The Late Mr. Seddon and the Upper House.

New Zealand Tablet, 16 December 1909, Page 1969

The Late Mr. Seddon and the Upper House.

-.i . .T.. T .- c de ' aai «ck ibetween the t>6' brancihe's of}?tlife Legjsla- . p.Rre'.^.England-rAvhich' premises tdfurniih thg'^cKidfJSghtAng iss^ze / ih"the coming electi'bns— f'ecalls hh rmn* therfa'ct / - .own t Upper', .House was 'once in- '"similar /-had^whatwlpqks like, "a narrow' escape fro^-'extinWdni It gwas'in.theudays when the- late Mrl'SeddbnSvas'^ po^gr'in the land. The Council, had >I{ almost c,ontemptuo^s"ly7iefected >3*f(i.veralaptoposals ;on ••■which, Mr, Se^'doiiiHad^'eVW^iart and the Premier had 4 got his backaip ' in>eai;earne J sS.r rr At S^ ba ?3 v , et , -■ at ; :lnver6argill , on ■ 'Marclvv7; ' 1904^. to "'We. Gilfedder, Mr. Seddon, as ■Pr-ime,,Mdniste,r; > repiiel,'to the --toast of 'The Ministry/.- and delivered the.wprt*«jathmg indictment of the Legislative Council -system that; is rd ?f IfeNe,wi1 fe Ne , w i -Zealand. According^*) 'the press reports, hS^ald,h S^ a l d , gjo^ad come'tb the conclusion -that- the 1 ! time was -now opportune for a change in the Constitution." Seem-rriSgly-men who were liberaljrand progressive to give effect to the wilVto^t^e/>peop:l|M^|O they were beyond the will of the "people;' iudepllndeirb of the people. It seemed to him ,that they became too conservative. To make the "Council "elective *by" thd-people or 1 86 of Representatives would' nofr ftfeet - the .'difficulty - and the solution he now advocated,. was. to^refor-m. the Council put of existence. It was a cumbersome ' waste of time . and waste of money. It was not the revisibnary^ chamber - that people were led-jjovbeliexe. Rethought there should . be, a Revising Committed something pn-ltlierS^'i'dlsh* S?s&bn consisting of a number, say, of, the most experienced mem' -bers-, 'such as were on the Statutes.^ ReV^xffitS Committee and who would bring in.wjthvthem^ome of the ablest lawyers in the colony. Takej-fdr'^ihstance/^eiir^d &s£&?&£ the =8 SSOTI^2S. r Jj i. ; There-may be retired Solicitors-General, i |f^ th %t^R uld !be! "'t h e'S6licitbr-Getteral.; f r,,Such'.'a- tfemmit&«t6ejt.assrsted£by the highest legal^ talent' of the f colony, would ii I?° T % m r ® visin S- the laws as a revising chamber than all the Council put together.' "'*• ' ':'' '-.fi/M-r. <> t - . n

.-v«. ,'M *-?- st ,°Pl> in g 'or' checking hastily-consti-UDted Je'gisla•^?W3££jof i i late years the' most progressive -le'gigratib^^nd socialistic legislation had been promul%gat|^by^thel Legislative Council itself f^Tjiiaer'-thfefe circumstances, |hose who looked-to.-jtlie^^un'cii/al^'^BarHer against hasty legislation-.T-must' deceived «f iTJ 11 !^^^ hei,co.uld &M&os&;faf a 6osmem it 'X^ *R°^ tl<m itipP 1 tlie y ' w -ere:jvery a niufih:, mi s t4Jke4L and e -altered?fdonditionsvtHe.om6&me^ $Ul^ 'b K # us ' w «*'fc<rt > gomfe «te«happeii Am aM'hujry. Jbf law had ta come before Jihe Council, and if there was a S^M^ have thihk 1 the*-€ie^is]|ative Gouncillors--were!^a»frani,e of mind to abolish th|ms^lves just yet. But, as sure as he addressed "t T y^\ * atl f eri fe^^ffl House^ of Representatives, wsGouneiißAa^ranow, the people to have a\ote on direct ques-*-tlons ' -and «ie sCojuno^fsi.illjYe'fuseoV l sq( surely, >,oul# the i m^m& v ? m tI?lt C ° Uncil blii^^reWm r eWS of S s 4 c o%— ~ f a -, s one of those me ek-and mild individuals appea}ed^toJ EeasDnlE easDnl aftdi«es§JWto & fnrce^,and even case he Ya^fpj^rpsj^gjthe-Forc&of argumeniF'^This aola^fc, ofitpoiuKse, Was gentle sarcasm, n Sa^UraTly a olaugh-.ovnrWhen Mr. Seddon spoke^^str^ngt^^ Ifoidia on this occasion hej generally meant wliat-he said; and had he twa^rf jssrf™* °n ainly

SfiJ.^^f.^W' . Two ;ste years after'War^'liMv, CouAoflTl il S l' tr^ lc death" "at' 'seajV'and'bUK'LegiVti've Cquncil is, left to, pursue 'the ey/en 'fepor of its way '"' .*' ' J