AND CONTROL OE OFFICERS OF THE LEGISLATURE.

D.— No. 12

5

and the Governor's Message in reply thereto, of tho Ist February, 1800, establishing that practice, enclosed). '2. " Messengers, Office Keepers, Watchmen, and other persons of ths labouring classes," were appointed by the Clerk of the Assembly, under written authority from the Colonial Secretary. (See letter of authority). I have, &c, Ciias. Thompson, Clerk of Legislative Assembly. Tho Hon. the Speaker of the House of Representatives, New Zealand. For Sub-ciielosuro to Enclosure *S, I'ulc Appendix, Session 18G2. D. —No. 19, page 5.

No. 5. Copy of a Letter from the Hon. Colonial SECitETAitr to tho Speakkk, House of Representatives. (Xo. 1097.) Colonial Secretary's Office, Sir,— Wellington, 25th September, 1887. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your two letters of the 12th instant on the subject generally of the appointment and salaries of the Officers of the House of Representatives. The Government has given much consideration to the subject of those letters, and is prepared to submit to the House of Representatives a Bill fixing the salaries of certain Officers of the Legislature, and providing that all clerks except the Chief Clerk should be appointed by the Governor on tinadvice of Ministers after consultation with tho Speaker, and that the Chief Clerk should be appointed by the Governor on the solo responsibility of Ministers. I have, &c, The Hon. the Speaker of the House of Representatives. E. W. Staffoed.

No. 6. Copy of a Letter from tlic Speakki:, House of Representatives to the Hon. Coloniaij Secbetabt. Sn:. — House of Representatives, Friday, 27ih September, .1807. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 25th instant, in reply to my two letters of the 12th. Considering that I first addressed you on (lie subject of this correspondence so far back as the 20th July of this year, that your reply oi' the 29th gave me reason to believe that you agreed with the views I had expressed— considering that in accordance with your expressed wishes I lost no time in putting myself in communication with the Attorney-General, who drew up a Bill, the terms of which 1 quite concurred in—that after an interval of about six weeks I find it necessary to write to you again, and then after a further delay of nearly a fortnight am informed by you that you arc prepared to submit to the approval of Parliament a Bill of an entirely different character from that ■which the Attorney-General nad drafted: Considering these things I must say, without imputing any intentional discourtesy to Ministers, that I am entitled to feel that my representations have not met with that attention which is due to the position of the Speaker of the House of .Representatives. With regard to the offer that you now make to submit a Bill to Parliament " fixing the salaries of certain officers of the Legislature, and providing that all clerks except the Chief Clerk should be appointed by the Governor on the advice of Ministers after consultation with the Speaker, and that the Chief Clerk should be appointed by the Governor on the sole responsibility of Ministers." I beg to observe that my views are briefly these: — Ist. As regards the salaries of tho Chief Officers of the Legislative Council, I think that with a view to the independence of that body it is most desirable that their salaries should be fixed by law. 2nd. As regards the position of Speaker of House of Representatives 1 have already informed you that I consider ii essential to his independence, due to his position, and of the greatest importance looking to the proper discharge of his duties, his salary should be similarly fixed by Statute. Tho proposal quoted by me above as to the mode of appointment of the officers of tho Legislature is one to which not only I cannot consent, but to which I shall, upon all occasions, feel it mv duty to give my most decided opposition. It is a course not only unjustified by precedent but, in itself, theoretically bad. It would create among the officers of the Legislature a divided authority and would destroy that subordination and responsibility without which no service can properly exist. It is, moreover in my opinion, most objectionable on constitutional grounds. 1 hold it to be a maxim of tho greatest value to the full development of Constitutional Government that tho Legislature should be perfectly independent of the Executive in all its arrangements. The course proposed by you would admit of the interference of tho Executive in a manner that might most seriously embarrass the Legislature. I object to it further as derogating from the position and authority of the Speaker, and calculated to destroy that responsibility which ought to rest upon him for all the business of the House. If it lie answered that under the proposed system that the Speaker would bo consulted in these appointments my reply is, that while I have the honor to till the Chair of the House of Representatives I shall decline to be consulted upon such terms, and I am much mistaken if all other Speakers will not feel the same. Tho difference in our views upon these questions being so great I must respectfully decline the olfer of Ministers, to introduce a Bill upon the terms proposed. I regret much the loss of time which has taken place in dealing with the subject, to which I attach considerable importance in connection with the business of tho House of Representatives. But for this delay I cannot hold myself in any degree responsible. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. D. Moxbo, Speaker. 2