THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 106, 13 June 1885, Page 7

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(From the Rangitikii Advocate.) There has long been a general iinpresfion in New Zealand that the present Legislative Council system is very unsatisfactory, and, as the years go by, the groan Is for dissatisfaction increase. The system affords such a convenient mt'ans to the Ministry of the day to reward their friends by making them life pensioners of the State that few Governments have been able to resist the temptation tc grossly abuse the trust reposed in "them by the people. The Grey Government, during their briu: tenure uf uffioe, appointed nine members

of t'i(> L^ixlll.Vrt Ci'HIC'l. ill 1 fc »l v Stout- Vogcl Atiuistry have recently nominated hulf-a-scoro of them all in one butch. The roll is swelling with alarming rapidity ; even now it includes nearly sixty members. Three score lifepensioners at two huivhed guineas ahead per annum aid numerous etceteras we more tliaa enough in all conscience. When we add to this total ninety-four members of the House of Repivstnitativea \v»th similar "screws'' it will be perceived that New Zealand, with a population no gi eater than that of a seeouu-class city in England, is paying very dearly for her legislative whittle. It is ubsolutely certain that an increase of taxation will be proposed next session. Su'-oly when the Government bling up their proposals they should accompany them with a statement that they intend to do their utmost to secure a reform of the Upper House. It would be contrary to justice and opposed to all the rules ol prudence that the people of this alrea ly he.ivily tt.xed colony s.iould be asked to submit to still greater burdens whilst the flagrantly wasteful system of payiiu about three-score nominees life pensions I of two hundred guineas each per year was continued. Som« time ago, Sir Julius Vo^el indicated that 1'ie Ministry contemplated introducing an amendment under which future members of the Legislative Council should be nominated for a certain fixed period of years, instead of f.r life Shortly afterwards, the Ministry nominate I no less than ten members for life. T.iis was consistency wiMi a vengeance ! It may be allege ' that the Government took tnis stop wi h a view of getting their proposed refoim l>ill thro'iefh the Legislative Council. Even .f this is so, the proceeding must still be regarded as at resort to an extreme reme ly. The scheme outlined by Sir Juliu-3 Vogel would, of course, be preferable in some respect to the existing one, but it must not be forgotten that it would throw more patronage into the bonds of the Ministry of the day. S.iy that Legislative Councillors were nominated for a term of five years, with the privilege of being re-nominated on the > expiry of their term of office. An unscrupulous Government would, instead of taking due advantage of the opportunity thus afforded, for "purging the roll," make it a means of rewarding their friends and "paying out" their enemies. The Hon. Mr Brown would be very chary of opposing a Ministerial I measure when his term of office was approaching completion, knowing that the Ministry might take revenge by declining to re-nominate him. The Hon. Mr Jones might barter his independence by pledging himself to support a Government bill on conditiou that he should be re appointed. The whole system of noiuineeism is to our uiitids iiro leernably vicious, and it is, moreover, utterly opposed to the ppirit of the a, r e. The Legislative Council ought to be elective; on this point there cannot be two opinions. The only question is ns to the best system of election. It seems to us that the United States Senate uffords an admirable model. It is true that we have not in New Zeal.md any State Legislatures, but the County Councils and Borough Councils would serve the end well euough.