Wellington Independent SATURDAY, 19th JULY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3861, 19 July 1873, Page 2

Wellington Independent SATURDAY, 19th JULY.

The last clause but one of the Governor's speech commenced with the announce, ment that, amongst other measures to be laid before Parliament, would be one "to initiate a reconstruction of the Constitution of the Legislative Council." "We question if anyone who has read, or who heard the speech delivered, noticed the word " initiate," or if he did notice it, expected that it had any serious meaning. It was a general impression that the Government intended to bring down a measure not for •' initiating a reconstruction," but for the reconstruction of the Upper House. And it was a general public expectation that the Executive would boldly propose the substitution of election in the place of the system of nomination at present existing. So long as the principle of election formed its basis, the country would have willingly accepted any measure, however much it might fall short of the complete reform needed. But, we venture to say, that it will be a source of general public regret that the bill introduced in the Legislative Council by the Colonial Secretary is one of those miserable half-way measures which virtually shirk the whole question. In this instance, a comparison of the bill with the flourishing announcement in the Governor's speech reminds us of the cry of the itinerant vendor of fruit, '• In the name op the Pbophet — Figs ! " A more disappointing bill was never placed before tlie Legislature. It bears upon its face the fact that the knowing that there was a great public demand for the reconstruction of the Upper House, felt themselves compelled t# recognise this demand in some way ; but that they were afraid to take a bold stand upon the subject. They accordingly bring down a bill which, if not laughed out, must inevitably be kicked out. There could never have been any sincerity in the minds of those who drew up the bill. We expect to be told—" Oh ! we admit it is not exactly the bill we would have liked to bring down, but then we could not hope to carry any radical measure, but this l opens the trenches,' you know." Before we make any furthei remarks, we will give our readers an exact copy of the bill : — Whereas it is expedient that as soon as the number of the present members of the Legislative Council shall have beoome greatly re- ; duced, the said Legislative Council should by law be made an elective body, instead of being composed of members holding their seats for life : And whereas by resignations and other causes whereby the seats of members of the said Council are vaoated, it ie probable that the number of the present members of the said Counoil will be greatly reduced during ' the period of five years ensuing the passing of ' this Act ; and it is expedient that, in order that the Legislature may have the less diffii culty in making provision for rendering the said Council elect ire, all persons who shall i hereafter be summoned to the said Counoil should hold their seats for a limited period, » instead of for life. 1 Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly of New Zealand in Parliament as--1 sembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows : — > 1. The short title of this Act shall be the Legislative Council Temporary Appointments , Aot, 1873. 2. Every member of the Legislative Council, who shall hereafter be summoned thereto, ' shall hold his seat therein until the thirty-first day of December, one thousand eight hun- ■ dred and seventy-eight, and not for life : Pro- ; Tided, however, that if no Act be passed previously to the said thirty-first day of ■ December, one thousand eight hundred and ; seventy-eight, repealing, amending, or altering this Act, every member of the said Council i who shall be summoned thereto, after the said ; thirty-first day of December laßfc named, shall hold his seat in the said Council until the ; thirty-first day of December, one thousand t eight hundred and eighty, and not for life. The interpretation of this bill is that [ the existing members of th« Legislative Council are to hold their seats until » they vacate them by death or resigna- • tion ; but that any person who may be summoned to supply vacancies shall hold their seats until the end of 1878 ; ' 1 and that if no Aot be passed before that

time which shall make any further! alteration, they may hold them until the end of 1880. We would direct the attention of our readers to the fact that the Legislative Council now numbers fifty members — a number utterly disproportionate to the dimensions of the representative body. Now, ulthough it is probable, in the ordinary course of things, that in a few years deaths or resignations may slightly reduce the existing number of members ; it would not need a second inspection of the grave and reverend seigneurs of the Upper House to arrive at the opinion that the bulk of them will outlive several Parliaments, and that if we are to delay the application of the elective system until " the number of the present members will be greatly reduced," we shall have to wait a long time. Tht bill is one that the Government ougbt to be thoroughly ashamed of. They admit the desirability of making the Upper House elective, but they are afraid to approach the matter practically and boldly. No doubt a thoroughly practical and conclusive measure would be rejected by the Council, but that fact should not stand in the way. It is merely a question of time, and the Government would have earned the thanks of the country if it had, instead of bringing down a timorous bill like the one under notice, proposed a statesmanlike measure for making the Upper House elective. We are glad to notice that the Hon Mr Waterhouse has given notice in the Legislative Council t« move the appointment of a committee " to consider and report upon the best mode of securing an efficient and satisfactory reconstruction of this Council." Jt is to be hoped that something better than the abortion presented by the Government will be suggested by this committee. One thing is very certain : the present bill will be summarily kickecT out of the House of Representatives if ever it should reach that body.