A.-l

10

The Premier trusts that His Excellency's conclusions as to its future action may prove to be well founded, and that his hopes may be fully realised. Should, however, the contrary eventuate, it is somewhat assuring to his Advisers to know that, on the Council failing to give effect to the wishes of the people, it will have failed in its duty, and that the necessities of the case will demand its being brought into a more efficient state. The Premier did not, in his memorandum of the 12th October last, wholly attribute the unsatisfactory state of the Council to the fact that some members were there for life, whilst others were only nominated for seven years. The Premier respectfully submits that it is an anomaly and detrimental to the well-being of the colony that there should be members in the Second Chamber some of whom are life-members and others appointed for a term of years. The Premier regrets that His Excellency does not see the difference between a life-member—one who has been out of touch with the people for years—and a member newly chosen from the people, who will, in the course of a few years, have to come before the people for renomination, or make way for a fresh nominee. The Premier begs most respectfully to differ with His Excellency's contention that the fact of there being life-members in the Council, and those who are there for a term of years, made no difference in the rejection of the measures. By reference to the division-lists it will be found that, with one exception, the life-members in the Council voted for the rejection of the measures sent up by the House of Representatives. Had the whole of the members of the Council been in touch with the people, or known that, by refusing to give effect to the wishes of the people, their prospects of being again called to the Council would be made remote, the Premier ventures to express the opinion that the Bills would not have met the fate they did. The Premier regrets that His Excellency does not think that the different tenures of office in the Legislative Council can be termed anomalies. In none of the other colonial Legislatures does the same state of things exist; nor does it follow that the present state of affairs must exist until all the life-members have passed away. In conclusion, the Premier regrets that His Excellency's views, as expressed in paragraph 8, are that there are no grounds for complaint about the manner in which the Legislative Council performs its functions. The Legislative Council has for the last three sessions refused to pass measures which the Premier positively asserts were asked for by the people during the general election held in the year 1890. The people still demand that these measures shall become law; for, as stated by His Excellency in paragraph 5 of the memorandum before referred to, since last session a general election has taken place, and the result doubtless expresses the present views of the electorates. R. J. Seddon.

Memorandum for the Pkemibk. Government House, Wellington, 29th June, 1894. The Governor has to acknowledge the receipt of the Premier's memorandum of the 26th instant. 2. He is always anxious to give that consideration and respect which is their due to any communications sent him by the first Minister of the colony, and he accordingly replied rather unwillingly, but categorically, and, as he believes, exhaustively, to the Premier's first memorandum on the subject under discussion. To that reply he has nothing to add. But when the Premier renews an attack upon the Legislative Council which the Governor thinks should never have been made he is forced to abandon his attitude of reserve, and the Premier may gather from what follows his opinion of the position he has assumed. 3. Hardly a week has elapsed since it was the Governor's duty, in obedience to time-honoured custom, to grant to the newly-elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, on behalf of that Chamber, all the privileges to which it lays claim, and " especially those of freedom of speech in debate; free access to the Governor whenever occasion requires it; and that the most favourable construction may be placed on all its proceedings." 4. The Legislative Council has a right to claim, and will therefore receive from the Governor, the like consideration and privileges, treatment which he regrets to state it has scarcely obtained from the Premier, who cannot be said to have put the most favourable construction upon its actions. 5. The Governor is accordingly obliged to state that he has perused the Premier's last communication with regret, that he retains the opinions expressed in his first memorandum, and that he sees no necessity for further correspondence on the subject. Glasgow.

PAET 11. Memorandum for His Excellency the Governor. (No. 22). Premier's Office, Wellington, 25th May, 1895. The Premier presents his compliments, and, in reference to the advice tendered in respect to appointing to the Legislative Council the four gentlemen whose names have been submitted, would point out, in view of the vacancies which have been caused by death and resignation, and the inability of some of the Councillors to attend, and to enable the Council to properly discharge its functions, it is necessary to increase the number of members. The Premier desires, further, to point out that, although the number of members will be thus slightly increased, the actual voting-power is not, for reasons hereinafter set forth, so great as it was in 1892, when it was decided to make the last twelve appointments. A reference to the proceedings of the Council last session will show that, owing to advanced age and paralytic affliction, there is one member incapable of attending to his duties, and who has only attended one meeting in each of the last three sessions, and, presumably, thereafter he has received sick-leave for the rest of the session. There are several other members who, from advanced age, impaired health, the distance of their residence from Wellington, and the nature of their occupations, very seldom