events were not *o fresh in his memory as immediately after' tEe- session. ILLNESS OF MR SEDDON. Before dealing with the work of last session, he wished to express his great regret at the illness cf tho Premier. The Right Hon. Mr Sedtlon's energy and love of work were well known to the colony, and it was to be feared that he had overtaxed his physical powers by a too constant attention to political affairs. He hoped that ere the home met Mr Seddon would be so far recovered as to resume hia seat as Premier. — {Applause. } ADMINISTRATION IN PARLIAMENT. Before deaiing with the legislation of last session r he would like to say a few words regarding the conduct of the colony's business in Parliament. One would imagine that the proper way to conduct such important matter-3 as had to be discussed in Parliament would be to bring on the important matters as early as possible, co that they might get proper consideration by members, and discussion in keeping with their importance. Ho found out, however, that the rule was quite the reverse. The more important a measure was the later it was brought down, and the less consideration was given to it. The House was kept sitting continuously over some of the measures until the "bills were passed. The Governor's Speech, which was, of course, prepared by the Government, and foreshadowed the work of the session, intimated 21 amendments in the law. The bills of all kinds distributed numbered 193. Of theso 146 were public acts, end 52 were local or private bills. Tho House sat for nearly five months, and passed 4-4- of the local and private acts and 96 of tho general acts. ! THE MANNER OP THE WORK. j It would not in the least siu-pusc his j

hearers to learn that when acts of all kinds dealing 1 wiEh everything- from Imperial defence and fiscal reform, to juvenile cigarette smoking- were brought down in this wholesale fashion the work did not get the care, the discussion, and the consideration that it should. Neither would it surprise ; them to learn that, out of the 14- public ' bills, 42 were bills amending former acts. The mass of legislation in thi<3 country was something appalling, and there seemed hardly any walk in life that was not hemmed in and restricted by legal enactments and j penalties. He had always understood that the common law of England, the law of cuetom — case law as it was called, — was the easiest for the public co work under. But ' if an examination be made of the cases that , caused litigation in our courts it would be found that in nearly all cases they turned ' upon the construction of a statute. After every case the lav/ had to be amended. In fact, if it were not for Parliament, half the business of the higher courts would be gone. He was not at all impressed with | our law-making machinery. Instead of ; legislating a*3 little as possible, we seemed j to aim at legislating upon every conceivable subject. — (Applause.) How the people stood it seemed the wonder. In ancient Sparta, in Greece, anyone who brought forward a bill in Parliament had to come up with a halter round his neck, and, if the law did not pass, he was promptly hanged, so that he could not inflict any more uni"- , ceptable law?. If that law were enacted here cur statute books would be commendably thinner. — (Laughter and applause.) GOVERNMENT BY PARTY. { He had seen, nothing to alter his opinion j that the sy&t-em cf electing a Government j from tho party instead of from tho whofe House Tias bad. Probably in the* Governlnent of the Mother Country it was neoesj sary to have two parties intensely hostile i to each oth-er and each watching for the j mistakes of th& -other. Tho multiplicity ot interests in tho Imperial Parliament were • so vast and ramified in so many directions that a vigilant Opposition was necessary; but the affairs of this small colony coiild bo nuich bettc-r run upon business lin^es. The political business of the colony should bo run upon the lines of a large commercial company, the Government, like directors, being appointed lor their admuiistr.itive abilities and for a settled term by the votes of the whole House. He recognised, however, that there was a *est in the game of : party politic? that would be wanting in 'ho . staid and buHne^s-liko arrangement of an I elective Executive, and that, it seemed to him, was the chief obstacle. The- Elective j Executive Bill brought forward by Sir William Steward was discussed, and defeated by 21 to 56. so that there was no chance of a change in this present Parliament from tli'& system of government by party. THE OPPOSITION PAItIY. Tho Taieri electors did him the honour to return him as a member oi the Hou?o in the Opposition interest, and ifc was hh duty. therefore, to criticise- the- administration and legislation of the Government. For a short timo tht* Opposition party did not select a leader, but eventually it was decided that it ■ was necessary to have a leader, and Mr j Massey was unanimously appointed about j the beginning of September. Under his j ieadexship the measures brought before the

Housp had received fa>r and reasonable criticism, and there was little doubt that the party had done useful work in criticising ill© numerous measures that were submitted for consideration.