SWAMPED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19478, 23 December 1925, Page 9

SWAMPED

Fa WICKED SWINDLE” LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL PACKED DEATH-KNELL OF CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT NEW COUNCILLORS SWORN IN. By Telegraph—Per Ptcm Awn.—CapyrijrhL SYDNEY. Dec. 22. jp Ike A«s**»nbly. Mr Bavin asked a **r:tinn <«f the Premier ns to whether the Upper House would be abolished. Mr Lang replied that he was at present not prepared Io make any statement. Another question a«ked was whether, when the appointments were made. Mr I.an" would order the flags to be half masted to signify the death knell <»f • onstitutionai government. Speaking 1«» a motion for the adjourn ment. Mr Ravin drew attention to or rtirreneps in the Council marking a revolution in the constitution. The mat ter was of xital importance. as the erm stifufion was entirely revolutionised. It wa? never suggested that the I'oumii should be a mere body for endorsing measures pa—rd by the Government, but the present Government had set up an entirely new claim, whi* h nppar ently bad been endorsed by the Gnver nor. that the Government, with a ma ioritv in the \ssemblv, cor’d pass any rrca ••ure~ it liked whether the measures were part nf the policy it went to the electors with or n<»t. That was entire lv n new principle in the constitution, and if that principle !.»• run timed the t’ouneil would become ?n absurdity, and the sooner it was abolished the better. Mr Bavin continued that he believed a1«o that it was far from certain that the assurance would not be broken. It was a very wicked swindle, and one never before perpefrat»-d. The new I'ouncjllnrs were appointed < n eondi tions that no decent man would a- « ept They were utterly unfitted for their positions or they would never have ar rrpted them on the degrading term® upon which they had accepted then*. Mr Bavin concluded that Par 'r. t was nr.w degraded and d«b<:« r d. and the Government had i" '.t. th ~ :J nf th-* King’s representative hi •: : ing it.

MAJORITY OF THREE UPPER HOUSE ABOLITION PR LSS coy DE N ATI ON SYDNEY, Drr. 22. V! n.-w I .••gis’nt i .-** Councillors, r\ th the exception uf three, have he. n sworn in. Although Mr Lang declined o make any admission, it is understood that he gave th,* Governor an assurance that, until a definite mandate is ob tained from the people, the new members will not be pledged to abolish the Upper House. Tn th** I.egi-lative Council. Sir .Tns eph Carruthers moved the adjournment the House to discuss the rrw appointments. T I- said hr took this ac ■ r. as it affi t led the onlv opportunity for members t«» protest against the Government’s action. \f»er the debate, the motion was hdrawn. T’.e Government nowllie»a e » a majority < ’ three in the Conn The 4 4 Herald. ’* again unreservedly « t.edrmning th -wuirping < f the Legis • five Council, • rrlares that it is unprecedented, both as regards the num her and reasons given for the appoint Touching on the suggestion that the Governor may have been guided by precedent, the 4 4 Herald” says "hat hr might as w-il have hern guided l>v the New Zealand ca e e, in which I.ord Glasgow, the then Governor. refused to make the Council appointments propos cd by the Rallanre Government. Sub •equcntly. on the advice nf Lord Ripon, then hrarj of the Colonial Office. his i.xcellrnrv granted the Government’s ? «'qije?t. Tt points out that Lord Ripon’s advice stressed the fart that the new appointments did not bring membership hrvend what it had previously been, and they were for seven years ».nlv. not fnr life. Tn the New South Wales rasp both provisos were cr ridden.