REFERENDUM BILL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 9979, 3 May 1911, Page 5

REFERENDUM BILL.

The following is the text of the Bill, introduced in the House of Lords recently by Lord Balfour of Burleigh, "to provide for the taking of a poll of the Parliameutary electors of the United Kingdom with respect to certain Bills in Parliament, and for other purposes connected therewith." The maiu features of the measure, which cousists of uineteeu clauses aud a schedule, are summarised below.

It provides for the submission to the Referendum of: —

1. Bills rejected or uot passed withiu forty days by the House of Lords (ou the demand of either

House of Parliament), aud

2. Bills passed by both Houses (ou a petition signed by no less than tsvo hundred members of the House of Commons,).

Pending the decision of the electorate, a Bill iv the second category is not to be presented for the Royal assent.

Ou the issue of the Royal proclamation for the taking of a poll, the writs will be issued forthwith, aud the polling—to be coufined to oue day—will take place not less than seven and uot more than fourteen days thereafter. Geuerally, the provision of the law relating to ordinary elections will apply. Returning officers—who may declare the result of the poll iv the usual way —must: at once returu the result to the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, and that official will, within seven days, count the total votes for aud agaiust the Bill and certify the figures to the Lord Chancellor and the Speaker. His certificate will be con elusive, and will not be capable of being questioned in any Court or otherwise.

If the total affirmative votes exceed rhe negative votes by 2 per cent.

(a) A Bill passed by both Houses shall forthwith be presented for the Royal assent; and

(b) A Bill rejected or uot passed by tbe House of Lords shall forthwith become law

On the other hand, if the affirmative votes are less thau 2 per cent, in excess of he negative votes, the King will not be asked to assent to the measure; in other words, it will not become law.

Each elector will have but one vote.

In the case of Universities, polling must be restricted to one day, and electors must attend in person to record their votes. •

Other clauses deal with tne arraugements for the conduct of the pollingstations and the counting of the votes ; empower the Lord Chancellor aud the Sneaker to make orders or regulations for the takiug of the poll; aud provide for the grautiug of facilities to the electors in each constituency to inspect copies of the measure which is to be the subject of the Referendum.