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strength ; that it is efficient; and that the proposed addition would make the Council almost aa large as it was before the Eepresentation Act of 1887. As to vacancies, the word may have been used when the question of the reinforcement of the Council has been on former occasions considered, but not in its stricter sense. Under the Constitution the Governor is empowered to call to the Legislative Council such persons as he shall think fit, without any limitation; it is reasonable to conclude that this right should only be exercised when such appointments are required, but not for the purpose of filling vacancies. The word " vacancy " means "an unoccupied post, position, or office." When no limitation exists to the Council, the removal of certain Councillors cannot, in the strict sense of the word, be said to create vacancies. In such a case the Council would not be imperfect; it would merely be reduced in number. Did the Council consist of a specified number, the resignation or death of any Councillor would cause a vacancy, because the Council would not be complete ; and it would be then the duty of the Governor to fill it up. Therefore, as long as there is no specified number, as at present, there can be no claim to fill vacancies, and the question whether the appointments are necessary or not remains to be considered on its merits, according to the requirements of the Council. As to efficiency, the Governor understands this word to mean the ability of the Council to perform its functions : he is not aware that there ever has been any failure of the Council to do so during the last session or any other—not even when it was much weaker than now. During the session of 1894 he thinks that on one occasion an important Government measure left the representative Chamber in such a shape that, had it not been amended in the Council, it would have been practically inoperative. This, he understands, was done on the initiative of the Council, and speaks well for its efficiency. With regard to deductions from the honorarium of the Council, there is no doubt but that the unprecedented length of last session tended to increase the total deductions for the past year, and it is a matter of general knowledge that two Councillors were absent during the whole session, while a third, owing to the death of his wife, did not attend except for a short time. As far as attendance, division-lists, and voting-power are concerned, with regard to the former the Governor ought perhaps to explain that when he stated in his memorandum of Bth June that thirty-seven may be said to attend regularly, he did not mean to infer that they were always present, but that they were always available when required. Under the Standing Orders there is the power to make " a call of the Council " at any time, and the Governor is not aware that it was ever necessary during the last session to do so. There is also a fixed quorum of the Council, and he believes that during the last session there was no " count-out." Further, the Councillors are not accountable to any one as to how often or when they give their votes; and, although not a recognised action, yet it is well known that Councillors do pair when it is inconvenient for them to attend; and were any other appointments made it would cause no difference in the customs of the Council. Adding these considerations to those in his first memorandum, the Governor does not think that any argument founded on either voting-list, votiog-power, or attendance strengthens the Premier's position. With regard to his claim to fill vacancies, the Premier quotes from the Governor's memorandum of Bth August, 1892. In adhering as he does to the opinions therein expressed the Governor cannot be charged with inconsistency. Had any arrangement been made fixing the strength of the Council —an arrangement which he thinks most advisable—it would be incumbent on the Governor to fill vacancies as they occur; but no such arrangement has been made. But the most serious objection which the Governor entertains to making the additional appointments has yet to be stated. It is perhaps only natural for Ministers when advising the Governor on this subject to be influenced, perhaps unconsciously, by party considerations; but the Governor is obliged to consider the matter from an entirely neutral point of view, and with reference to the maintenance of the dignity and freedom of the Council as an independent branch of the Legislature, whose constitutional position may by some such means as are now proposed be at any time affected, perhaps unintentionally, by undue interference. Twelve Councillors have already been appointed three years ago in the interests of the party now in power, and it is now asked that four more may be appointed. What the Governor looks forward to with apprehension is, that, should any sudden change come over the feeling of the country, the Opposition might come into power, and, supposing the four new appointments to be made, the new Government would have as much right to demand sixteen Councillors as the present one has had, in which case an undue increase would take place in the Council. The Governor is glad that no reasons of a party nature have been advanced for giving the advice under consideration. There can be no doubt but that the only true grounds on which the Council should ever be reinforced is the promotion of its efficiency and welfare. The whole character of the Upper Chamber would be changed if the power as to advising as to appointments to the Council were used to make that Chamber a mere means of rewarding supporters by giving them appointments therein, or were it increased at pleasure for the purpose of carrying any measures which the Government of the day wished to be passed. Were such a course adopted, or were the Council to be unnecessarily increased, it would inevitably cause the opponents of the Ministry, if ever they came into power, in their turn to make similar demands, which would result in an abnormally large Council. The Governor considers that he has clearly proved that no adequate reasons exist for making the appointments under consideration, and that they are unnecessary. He therefore hopes that the Government will see the inadvisability of pressing for an increase of the Legislative Council; and he begs to repeat his unfeigned regret that he is unable to agree with the views of the Government. Glasgow.