THE COMING SESSION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume 29, Issue 5, 29 May 1896, Page 18

THE COMING SESSION.

t^R JAMES CARTER, the President of the & American Bar Association, recently dtlivoied | an address which is published in the Albany i Law Journal. We find in it a sentence ~) which, in view of the legislation-cure-all trend ot New Zealand politics, is worth repeating : "The common notion that somehow laws exicute themselves seems to hold its sway ova* the public nvnd, and even over that of legislators, in the fa:e of a thousand demonstrations to the contrary. Multitudes will busy themselves with the work of securing the p ssage of laws under the illusion that plenty of human instruments maj easily be found who will undergo the labour of enforcing them against the passions, the beliefs, and the interests of other multitudes." Our legislator seem to have the idea reprobated by the distinguished American lawyer. Every session sees the pile of Bills mount higher and higher on the statute shelves. If Parliament, with &festina lente motto, passed few fresh Bills and spent more time in perfecting past legislation, valuable hours would not be wasted and money recklessly squandered. There is too much " talking-shop " procedure about colonial Parliaments. We trust that the absurdity of past years wdl not be repeated during the coming session, and that members will bear in mind that pi ssing of a law and the effective carrying out of legislation are distinct things. Prohibition laws, for example, are far from effective, t f course the people generally have responsibility as far as many new laws are concerned. When disorder from any c.use appears a demand :s instantly made for corrective legislation. Multiplier tion of laws, however, does not mean necessary reform. Wo want better administration of existing laws rather than frrsh legislation. When Cabinets are constituted tho j^^oncl of the Ministry should be scrutinised, not from the view of party or provincial district, but from the point of view of experience, administrative ability and general fitness for the responsible position. The Government and Membcis of Parliament will be closely watcbed during the coming session. The work of Parliament should be judged, not by the " hansardttig " of Members or the numler of Bills put through their stogea, but by the solidly practical work dune for the good of the Colony.